hash brown patties – smitten kitchen

Cook your potatoes: Place potato chunks in a pot of cold, salted water and turn the heat to high. Set your timer for 15 minutes. At the 15-minute mark, even if the water hasn’t boiled for long, check a chunk of potato. We’re looking for it to be tender enough for knife or skewer should go through it but it shouldn’t be mushy; add another minute or two if needed. Drain the potatoes and transfer to a large cutting board. Spread to cool slightly in a single layer, about 5 minutes.

Form the hash brown mixture: Chop the potatoes into small bits, about the size of peas. In a bowl, combine with starch and season to taste — I call for salt but you can add pepper or any other seasonings you like in your hash browns at this point.

Shape the patties: Transfer back to the counter and knead in on the cutting board a few times until you can shape it into a big, thick round. Divide it into 4 wedges for the generously-sized patties you see here, or 6 for smaller ones. Use your hands to form each wedge into a round, and then flatten it about 1/2-inch-thick and form shape you want against the board — either a round patty or you can nudge it into more of a rounded rectangle, as I do here. Repeat with remaining wedges.

Fry the patties: Heat a medium-sized, heavy frying pan over high heat with enough oil to go most of the way up the sides of the patties. [In my photo, I’ve fully submerged them in oil, i.e. deep-frying them, but shallow-frying will work too.] When the oil reaches 350°F to 360°F, or a crumble of potato immediately sizzles and begins to darkens in the pan, use a thin spatula to transfer the first patty from the board, lowering it slowly in the oil. Fry until medium brown underneath, 1 to 2 minutes, spooning oil over the top of the patty for even color. Carefully turn it over and fry until the second side of the patty is also nicely browned, another 1 to 2 minutes. Lift out of the oil, shaking excess droplets back into the pan, and transfer to paper towels to drain. Sprinkle immediately with salt.

Repeat with remaining patties. If your pan is big enough, go ahead and fry two at a time. [I use a smaller one so I need less oil.]

To finish: Eat right away, as is, or topped with a fried egg or salad-y avocado toast and a soft-cooked egg, as shown above. Leftover patties can be frozen. From the freezer, reheat on a tray in a 400-degree oven for 20 minutes, flipping once. From the fridge, 10 to 15 minutes should be sufficient.