295727 Wed Jan 14 11:32:40 -0800 2004 9 27 General Chowhounding Topics 0 1626425 does anyone have a great recipe for hash browns or,home fries (are they the same?) Wed Jan 14 11:32:40 -0800 2004 0 morkandy 1 1626429 Not the same...what do you want? Shredded potatoes, diced, small chunks? Wed Jan 14 12:04:41 -0800 2004 1626425 0 kiliki 2 1626433 small chunks,diced sounds nice, as long as their good and crispy. Wed Jan 14 12:32:05 -0800 2004 1626429 0 morkandy 3 1626442 For home fries, here's what I'd do: Dice and salt some potatoes and roast in a 400 degree oven with generous olive oil (don't be skimpy, use a minimum of a 1/4" of oil in the baking dish). Stir occasionally to promote even browning. Cook for about 20-25 min, or until cooked through (actual time will depend on how large you cut the potatoes). I use a cast iron skillet, which comes in handy later, but any baking dish will do. While that's going, finely dice some onion and red bell pepper. Saute until the onions are translucent and sweet, but not brown. When the potatoes are done, toss them in with the onions and peppers. Season with cayenne or other chile powder, paprika, pepper, and more salt if necessary. You can play around with other seasoning if you want, perhaps some dried oregano or thyme, or garlic powder, but I go without. If you like a little bit of crunchy crust, like I do, heat the mixture again on the stovetop for a few minutes without stirring (that's where the cast iron skillet really helps). Now, you could skip the whole oven part and just saute the potatoes by starting them on the stovetop and adding the onions and peppers toward the end. However, I find that you end up with unevenly cooked and dense potatoes. By using the oven as I've suggested, you get chunks of potato that are light and fluffy inside with a nice, thin, crispy outer shell. Enjoy. Wed Jan 14 13:19:17 -0800 2004 1626433 0 nja 1 1626430 Hash browns are shredded cooked potatoes, fried in a little fat in a frying pan or griddle until brown and crispy. They are essentially the same thing as Swiss kartoffel rosti. ROSTI Boil some unpeeled all-purpose potatoes until they are about 3/4 done. Let them rest overnite. Shred them and pan-fry, in a flavorful fat or butter, until nicely brown on one side. Turn over and do the same to the other side. ----------------- "Home fries" and "cottage fries" are whatever the cafe wants them to be. I've seen big chunks, small dice, peeled and unpeeled, browned or just warmed up, with other things mixed in, e.g. onion, or just potato. I order hash browns whenever possible, bucause I'm usually disappointed in the other kinds of breakfast spuds. Wed Jan 14 12:15:59 -0800 2004 1626425 0 Sharuf 1 1626432 If you do indeed seek hash browns, this thread from a few months ago should have more info than you need. Link: http://www.chowhound.com/topics/show/294820#1618253 Wed Jan 14 12:29:40 -0800 2004 1626425 0 nja 1 1626438 Bacon fat, diced/chunked/mashed left over baked potatoes from last night’s dinner, diced onions, diced bell pepper (this aids in the taste of leftover potatoes, what was traditionally/historically used in diners, cafes, luncheonettes, etc. Altho some places today found old recipes it seems and use very large chunks of bell pepper, Yuck!) and a fry pan. Salt and pepper to your taste. Fry till crispy. Wed Jan 14 13:05:55 -0800 2004 1626425 0 Natasa Sevoleva 1 1626441 Cook's illustrated has a good way. Grate raw, peeled potatoes. No pre-cooking required. Rinse them well and dry them with a paper towel. Salt well. Make into an even layer in a nonstick pan that has had butter (which browns the best) or bacon fat (which tastes just as good but doesn't brown quite as well) melted into it. Cook on low for a while -- like 10-15 minutes. Take a plate and flip the whole "pie" to the other side, and cook until brown. Don't make the pie too thick -- like maybe a 1/4 inch thick. Slide out of the pan, cut into wedges. Yum. Wed Jan 14 13:17:20 -0800 2004 1626425 0 Mrs. Smith 2 1626539 Sounds like a big potato pancake. The main difference between potato pancakes and hash browns is that the first uses raw potatoes, while hash browns use cooked or semi-cooked potatoes. I've also tossed raw potatoes into the blender, added a little flour and onion and blasted them into a coarse puree. These cook like thick crepes and are quite good. Thu Jan 15 12:40:04 -0800 2004 1626441 0 Sharuf 1 1626454 Put package of frozen hash browns into rectangular pan. In saucepan, heat one can of condensed cream soup (i.e., cream of mushroom, cream of chicken, etc.), 1 C of sour cream and 1 C of shredded cheddar cheese until cheese has melted. Pour soup mixture over hash browns. Cover with crushed potato chips and bake in oven for about 20-25 minutes. Not exactly gourmet...but the kids love it! Wed Jan 14 15:04:30 -0800 2004 1626425 0 baby_tran