Hash Browns

When I go out for a fancy breakfast, the main dish may be what I order, but I'm really there for the hash browns.  Crispy, slightly greasy, over-salted hash browns.  I'm not even all that into potatoes, and tolerate fries as a tradition with certain foods.  That's one of the reasons Passover is so hard on me starch-wise.

Making them at home is another matter.  The frozen ones taste great and cook up somewhat quickly, but they are much more expensive than they should be for something so simple.  You're paying someone else to clean the food processor.

This is basically Alton Brown's Man Hash Browns, with my own variations and substitutions.

Warning, these take a while.  That's another thing about getting them at a restaurant: minimal wait.

1 large Russet potato, about 1 lb
2 Tb rendered bacon fat or butter
salt, pepper, and paprika to taste

1.  Scrub the potato clean and cut off any eyes, but leave the skin on.  Either shred in a box grater or run through the food processor's shredding attachment.  Rinse, then dry on a kitchen towel.  Keep the towel closed while you heat up the pan.

2.  Preheat a 10" skillet over medium heat.  Melt bacon fat or butter and swirl around to coat the pan evenly.  Spread dried potato shreds evenly in pan.  Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and paprika.  Cook until browned and crispy, about 15 minutes.

3.  If you're talented and have two wide spatulas, you can flip the whole thing to brown the other side.  My attempt was less than successful, but I finally got all of the sections turned over.  You don't need to season the second side because it has most of the bacon grease on it.  Cook until browned and crispy, another 10 to 15 minutes.  Serve hot.

Difficulty rating  :)