When people think back to how they survived their college years, the running joke is usually about surviving on Ramen noodles and chocolate chip cookies, if you’re lucky enough to have a roommate who loves to bake. I totally get that. You’re out on your own, you’re either supposed to be busy studying and attending your classes, or you know, hanging out with your lifelong friends you’re developing. There’s no time or money for gourmet meals for one.

My meal of choice was super easy as well but it wasn’t Ramen. One thing my dear mother and my Idaho roots instilled in me was that where there is a potato, there is a way. I only needed two things always stocked and ready to go and that was a few Russet potatoes and some ketchup.

I will never forget the first time I went out grocery shopping on my own in my college town of Provo, Utah and I found their “Russet” potatoes. I’m pretty sure I started laughing out loud. You call these potatoes? They were about one third the size I was used to. My uncle was a potato farmer in the town I grew up in so I was used to getting our family getting a couple 5 gallon buckets of fresh potatoes from their potato cellar and we’d store them in our cold storage room.  These potatoes were so fresh that they still had a pretty good layer of dirt on them. That is a Russet potato.

Nevertheless, this girl needed her potatoes to survive so tiny potatoes it was. My mom is a really fantastic cook. She basically had the Midas touch in the kitchen. Anything she made was delicious. I bet if you asked each of us eight kids, we’d probably each have different answers to what was our favorite thing she made. One of my many favorite things she would make were her hash browns.

She was the queen of big Saturday morning breakfasts and her shredded hash browns were supreme. Crispy on the outside, cooked and fluffy on the inside. Absolutely heavenly. I made these all the time in college. They were super easy to make and super filling and satisfying.

Fast forward 11 years and since my kids don’t really like potatoes (how is this even possible?!) and my husband doesn’t eat many carbs, I have pretty much stuck to the rectangular shaped hash brown patties you get in the freezer section of the grocery store. While these are fine, there is nothing quite like the fresh, crispiness you get from the freshly shredded hash browns crisped on the stovetop.

A one minute video popped up on my Pinterest feed the other day of how to cook perfectly crisp hash browns and all the feelings came back. They had great tips too! I am quite out of practice so mine hadn’t turned out this good in quite some time. Yesterday I whipped some up for myself for lunch with a couple of fried eggs on the side and I was sohappy with the results. I wanted to share some of those tips with you so you can recreate these delcious, easy hash browns yourself.

Step 1: Squeeze out all the moisture you can.

Potatoes are certainly full of moisture, which makes browning them difficult. You will yield a much better result if after you grate your potatoes, you wrap them in a kitchen towel or cheesecloth and squeeze as much liquid out as you can.

Step 2: Par-cook the potatoes before you brown them

If you cook the potatoes part-way before browning them, you will get that perfect crispiness you are hoping for. This happens because according to Kenji from seriouseats.com,

“By par-cooking chunks of potatoes, you help create a thick layer of gelatinized starch around their exterior that, upon frying, subsequently dehydrates and browns. It’s this dehydrated layer of gelatinized starch that gives potatoes a lasting crispiness.”

To partially cook these hash browns, put a layer of paper towels on a plate, add the potatoes and microwave them for 2 minutes.

Step 3: Do NOT Rinse Them

Some recipes for potatoes call for you to rinse them before you cook them, but what about hash browns? Rinsing the potatoes takes away the starch and makes them too separated when you are trying to flip them. Since the goal is for them to all stick together, it is best to leave to starch to help glue them together while cooking.

So to sum this all up, here is the recipe for the perfect golden hash browns:

Crispy, Crunchy, Golden Shredded Hash Browns

1 pound (450g) russet potatoes, peeled

3 tablespoons (45ml) canola oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions:

1. Shred potatoes on the largest holes of a box grater.

2. Wrap potatoes in a kitchen towel or several layers of cheesecloth and twist to squeeze out as much liquid as possible.

3. Transfer potatoes to a plate lined with 2 layers of paper towels. Cook in microwave on high for 2 minutes.

4. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. When oil shimmers, add shredded potato. Season with a large pinch of salt and pepper. Using a spatula, press potato into an even layer. Cook until golden brown on the bottom, about 2 minutes. Flip potatoes with spatula and brown on the other side, about 2 minutes longer. Remove and drain on a paper towel-lined plate. Serve immediately.

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