Published September 1, 1998.
In developing our hash browns recipe, we began by testing potato varieties. Best were high-starch russet (baking) potatoes. They adhered well, browned beautifully, and had the most pronounced potato flavor. Grating the potatoes helped them hold together while cooking and gave us the distinctive appearance we were looking for in our hash browns recipe. We also liked the way the raw shreds of potato formed an attractive, deeply browned crust.
As with the Hash Brown "Omelet," (see related recipes) these individual potato cakes can be topped with a host of ingredients. For an interesting variation, you can top the fully cooked hash browns with smoked salmon and sour cream after you remove them from the skillet.
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