Copycat Stuffed Hash Brown - © thevulgarchef.com

COVID-19 Lock Down Cooking Fun: Stuffed Hash Browns!

I was cruising through my usual food news sources this morning and happened upon a reminder of an old favourite: Hash Browns. Except these particular Hash Browns had something extra – Stuffing. They’re easy to make and the Stuffings can be as wild and varied as your imagination!

Olgas Stuffed Hash Brown - © olgasflavorfactory.com

Start with the basics

Let’s get down to the basics of proper, Crispy Hash Browns. There are some hard-and-fast rules you must observe to get primo results, and there’s no getting around them.

First, you must rinse the Shredded Potatoes thoroughly to remove the surface Starch. Hold the sieve or colander under running cold water until the runoff runs clear.

Second, you must dry the washed Potatoes on a clean towel or a pile of paper towels to remove all excess Water. Some aficionados insist you must squeeze them dry.

Third, you must add a binder, if you want Hash Brown Patties that stick together nicely. That’s where the Flour and Eggs come in.

Fourth, you must cook your Hash Browns at medium, not medium-high or high heat. If you use too hot a pan, you’ll burn the outsides before the insides are cooked through.

Fifth, you must not cook your Hash Browns in too thick a Patty. Anything thicker than 0.5 in. / 1.5 cm will result in a perfect outer crust but an under-cooked middle.

Sixth, use ONLY Russet Potatoes if you want the best internal consistancy and that oh-so-desirable outer crust.

Now, a recipe…

This is my take on classic Hash Browns. Serves 4 hungry people alongside Eggs, with Bacon, Ham or Sausage..

2 medium Russet Potatoes
1 medium Onion (finely chopped)
1 clove Garlic (minced or pressed)
1/2 tsp. / 2.5 ml Ground Nutmeg (or more, to taste)
1 large Egg
1/4 cup / 65 ml Flour
Salt and Pepper (generous amounts, to taste)

Sesame, Peanut or Canola Oil, for cooking

What you do

Pre-heat a large frying pan to medium.

Pre-heat the oven to 170 F ( keep warm temperature) and insert an oven-safe dish to hold cooked Patties.

Wash the Potatoes well and grate into a sieve or collander. Leave the Skins on for a fuller, richer Potato flavour.

Rinse the grated Spuds until the wash water runs clear.

Drain well and dry thoroughly a described above.

Combine the Onion and Garlic with the Spuds.

Mix up the other ingredients in a large  bowl until well combined.

Add Potatoes and toss until all the Potato shreds are moistened.

Add the Oil to the pan.

Scoop up a mounded tablespoon of the Potato mixture (for bite-sized Patties) or use a 3 oz. / 75 ml or 4 oz. /125 ml scoop for larger, Pancake-sized Patties.

Drop into heated pan and flatten to 1/2 in. / 1.5 cm or less.

Fry until golden brown and flip. Fry on second side until it’s golden brown.

Drain finished Hash Brown Patties well on paper towels.

Rest the Patties in the oven until you’ve batched all the Patties through the frying pan in groups of 3 or 4.

Serve piping hot, as soon as the last Patties are properly drained.

That’s how you do it. It’s really nowhere as complicated or time consuming as these instructions might look. And it’s totally worth the extra fuss of rinsing the drying the Potatoes properly if you want truly great Hash Browns.

Stuffing dos and donts

When making Stuffed Hash Browns, plan to make larger, Pancake-sized Patties to ensure they cook properly.

Start with half the Potato mixture you’d normally use for a given size of Patty.

Fatten it to a thickness of no more than 1/4 in. / 1 cm and fry on the first side.

Add the stuffing in an even layer no more than 1/4 in. / 1 cm thick, leaving a small border around the outside of the Patty to make sure the top and bottom layers of Potato mixture join up.

Place the second half of the Potato mixture on top of the stuffing, spread in a layer no more than  1/4 in. / 1 cm thick, and make sure the top layer and bottom layer are sealed around the edge.

Flip and fry on the second side.

What to stuff with?

Here’s the twist that makes the4se Stuffed Hash Browns really special.

I always encourage first timers to stick to something simple like a thin slice of their favourite Cheese or thin layer, grated. I find the slice method works best. Cheddar, Jack, Edam, Gouda, Mozzarella, Swiss and similar Cheeses all work well.

As you perfect your Stuffed Hash Browns technique, you’ll want to try other stuffings such as Chopped Wilted Spinach and Swiss, Bacon Bits and Cheddar, Tex-Mex-spiced diced Sweet Peppers and Ground Beef Crumble, Sausage Crumble and finely diced Fresh Japapeños, Pepperoni and Mozzarella, or even diced Curried Chicken and chopped Green Onions. After that, let your imagination be your guide. You can make Buffalo Chicken, Asian Shrimp or even Beef Wellington (with very thin slices of Deli Roast Beef, finely diced White Mushrooms and minced Fresh Thyme) Stuffed Hash Browns. Your family and friends will never get tired of these amazing crispy treats!

~ Maggie J.