Hash Brown

[Vijay]

Yesterday's our Sunday eve youth program menu :

 

Cucumber cooler 

Hash Brown 

Paratha ((Indian flat bread) 

Vegetables with paneer 

Hyderabadi biryani (Veg version) 

Curds 

Jalebi with Rabri 

 

There is a requirement of 400 Pax. 

 

I have made unfried hash and kept in the fridge before night thinking of huge volume of frying. On Sunday afternoon started frying on the pan.

 

At one point of time since time is running out, instead of pan frying, did deep fry. This is the mistake I did. 

 

The hash brown absorbed oil and didn't come up properly. Pan frying trial was fine. 

 

Please throw some light. 

 

[Lisa Shock]

I prefer to make hash browns with potatoes which have been previously boiled, cooled, then grated. You don't lose as much volume this way.

 

Generally the deep fryer is a bad idea. The commercial patties one sees fats food places deep frying are specially made, and compressed in a special pan to mold the shape, to work in a deep fryer. The only way to deep fry them is to mold grated potato under pressure, cook to form a brown crust, then deep fry. (generally not worth it)

[kayb]

I am with Lisa. If you use boiled potatoes (boiled in skins, then cooled, peeled, diced) and make up and shape your hash brown patties in advance, you can fry them quickly, just long enough to brown the exterior nicely and not have to worry about thoroughly cooking the interior. Medium high heat, just a little oil.

[Paul Fink]

I always use raw potatoes for hash browns. I think they have better texture & flavour.

If you need to make a big batch you can make circles of potatoes on a sheet pan and bake them.

I've done this ahead of time and then just crisp then on a frying pan as I serve.

[FeChef]

If you want to use a deep fryer, you can shape your hash browns and flash freeze, then dip in beer batter or you can use egg and breadcrumbs, then deep fry. I have done this many times. I like to mix in fresh diced jalapeno's in with the grated boiled potato and make what i just call popper sticks. So good.

[Dave the Cook]

If you still want to deep fry, you could make something like Tater Tots.

[Paul Fink]

30 minutes ago, Dave the Cook said:

If you still want to deep fry, you could make something like Tater Tots.

[Vijay]

Thanks for all of your replies. I will incorporate these methods in the upcoming menus. 

[MetsFan5]

I definitely use a nonstick. I have suffered from using too much oil as well. 

  I've found 'hash brown patties' (frozen and pre cooked) to work easier in a pinch-- I throw them in my Breville toaster oven for about 15-20 minutes at 450 and they are nice and crispy. 

[Lisa Shock]

A Breville toaster oven will take days to provide the 400 portions he needs to serve...

 

From his other posts, it doesn't sound like they have much if any oven space.

 

The big issue with serving hash browns as opposed to other types of potato (where the potato is thicker) is that they brown best when spread out very thinly -which means a really large griddle surface. The setup recommended to you in another thread, to find a setup like 'mongolian barbeques' use here in the US, a large round griddle surface, might be very useful for making these, if you decide to continue to serve them to your guests.

 

The big trick to getting them to stick together is to mix salt in with the shredded potatoes, place them in a thin layer in the hot, oiled pan, and allow them to just cook for a while, undisturbed. If a cook keeps turning them, they will take longer to brown and will not cling together as well as potatoes left on the griddle for 5+ minutes and flipped just once, then left alone again.

 

Still, I am not certain this is the potato dish I would choose to serve for a Sunday evening dinner. Are the guests eating with silverware, or scooping the food up with their bread? How they eat their food will obviously affect what types of recipes you make, whether that is oven roasted potatoes, deep fried french fries, or boiled potatoes with butter and herbs.