My Lunch Can Beat Up Your Lunch!

Bento Recipe: Hash browns

 
   
 

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Scattered, smothered, covered, chunked, diced... well, scattered, anyway.

What you'll need:

  • Potato. As many as you want to cook. Assume one average russet per skillet-load.
  • Water
  • Butter or margarine
  • Salt, pepper, or whatever else to taste

Shred the potatoes using a coarse grater. (You can peel them first, but I like to leave the jackets on.) Squeeze as much liquid as possible out of the potato. If you have a potato ricer, use it. Then, in a large pan, bring some water - enough to cover all the potato and then some - to a boil. Dump in the potato, let it come back to a boil, and cook for 3-5 minutes. Drain. Squeeze out the excess water again or use your potato ricer again.

Heat up a skillet to the upper edge of medium and melt a tablespoon of butter in it. Then chunk in some of the potato. Don't overfill the skillet; the potato should make a layer 1/2" thick or less. Cover and cook for 15 minutes, tossing with a spatula about every five minutes so the potatoes will brown evenly. Season however you like and serve.

Hash purples - these are hash browns made with Purple Peruvian potatoes. They taste just like regular hash browns, but they're lavender. The color isn't as vivid as that of a baked Purple Peruvian spud, however - the boiling step leaches out some of the color.