For a recent weekend breakfast we had at home, I tried my hand at making hash browns for the first time. While I selected a Cook's Illustrated recipe, and therefore thought I was set up for success, I committed the fatal flaw of not perfectly following the recipe and ended up with a bit of a gummy mess.
I think the problems started when I didn't squeeze enough water out of the grated potato shreds (see below). I think the extra moisture helped turn the potatoes red/purple during cooking and forced me to increase the cooking time significantly because there was simply too much moisture and starch in the dish.
In addition, I probably let the shredded potatoes sit too long before cooking, with CI warned could lead to browning.
And so the potatoes cooked, cooked and cooked – the cooking time was probably double to triple what the recipe originally called for.
(flipped hash browns)
I'll admit one more flaw evident from the pictures – I used a nonstick skillet instead of a cast-iron, which would have improved the cooking time dramatically as well.
So next time, a few modifications will be made. First, the pan will become a cast-iron skillet. Second, I will actually squeeze out ALL of the water from the potatoes with a kitchen towel instead of paper towels. Third, I will probably also soak the potatoes in a bit of salt water before squeezing the water, to get rid of excess starch that can discolor the raw, starchy potatoes. I use this final technique with the Indian potatoes I make, and have read online that that step can make a major difference.
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