How To Make Crisp Hash Browns In a Panini Press

Hash browns are very tasty especially when consumed during breakfast with your daily coffee. A Panini press is one of the best ways of making crisp hash browns. Most people use a deep-frying technique, but it can be done easier and with less fat. A panini press prepares super-crispy browns much faster and easier. The time for cooking is considerably lower since both sides of the press cook concurrently. The presentation is also enhanced as brownies turn into semi-flattened nests. This makes them more appealing, especially to your kids. They don’t need a lot of oil to obtain a nice crisp on the edges instead just pray the press evenly. To make crisp hash brownies is easy, all you need is potatoes and your panini press.

Ingredients

-Salt and pepper for flavoring
-Extra virgin olive oil or melted butter
-Organic, shredded russet potatoes
-Onion powder
-Granulated garlic
-Smoked paprika

Instructions

-Wash and scrub the potatoes; you can use a shredding disk.
-Grate the potatoes using a food processor or a cheese grater.

-Remove excess water from the shredded potato by placing them in a colander then squeeze the extra fluid by pressing down with your hands.
-Preheat the panini press and spray it with a non-stick spray before adding your mixture of ingredients
-Add olive oil until the potatoes are covered.
-Now, take all spices and add them to the potatoes.
-Use a measuring cup to add the mix onto the panini press, and press down gently to squash your rounds
-Remember to leave space between the two plates such that there are not completely flattened out.
-Let them cook for at least 8 minutes preferably in a microwave for them to attain the best brown color.
-After 8 minutes check if the potatoes are cooked in the middle using a metal spatula.
-Keep your brownies warm until they are ready to serve.

Removing Moisture

Moisture is the greatest hindrance to obtaining the brown and crispy appearance. Try the following methods to dry your potatoes.
-Wrap the shredded potatoes in towel and squeeze as much as possible to remove excess moisture.
-Another simple method will be to toss your chips in a potato ricer followed by clamping down.
-You can also bundle the shredded potatoes in a cheesecloth then tie them to a spoon which makes the squeezing process much easier.

Frozen Shredded Potatoes

You can make the recipe easier by substituting your fresh potatoes with frozen shredded potatoes. The following two steps are important in handling frozen shredded potatoes. Their main advantage is that they compress more than fresh ones.
-Set out half mound cups of shredded potatoes on the press, then cover and cook till they turn slightly brown.
-Wait for a while then open the press and add more potatoes and repeat the cooking process until they turn crisp.

Best Practices

These practices will help improve your cooking and save more time.
-Avoid waxy potatoes since they don’t get that crispy, instead choose Russet potatoes which form crunchy cracks.
-Make sure to spray the panini press sufficiently to obtain crispier potatoes.
-Heat the oil to desired temperatures in a non-stick frying pan before adding the oil into the shredded potatoes.
-Try seasoning with pepper and adding the right amount of salt to obtain the best taste.
-Potatoes contain a lot of water, therefore make sure you dry them out to get them brown easily and much quicker.
-Don’t over wash the potatoes to avoid removing all the starch.
-Soak potatoes in water immediately after grating to keep the potatoes from turning which produces an unappealing color.
-Cook over medium-high heat and place your potato strips in a large pan to ensure even heat distribution.
-Flip the potatoes in turns to ensure most pieces come out well-cooked.

Conclusion

Hash browns form part of most people’s breakfast menus. They are found all over, from fast food joints to lavish buffets. Making them is very easy, but the quality depends on the quality of potato slices, flavoring among other practices. Best practices and correct application of the Panini press like preheating eliminates cases like pale, mushy and less crispiness. Remember to remove the moisture as much as possible. You can also opt to use frozen shredded potatoes which are easier to prepare. Avoid things like adding too much salt, over washing the potatoes. You will never go wrong with these instructions and tips. Also, remember to share your cooking with family and friends.