Griddle/Pan Fried: American breakfast potatoes
Subject: American breakfast potatoes
Newsgroups: rec.food.cooking
From: Daisy (DaisyL at emailaccount.com)
Date: Thu, 20 Jul 2006 09:43:32 +1200
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I have just returned home (to New Zealand) after 3 fabulous weeks in the USA where I enjoyed some wonderful restaurant and home-cooked meals with our so-hospitable friends.
I ate breakfast potatoes sometimes in restaurants and also a friend cooked them one morning (but wouldn't let me in the kitchen!) I have since tried to do them here, but am not getting the right result. Mine ended up like very crisp saute potatoes instead of the lovely soft brown and tasty ones I ate there.
Please tell me what of the following things I may be doing wrong, and please also suggest any additional tips.
for two people:
2 large floury potatoes (like your Idaho ones) peeled, cut in half and boiled in salted water for 10-12 minutes. Cool and then cut into cubes.
1 small onion chopped (but not too finely).
Butter (or vegetable shortening, or oil) for frying.
I fried the onion first at high heat (and this I think was wrong). Then I added the potatoes and fried them on a fairly high heat. I think this may also be wrong.
Should I perhaps add a little paprika and/or a drop or two of good quality gravy browning?
And finally should I cook the onions slowly until transparent and then remove them onto draining paper, and then slowly cook the potatoes and add the onions back in the final minute or two?
When the potatoes were missing from one plate I ordered and I requested them from the server, she was back in a very short time with some scrumptious fried potatoes. They had no visible oil or any other cooking fat on them - could they have been cooked at another time and reheated in the microwave? Is that possible?
Thanks for those of you out there who can help me with this request. I liked them so much I would like to also include them with other hot meals.
Cheers
Daisy
From: Damsel in dis Dress (damsel.in.dis.dress at gmail.com)
Date: Wed, 19 Jul 2006 16:57:29 -0500
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I always bake more potatoes than we need, and save some for making fried potatoes. They're already cooked, so they just have to be browned, along with the onion, in vegetable shortening. Plenty of salt and pepper, and that's it!
You can add red and/or green bell peppers, mushrooms, that kind of thing, if it would make them more enjoyable for you. I *love* to add cubed ham to mine.
(Now I want fried potatoes)
Carol
From: Food Snob (CLASSACT at BRICK.NET)
Date: 20 Jul 2006 02:48:24 -0700
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Damsel in dis Dress wrote:
> I always bake more potatoes than we need, and save some for making
> fried potatoes. They're already cooked, so they just have to be
> browned, along with the onion, in vegetable shortening.
When you die of heart disease, it'll be your own fault.
--Bryan
From: cybercat (boagrrl at hotmail.com)
Date: 20 Jul 2006 13:41:37 +0200
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Food Snob wrote:
> When you die of heart disease, it'll be your own fault.
And since you can't die from being a pain in the ass, I guess something else is going to take you out.
From: Damsel in dis Dress (damsel.in.dis.dress at gmail.com)
Date: Thu, 20 Jul 2006 15:09:13 -0500
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cybercat wrote:
>And since you can't die from being a pain in the ass, I guess something
>else is going to take you out.
Preparation H?
Carol
From: cybercat (boagrrl at hotmail.com)
Date: 20 Jul 2006 22:43:07 +0200
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Damsel in dis Dress wrote:
> Preparation H?
Please.
From: Damsel in dis Dress (damsel.in.dis.dress at gmail.com)
Date: Thu, 20 Jul 2006 16:36:44 -0500
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cybercat wrote:
>Please.
LOL!!
Carol, picturing an industrial-sized vat of Preparation H
From: Damsel in dis Dress (damsel.in.dis.dress at gmail.com)
Date: Thu, 20 Jul 2006 15:08:10 -0500
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Food Snob wrote:
>When you die of heart disease, it'll be your own fault.
I make these about once every two or three years. I love every delicious bite, too.
I like pototoes, but they don't like me.
From: Damsel in dis Dress (damsel.in.dis.dress at gmail.com)
Date: Wed, 19 Jul 2006 16:59:23 -0500
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Daisy wrote:
>I fried the onion first at high heat (and this I think was wrong).
>Then I added the potatoes and fried them on a fairly high heat. I
>think this may also be wrong.
I forgot to address this. If you use pre-cooked potatoes, they can be cooked at the same time as the onions. I cook them at a little over medium heat. Too high, and the onions will burn. Too low, and the potatoes won't brown properly.
From: Jill McQuown
Date: Wed, 19 Jul 2006 17:28:26 -0500
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Damsel in dis Dress wrote:
> I forgot to address this. If you use pre-cooked potatoes, they can be
> cooked at the same time as the onions. I cook them at a little over
> medium heat. Too high, and the onions will burn. Too low, and the
> potatoes won't brown properly.
I concur! The potatoes should be boiled or baked first, then cut into cubes after they've cooled off. Season with salt & pepper to taste. The cook them *with* the onions in oil (I wouldn't use butter, it might burn too quickly) over medium heat. Turn the potatoes frequently until you achieve the browning you want and the onions are tender.
From: Mordechai Housman (housman at verizon.net)
Date: Mon, 24 Jul 2006 15:10:22 GMT
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Jill McQuown wrote:
> I concur! The potatoes should be boiled or baked first, then cut into cubes
> after they've cooled off. Season with salt & pepper to taste. The cook
> them *with* the onions in oil (I wouldn't use butter, it might burn too
> quickly) over medium heat. Turn the potatoes frequently until you achieve
> the browning you want and the onions are tender.
Please forgive my ignorance. Do I correctly understand that when you say cook in oil, you mean "fry it in oil?" I'm not trying to be difficult, I'm just not very knowledgeable in these things.
From: Jill McQuown
Date: Wed, 26 Jul 2006 07:59:54 -0500
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Mordechai Housman wrote:
> Please forgive my ignorance. Do I correctly understand that when you
> say cook in oil, you mean "fry it in oil?" I'm not trying to be
> difficult, I'm just not very knowledgeable in these things.
Yes, pan fry them in a little oil.
From: Mordechai Housman (housman at verizon.net)
Date: Sun, 30 Jul 2006 11:20:11 GMT
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Jill McQuown wrote:
> Yes, pan fry them in a little oil.
Thanks!
From: Don Gray (newsgrps at tiscali.be)
Date: Tue, 08 Aug 2006 19:35:47 +0100
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Jill McQuown wrote:
> Yes, pan fry them in a little oil.
That's interesting for I have never used oil in frying either onions or pre-cooked potatoes. I've never eaten in America but I often cook what you call 'American breakfast potatoes'. I only use butter. I gently fry the chopped onions first, until transluscent. Then I add the cubed potato and medium fry, tossing frequently until golden brown. I prefer the flavour that butter imparts and I haven't found burning to be a problem. I add mine to a fried egg and back bacon. A very tasty breakfast but very bad for the waistline ;-)
From: Mordechai Housman (housman at verizon.net)
Date: Thu, 10 Aug 2006 13:24:59 GMT
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Don Gray wrote:
> That's interesting for I have never used oil in frying either onions or
> pre-cooked potatoes. I've never eaten in America but I often cook what you
> call 'American breakfast potatoes'. I only use butter. I gently fry the
> chopped onions first, until transluscent. Then I add the cubed potato and
> medium fry, tossing frequently until golden brown. I prefer the flavour that
> butter imparts and I haven't found burning to be a problem. I add mine to a
> fried egg and back bacon. A very tasty breakfast but very bad for the
> waistline ;-)
Not to mention the cholesterol!
From: Mordechai Housman (housman at verizon.net)
Date: Mon, 24 Jul 2006 15:10:22 GMT
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Damsel in dis Dress wrote:
> I forgot to address this. If you use pre-cooked potatoes, they can be
> cooked at the same time as the onions. I cook them at a little over
> medium heat. Too high, and the onions will burn. Too low, and the
> potatoes won't brown properly.
I'm sorry, but I'm unlearned and confused. I'm confused particularly about when you mean "cook," and when you mean "fry." I understand that frying is a type of cooking, but without the specificity, I get confused. Could you please help me here?
From: cybercat (cyberpurrs at yahoo.com)
Date: Mon, 24 Jul 2006 15:10:00 -0400
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Mordechai Housman wrote:
> I'm sorry, but I'm unlearned and confused. I'm confused particularly
> about when you mean "cook," and when you mean "fry." I understand that
> frying is a type of cooking, but without the specificity, I get
> confused. Could you please help me here?
Nobody can help you. You suffer from a permanent case of bad taste.
From: Mordechai Housman (housman at verizon.net)
Date: Tue, 25 Jul 2006 04:38:59 GMT
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cybercat wrote:
> Nobody can help you. You suffer from a permanent case of bad taste.
Sigh. I'd appreciate some help, not wasted nasty remarks.
From: Mr Libido Incognito (Not at vaild.null)
Date: Tue, 25 Jul 2006 11:27:00 GMT
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Mordechai Housman wrote:
> Sigh. I'd appreciate some help, not wasted nasty remarks.
Cook some potatoes for supper, either boil them or bake them....cook to produce leftovers... enough for another meal. Put the leftover potatoes in a bowl in the fridge. The idea here is for the potatoes to firm up and dry slightly, so be sure to drain the leftover potatoes before you put the spuds in the fridge (if you boiled them). If you need to, look up directions for the selected cooking method. Google is your friend.
The next day dice the cooked leftover potatoes mix in some diced onion and fry at a med-low temp this mixture. Season to your tastes. Don't forget to add oil to the pan.
There are many opinions on whether the potatoes should be large dice, small dice or shredded and on the correct browning method. Plus whether the potatoes should be white ones or red ones. I prefer red or waxy potatoes. If any of this confuses you...once again Google is your friend.
If you used baked potatoes you can either peel them or not before you dice them, your choice.
See previous postings for other additions. But I prefer to also add some diced red bell pepper. As for my spice preferences...seasoning salt, pepper and garlic powder.
From: Mordechai Housman (housman at verizon.net)
Date: Tue, 25 Jul 2006 13:44:54 GMT
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Mr Libido Incognito wrote:
> Cook some potatoes for supper, either boil them or bake them....cook to
> produce leftovers... enough for another meal. Put the leftover potatoes
[snipped]
Thank you, those directions were quite clear.
I do have one question, though. When you say "don't forget to add oil," do you mean at the beginning, since this is fried and therefore needs oil, or do you mean some sort of process in which more oil is added later, while the potatoes etc. are already frying?
From: Mr Libido Incognito (Not at vaild.null)
Date: Tue, 25 Jul 2006 14:05:49 GMT
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Mordechai Housman wrote:
> I do have one question, though. When you say "don't forget to add oil,"
> do you mean at the beginning, since this is fried and therefore needs
> oil, or do you mean some sort of process in which more oil is added
> later, while the potatoes etc. are already frying?
Start out with a little oil say just enough to cover the frying pan bottom ...you might need to add more during the process...depending on type of potatoes used and onion amounts. The potatoes will absorb some of the oil...and the potatoes will stick to the pan if not well oiled.
For your first attempt cook a little in a large pan. Say enough to cover 1/2 to 3/4 of the pan's surface to about 1 inch deep. After you get comfortable with that...cook larger amounts. How full the pan is will effect the outcome....Think potato pancake. Because that is basically what you are doing except it will be very lumpy and meant to fall apart.
This ain't rocket science so there is no definative formula...only what works for you. Amount of oil depends on type of pan, potato used and frying temp.
From: Damsel in dis Dress (damsel.in.dis.dress at gmail.com)
Date: 25 Jul 2006 09:34:30 -0700
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Mordechai Housman wrote:
> I'm sorry, but I'm unlearned and confused. I'm confused particularly
> about when you mean "cook," and when you mean "fry." I understand that
> frying is a type of cooking, but without the specificity, I get
> confused. Could you please help me here?
Earlier, I had mentioned that I make fried potatoes (that's what we call them) using leftover baked potatoes, skin and all. Dawn and a few others had talked about boiling the potatoes first. That's what I meant by pre-cooked. If you try to pan-fry raw potatoes, they'll burn long before they're cooked through, or get so tough that you won't want to eat them.
When you fry the potatoes, take pre-cooked potatoes that you have cubed (if you choose to boil them before frying in oil, they'll cook much faster if you cube them first - just a few minutes - you want them firm, but not hard), then add them to hot oil or shortening in a skillet, along with some chopped onions. Be sure the potatoes are completely dry if you have boiled them, or you're going to have oil spitting and exploding all over the kitchen and yourself. Fry at medium heat until the potatoes are browned to your liking, stirring and flipping very regularly. Salt and pepper, and you're ready to go.
From: Rich (joshew at hawaii.rr.com)
Date: Wed, 19 Jul 2006 22:19:54 GMT
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Daisy wrote:
> When the potatoes were missing from one plate I ordered and I
> requested them from the server, she was back in a very short time with
> some scrumptious fried potatoes. They had no visible oil or any
> other cooking fat on them - could they have been cooked at another
> time and reheated in the microwave? Is that possible?
The reason you could be served the potatoes so quickly is that in breakfast restaurants they are done in large batches and kept hot piled on the cooler part of the flat grill where they won't burn. When your order came in, the cook just moved a portion to the hot part of the grill, turned them a couple of times, and plated them. No microwave involved.
From: Nancy Young (qwerty at monmouth.com)
Date: Wed, 19 Jul 2006 18:25:27 -0400
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Rich wrote:
> The reason you could be served the potatoes so quickly is that in
> breakfast restaurants they are done in large batches and kept hot piled on
> the cooler part of the flat grill where they won't burn. When your order
> came in, the cook just moved a portion to the hot part of the grill,
> turned them a couple of times, and plated them. No microwave involved.
For Daisy's benefit, and mine, you would call those home fries, right?
From: Jill McQuown
Date: Wed, 19 Jul 2006 17:48:05 -0500
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Nancy Young wrote:
> For Daisy's benefit, and mine, you would call those home fries, right?
Yes, home fries.
From: ms_peacock (ms_peacock at wbsnet.org)
Date: Wed, 19 Jul 2006 18:07:36 -0600
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Jill McQuown wrote:
> Yes, home fries.
I've never seen home fries on a menu, just hash browns.
From: Nancy Young (qwerty at monmouth.com)
Date: Wed, 19 Jul 2006 19:45:35 -0400
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ms_peacock wrote:
> I've never seen home fries on a menu, just hash browns.
(laugh!) That's why I asked, I have seen them either way. But, to me, hash browns are the shredded, crispy jobbers, not the potato cubes, onion, peppers, etc stuff kicked around loosely on a grill or in a pan. That would be home fries to me.
From: Rich (joshew at hawaii.rr.com)
Date: Thu, 20 Jul 2006 00:46:39 GMT
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Nancy Young wrote:
> (laugh!) That's why I asked, I have seen them either way. But, to me,
> hash browns are the shredded, crispy jobbers, not the potato cubes,
> onion, peppers, etc stuff kicked around loosely on a grill or in a pan.
> That would be home fries to me.
I've heard "hash browns" used for both styles, but home fries is what I was thinking of. Alas, most places that sell the other type have resorted to those frozen rectangular potato cakes that McDonalds sells.
From: ms_peacock (ms_peacock at wbsnet.org)
Date: Wed, 19 Jul 2006 20:24:45 -0600
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Nancy Young wrote:
> (laugh!) That's why I asked, I have seen them either way. But, to me,
> hash browns are the shredded, crispy jobbers, not the potato cubes,
> onion, peppers, etc stuff kicked around loosely on a grill or in a pan.
> That would be home fries to me.
I've seen the cubed style with onions and peppers called hash browns. I've never seen the shredded kind called anything but hash browns. I've seen rough chopped, deep fried potatoes refered to as country fries a couple of times. I really think it depends entirely on what part of the country you're in what menu selections are called.
From: Jill McQuown
Date: Wed, 19 Jul 2006 21:56:33 -0500
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Nancy Young wrote:
> (laugh!) That's why I asked, I have seen them either way. But, to
> me, hash browns are the shredded, crispy jobbers, not the potato
> cubes, onion, peppers, etc stuff kicked around loosely on a grill or
> in a pan. That would be home fries to me.
To me, as well. Usually the shredded version is what I get when I order hash browns off a menu.
From: Richard Kaszeta (rich at kaszeta.org)
Date: 20 Jul 2006 07:19:43 -0500
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Nancy Young writes:
> (laugh!) That's why I asked, I have seen them either way. But, to me,
> hash browns are the shredded, crispy jobbers, not the potato cubes,
> onion, peppers, etc stuff kicked around loosely on a grill or in a pan.
> That would be home fries to me.
Indeed, that's what I call home fries as well. If it's shredded, it's almost always called hash browns.
The label "hash browns", however, seems to get used for a wide variety of items, ranging from from oversized tater tot style pressed minced potates (like McD's), the griddle-fried shredded potatoes, or even home fires.
And, oddly, in my part of New England (VT/NH), actual hash browns are a very rare beast, nary a shredded potato to be found. Some very good home fries, but if I want shredded hash browns, aside from the nasty ones at Denny's, I have to travel quite a long ways (I usually make it a point to eat at the Red Arrow Diner in Manchester, NH, when I'm in town catching a flight at the airport, just because the have actual (and very tasty) shredded hashbrowns)
From: Nancy Young (qwerty at monmouth.com)
Date: Thu, 20 Jul 2006 08:43:25 -0400
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Richard Kaszeta wrote
> Indeed, that's what I call home fries as well. If it's shredded, it's
> almost always called hash browns.
> And, oddly, in my part of New England (VT/NH),
Just a gorgeous area.
> actual hash browns are
> a very rare beast, nary a shredded potato to be found. Some very good
> home fries, but if I want shredded hash browns, aside from the nasty
> ones at Denny's, I have to travel quite a long ways (I usually make it
> a point to eat at the Red Arrow Diner in Manchester, NH, when I'm in
> town catching a flight at the airport, just because the have actual
> (and very tasty) shredded hashbrowns)
You've done it. I will made some sort of shredded and fried crispy potato product to. day.
From: Richard Kaszeta (rich at kaszeta.org)
Date: 20 Jul 2006 08:20:01 -0500
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Nancy Young writes:
> > And, oddly, in my part of New England (VT/NH),
>
> Just a gorgeous area.
I like it, even if it gets rustic at times (foxes are eating my peas, for example)
> You've done it. I will made some sort of shredded and fried crispy
> potato product to. day.
Which is my solution most of the time as well. Especially when I've got some Kennebec potatoes I need to pull from the garden.
From: Andy (q)
Date: Thu, 20 Jul 2006 07:48:01 -0500
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The hash browns I've seen at IHOP and Dennys are the shredded kind with nothing else in 'em. The diners in town make home fries with some seasonings and bits of onion. Not cubed but sliced and coursely crumbled. I prefer the home fries, they fork better.
From: cathy (cwells21 at NOSPAMhotmail.com)
Date: Thu, 20 Jul 2006 04:23:41 GMT
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ms_peacock wrote:
>I've never seen home fries on a menu, just hash browns.
In the Western US, at least, shredded potatoes are always called hash browns. cubed potatoes are generally called home fries or or sometimes cottage fries.
From: ms_peacock (ms_peacock at wbsnet.org)
Date: Wed, 19 Jul 2006 23:42:37 -0600
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cathy wrote:
> In the Western US, at least, shredded potatoes are always called hash
> browns. cubed potatoes are generally called home fries or or sometimes
> cottage fries.
If you order cottage fries around here you'll get waffle cut deep fat fried potatoes.
From: cybercat (boagrrl at hotmail.com)
Date: Thu, 20 Jul 2006 07:02:11 -0400
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ms_peacock wrote:
> If you order cottage fries around here you'll get waffle cut deep fat fried
> potatoes.
Denny's *shudder* (don't ask--somebody had to have breakfast at 2 pm) now offers shredded potatoes as "hash browns" and chunked and fried potatoes as "breakfast potatoes." Or something like that.
My favorite are home made and cannot be cooked ahead of time, as in boiled then fried up. It ruins the consistency--I think maybe because they absorb too much water when boiling? Anyway--I dice russets (my fav due to their velvety texture and earthy taste) and onions, and put the potatoes in a hot pan with a good bit of olive oil and brown them fast and crispy, which requires just the right amount of stirring so they will not stick but not too much or they will not get crispy. (Very scientfic aren't I, lol!) About halfway through, I toss in the onion chunks as I want them browned but still plump and sweet. Toward the end I am using a flipper to turn the whole thing pancake-style. I serve them with a dollop of sour cream on the side, and salt and pepper them about the time I put the onions in. I also drain them well on paper towels.
From: Skyhooks (skyhooks at NOsbcglobal.SnPeAtM)
Date: Wed, 19 Jul 2006 17:51:30 -0500
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Daisy wrote:
> I ate breakfast potatoes sometimes in restaurants and also a friend
> cooked them one morning (but wouldn't let me in the kitchen!) I have
> since tried to do them here, but am not getting the right result.
> Mine ended up like very crisp saute potatoes instead of the lovely
> soft brown and tasty ones I ate there.
>
> Please tell me what of the following things I may be doing wrong, and
> please also suggest any additional tips.
I wish I could visit NZ (sigh!).
You've got the right idea for cooking "hash browns," a.k.a. breakfast potatoes. Anywhoo, I recommend boiling the peeled potatoes until just before they're fork tender -- not until they're completely cooked. Afterwards, drain the potatoes and "shock" them in a big bowl of ice cold water for about 4 or 5 minutes so they discontinue to cook. Refrigerate semi-cooked potatoes for about an hour or so (or over-night, which is better).
After potatoes have chilled, cut them to desired shape and size (shredded, diced, chopped, sliced, etc.) and cook in medium-hot skillet with about 1 to 3 tablespoons of oil (more or less may be required). Sometimes I add chopped onions after the hash browns have been turned twice. Use spices to taste (S&P is a given).
If crispy breakfast potatoes are desired, cook them longer and "scatter" (spread around) them often with utensil whilst cooking until done. If a tender inside/crispy outside is wanted, then use a thicker layer of potatoes in the skillet and turn twice like pancakes.
There are too many ways to manipulate and cook this dish to count <g>.
From: ad.rast.7 at nwnotlink.NOSPAM.com (Alex Rast)
Date: Wed, 19 Jul 2006 23:48:46 -0000
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Skyhooks wrote :
>You've got the right idea for cooking "hash browns,"...
Technical note here - other posters are correct in identifying what the OP ate as "home fries". Home fries are the cubed fried variety, and they usually have some onion in them.
Hash browns are shredded, never cubed. Good hash browns should be somewhat crispier on the outside (though softer in the middle) and are generally not pre-cooked (you couldn't shred them, anyway, if you did this). Hash browns should not have onion in them, either. And they're not loose - not in the sense that home fries are. They clump together into one large mass.
Some restaurants are falling prey to the same terminological confusion and putting "hash browns" on the menu when what they're serving is home fries. The difference in actual product is pretty dramatic - how did this mix-up happen?
From: Nancy Young (qwerty at monmouth.com)
Date: Wed, 19 Jul 2006 20:43:09 -0400
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Alex Rast wrote:
> Technical note here - other posters are correct in identifying what the OP
> ate as "home fries". Home fries are the cubed fried variety, and they
> usually have some onion in them.
>
> Hash browns are shredded, never cubed. Good hash browns should be somewhat
> crispier on the outside (though softer in the middle) and are generally not
> pre-cooked (you couldn't shred them, anyway, if you did this). Hash browns
> should not have onion in them, either. And they're not loose - not in the
> sense that home fries are. They clump together into one large mass.
Thanks, Alex, great explanation. I was hoping I gave her the right name so she could search for a recipe that might help her with the technique.
From: Damsel in dis Dress (damsel.in.dis.dress at gmail.com)
Date: Wed, 19 Jul 2006 22:03:59 -0500
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Alex Rast wrote:
>Technical note here - other posters are correct in identifying what the OP
>ate as "home fries". Home fries are the cubed fried variety, and they
>usually have some onion in them.
Around the Twin Cities, you can also order "American fries" in some places. They're basically home fries, but the potatoes are sliced, rather than cubed.
Carol, spewing useless trivia
From: Pandora (mirybranca at alice.it)
Date: Thu, 20 Jul 2006 08:23:57 +0200
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Skyhooks ha scritto:
> You've got the right idea for cooking "hash browns," a.k.a. breakfast
> potatoes. Anywhoo, I recommend boiling the peeled potatoes until just
> before they're fork tender -- not until they're completely cooked.
I have never tried to boil potatoes before frying them. I must try with your method because my chips don't come as I want :VERY CRISPY. Can you explain me one thing? Why boiled potatoes must rest in the icing water overnight, before frying? Do potatoes come out more crispy with this cooking method?
From: Skyhooks (skyhooks at NOsbcglobal.SnPeAtM)
Date: Sun, 23 Jul 2006 01:56:29 -0500
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Pandora wrote:
> I have never tried to boil potatoes before frying them. I must try with your
> method because my chips don't come as I want :VERY CRISPY.
> Can you explain me one thing? Why boiled potatoes must rest in the icing
> water overnight, before frying? Do potatoes come out more crispy with this
> cooking method?
Oh, so sorry! I didn't mean to imply to keep the semi-cooked (peeled) potatoes in the ice water overnight after they've chilled (although that's not a bad thing)! After cooking the potatoes, put them in ice water for only about 4 or 5 minutes to stop them from cooking further, then drain the water, and store potatoes (covered) in fridge overnight (if convenient). Otherwise, just use/cut the potatoes after they've chilled and are no longer warm or hot. The potatoes should not be "wet" before they're cut, so be sure to (sort of) first dry them off with a paper towel.
The reason to chill the potatoes (after cooking) is to let them become firm and solid again. They're still very soft after cooking when still hot or warm. If the potatoes are warm or hot, then they will not cut/slice/dice/whatever too well -- the potatoes will tend to crumble (?). So, it's best to cut the whole potatoes after they're cold. Perhaps this has something to do with the "starch" content in potatoes?
Other than that, I have no idea! This is just the method to cook "hash browns" (a.k.a. breakfast potatoes, home fries, etc., by whatever names they're called!!!!) that I learned from both my grandmothers a number of decades ago. HTH.
Sky, who likes crispy chips, too
From: Mr Libido Incognito (Not at vaild.null)
Date: Sun, 23 Jul 2006 06:57:47 GMT
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Skyhooks wrote:
> Sky, who likes crispy chips, too
I find baked potatoes ...leftover or extra baked at the same time...make for tasty potatoes...Just cut up and pan fried with some chopped onion and seasonings of choice.
I think it is the reduced water content.
From: Alan Moorman at visi.com
Date: Tue, 25 Jul 2006 07:13:21 -0500
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Mr Libido Incognito wrote:
>I find baked potatoes ...leftover or extra baked at the same time...make
>for tasty potatoes...Just cut up and pan fried with some chopped onion and
>seasonings of choice.
>
>I think it is the reduced water content.
That and the fact that when a potato is cooked, and then cooled to room temp or below (in the fridge) the sugars change in the potato and it makes MUCH better hash browns, or fried potatoes.
The concept of "twice-cooked" potatoes is based on the fact that they taste better when you fry them. Several times, I tried making hash browns with raw, shredded potatoes, and they were terrible! Finally a friend explained the twice-cooked concept, and now I'm a happy camper!
From: Tonya_049 at webtv.net (ms. tonya)
Date: Wed, 19 Jul 2006 20:16:14 -0400
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ms_peacock stated:
>I've never seen home fries on a menu, just hash
>browns.
Here in Michigan those home fries are called american fries and many restaurants here give you a choice on menu for either american fries or hash browns with eggs.
From: mom0f4boys (momshea4 at msn.com)
Date: 19 Jul 2006 23:26:04 -0700
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I make homefries (and I call them homefries). Boiled potatoes, chopped into bite-size. Pan of olive oil (not alot) with some butter thrown in also. First put in some choppwed onions for about a minute or 2, then throw in the potatoes. Use salt and pepper, maybe some garlic powder and some paprika. Turn the heat up high after the flavors have had a chance to do their jobs.... make the potatoes sizzle. After that, they are done.
From: Daisy (DaisyL at emailaccount.com)
Date: Fri, 21 Jul 2006 20:48:37 +1200
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Thanks to all of you who offered suggestions and cooking hints for me. I have now tried what I will refer to as American Breakfast Potatoes (and many of you will call something else I'm sure), using part-boiled floury potatoes cut into cubes and fried in a skillet on a medium heat - turned two or three times and with a sprinkle of paprika to brown them up a bit.
I used a small amount of vegetable shortening (bacon fat is superb if you have it!) and watched to see the potatoes didn't stick. I didn't use onion or any other chopped vegetable this time, but will experiment in future.
I think the cooking took about 10-15 minutes, and the potatoes were not too heavily browned, and were delicious.
To add fuel to the fire of debate (LOL) I regard home fries as cubed or cut potatoes that are rested in ice water for up to 20 minutes and then patted dry completely and fried in very very hot fat (usually oil) until they are very crisp on the outside and soft in the middle. This cooking process takes much less time than the breakfast potatoes described above and this type of potato dish is superb with steak or fish.
Someone asked why the soaking in cold water after chopping? I remember reading (somewhere) that this process is necessary to swell the chopped potatoes before frying them. I have no idea if it works as it is supposed to, but I do it anyway!
By the way I hate hash browns! And they detest me even more! I don't know why this is - and I have even tried them from scratch at home!
Cheers all and thanks again,
Daisy
From: Andy (q)
Date: Fri, 21 Jul 2006 05:14:33 -0500
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Daisy wrote:
> and this type of potato dish is superb with steak or
> fish.
Pardon me, but I highly recommend the chicken fried steak and gravy and biscuits and eggs if you're gonna go through all the trouble of making "American breakfast potatoes!" Fish just don't match up.
From: kilikini (kilikiniSPAM at tampabay.rr.com)
Date: Fri, 21 Jul 2006 10:16:19 GMT
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Andy wrote:
> Pardon me, but I highly recommend the chicken fried steak and gravy and
> biscuits and eggs if you're gonna go through all the trouble of making
> "American breakfast potatoes!" Fish just don't match up.
I would kind of tend to concur, Andy. Fish and pasta, fish and rice, but fish and potatoes don't seem to work together, to me. Other people may have different ideas, but I wouldn't pair them.
From: Gregory Morrow (gregorymorrowIMPLEMENTPLAN9! at earthlink.net)
Date: Fri, 21 Jul 2006 10:22:10 GMT
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kilikini wrote:
> I would kind of tend to concur, Andy. Fish and pasta, fish and rice, but
> fish and potatoes don't seem to work together, to me. Other people may have
> different ideas, but I wouldn't pair them.
Fish n' chips...???
From: kilikini (kilikiniSPAM at tampabay.rr.com)
Date: Fri, 21 Jul 2006 10:30:15 GMT
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Gregory Morrow wrote:
> Fish n' chips...???
Ah! I "sit" corrected. I didn't think of that! Good one, Greg.
From: Andy (q)
Date: Fri, 21 Jul 2006 05:58:38 -0500
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Gregory Morrow wrote:
> Fish n' chips...???
Fer breakfast???
From: Gregory Morrow (gregorymorrowIMPLEMENTPLAN9! at earthlink.net)
Date: Fri, 21 Jul 2006 11:04:36 GMT
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Andy wrote:
> Fer breakfast???
I could see it on cold winter's day, preferably on the weekend...
Hmmm...could design a brunch around it maybe!
From: Jill McQuown
Date: Sun, 23 Jul 2006 17:54:17 -0500
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Andy wrote:
> Fer breakfast???
Why not? Who decided "breakfast" has to be bacon or sausage and eggs? ;)
From: Mr Libido Incognito (Not at vaild.null)
Date: Mon, 24 Jul 2006 11:47:50 GMT
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Jill wrote:
> Why not? Who decided "breakfast" has to be bacon or sausage and eggs? ;)
I did.
From: Melinda Meahan - take out TRASH to send (mmeahan at TRASHsonic.net)
Date: Mon, 24 Jul 2006 12:42:06 -0700
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Jill wrote:
> Why not? Who decided "breakfast" has to be bacon or sausage and eggs? ;)
Not me. I'd take pizza any day over that.
From: Richard Kaszeta (rich at kaszeta.org)
Date: 24 Jul 2006 07:59:28 -0500
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Jill McQuown writes:
> Why not? Who decided "breakfast" has to be bacon or sausage and eggs? ;)
^^^^
You mean "and". :)
From: Damsel in dis Dress (damsel.in.dis.dress at gmail.com)
Date: Fri, 21 Jul 2006 12:48:27 -0500
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kilikini wrote:
>I would kind of tend to concur, Andy. Fish and pasta, fish and rice, but
>fish and potatoes don't seem to work together, to me. Other people may have
>different ideas, but I wouldn't pair them.
For our school lunches on some Fridays, we always had fish sticks and mashed potatotes. I really like mashed potatoes and butter with fish. It's what you get used to.
Carol
From: Nancy2 (nancy-dooley at uiowa.edu)
Date: 25 Jul 2006 08:31:55 -0700
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kilikini wrote:
> I would kind of tend to concur, Andy. Fish and pasta, fish and rice, but
> fish and potatoes don't seem to work together, to me. Other people may have
> different ideas, but I wouldn't pair them.
Really, if you're frying potatoes, fish are perfect - my favorite breakfasts when I was young were farm-pond-caught (not farm-raised) small catfish fried along with what I've always called American fries. Yummy. If I have fried walleye or catfish at home, mashed potatoes are perfect alongside, also.
As to the OP, "American fries" is what I've always heard breakfast potatoes called - made like hashbrowns from raw potatoes, but in slices (along with sliced onions), not shredded like hashbrowns, and certainly not cubes, which sounds more like potatoes O'Brien -- which is what you get when you add diced sweet bell pepper or any other veg other than onion.
From: Stan Horwitz (stan at temple.edu)
Date: Fri, 21 Jul 2006 08:36:55 -0400
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ms. tonya wrote:
> Here in Michigan those home fries are called american fries and many
> restaurants here give you a choice on menu for either american fries or
> hash browns with eggs.
Until now, I have never seen the term "breakfast potatoes" or "American fries" on a menu and I have traveled quite a bit in the states. I live in NJ, so maybe the terms you described are regional. Michigan is one of those areas where I should visit. I was actually in East Lansing for a week years ago, but I spent the entire time on a university campus to attend a seminar and I never left the campus until I went to the airport to go home.
Anyway, the OP might be better off describing what she wants her "breakfast potatoes" to be like because there are almost as many ways to make them as there are people who make them.
You can have shredded potatoes, diced potatoes, potatoes in big chunks, with onions and green pepper, with onions, just potatoes, spicy (unusual), mildly spices, deep fried, pan fried, with bacon grease, with butter, salt, no salt, and so on.
What I do is very simple. I take a can of those little whole potatoes and I cut them into quarters, then I put them in a hot pan with some butter or vegetable oil, sprinkle freshly ground pepper and some paprika on them. I than cover the pan and let them cook on a pretty high flame for a few minutes, then I flip the potatoes over, add more paprika and pepper to them, then I cover the pan and let them cook for another five minutes or so. Then I remove the potatoes from the pan and I use the same hot pan to cook scrambled eggs. I also use a good quality non-stick pan.
From: Daisy (DaisyL at emailaccount.com)
Date: Sat, 22 Jul 2006 20:11:44 +1200
--------
Stan Horwitz wrote:
>Until now, I have never seen the term "breakfast potatoes" or "American
>fries" on a menu and I have traveled quite a bit in the states.
I am the OP and I have snipped a bit at the beginning of this response. I hope you don't mind. I ate so-called American breakfast potatoes in both Indiana and California, twice at different restaurants in California and once home-cooked by our host in Indiana.
I do realise that these may well come in various guises, but to me hash browns fairly accurately describe grated potato that is then pan-fried or deep-fried. We can buy these in New Zealand frozen and ready to cook. I have never tried them. I don't like deep-fried anything.
On each occasion I had American breakfast potatoes in the US they were diced into square cubes roughly half to three-quarters of an inch in diameter. Sometimes they were cooked with onions and sometimes potatoes only. I really liked the entire concept.
I have since experimented a couple of times and am getting better (LOL). Tonight I sprinkled some paprika and a little gravy browning on the potatoes as I cooked them, plus lots of salt and pepper. I used the very minimum of a vegetable shortening I like for frying. They were very good indeed. I shall try onions and other additions as I gain confidence!
Thanks for responding so helpfully.
From: pfoley (pfoley6 at hotmail.com)
Date: Mon, 24 Jul 2006 12:50:18 GMT
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You could boil the potatoes first; cut them into cubes, and spread them around in the pan. Drizzle oil over the potato cubes and toss around a little. Then season them with poultry seasoning. Bake them in a hot oven till brown moving them around a little once in awhile. I use Grill Master Montreal Chicken Seasoning, but any brand would work.