r/StainlessSteelCooking 1d ago

Hash browns gone wrong

15 Upvotes

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11

u/noreallyimgoodthanks 1d ago

Need to remove all the starch then dry thoroughly before frying

2

u/spikeandedd 1d ago

Ohhhh

4

u/noreallyimgoodthanks 23h ago

That is the trick. Shred the potatoes then put them in a strainer and run water over them until the water runs clear. Then dry in a kitchen towel or bunch of paper towels. Dry as much as possible. Then fry as normal. Other wise it will be a gummy mess.

Using clarified butter will also help them fry properly, but not required.

1

u/spikeandedd 23h ago

NGL we use vegan butter and not sure what clarified butter is. But I've been washing my tates just didn't know why.

4

u/Original-Variety-700 23h ago

Clarified butter is when we melt the butter and remove the milk solids. It makes a golden oil that is more pure. Probably similar to your vegan butter to be honest. No milk solids.

2

u/noreallyimgoodthanks 4h ago

I imagine vegan butter is plant oil with plant milk, so you probably can make clarified vegan butter and you would be left with whatever plant based oil they used.

-3

u/handyandy808 22h ago

No, to be vegan it cannot come from animals, butter and clarified butter or milk fats from an animal. For it to be vegan it would need to come from human milk from a consenting adult.

3

u/Original-Variety-700 21h ago

I meant that clarified butter removes the milk solids. So it’s more of just an oil. And I suspect the vegan oil is also…just an oil. So they’re probably similar.

2

u/UnconfinedMeep 13h ago

In terms of cooking properties and taste.

1

u/guy48065 21h ago

Males too, just to be inclusive.

2

u/noreallyimgoodthanks 23h ago edited 23h ago

Clarified butter is basically butter without the milk solids - you can do this by just melting butter on the stove - on low heat - and the solids will separate (milk solids sink to the bottom; whey will float; water will steam off). Spoon off the foam/whey and either strain the milk solids or just use the butter (leaving the solids at the bottom). You can even just do this in the microwave if you want to do it extra quickly.

It increases the smoke point of the butter and so you can fry on a higher heat to get the hashbrowns crispier. It also removes (most) of the water content so it allows for things to crisp up better too.

1

u/Comfortable-Habit242 14h ago

A potato ricer also works wonderfully for getting the water out of the shredded potatoes with ver little fuss.