I use to manage and cook at Waffle Houses. I love breakfast restaurants, specifically diners. It seems like these days the pride in work has gone down so far. These were after they were already sent back once. I guess I need to open a diner. Rant over
by Doc148
46 Comments
Sending food back at Waffle House
Its not hard, just more tedious than most people care to be.
Try it with air dried parcooked spuds.
When it comes to potatoes, crappy crisping and color comes from trying to cook them direct from raw while they’re still really wet.
Typically, most places that do hashbrowns are getting preprepped bags of shredded potatoes that are parcooked, which you can also buy in most grocery stores.
Beyond that, its just using enough fat, time, and pan/grill contact.
Oil and time are all it takes. Can’t rush hashbrowns, they’ve got to be down before the order comes in.
Because most people pile them too high and flip them too much. Melted whole butter, potatoes no more than a centimeter thick, and just leave them alone.
Last night’s bakers –> shredded potatoes + lots of oil x medium heat = GBD hash browns errytime.
Right there with ya man. Have to order them extra crispy and just prey they don’t screw it up. This and what the heck is up with omelettes these days? I order an omelette and I get served an egg pancake with the contents folded inside like a crepe. THE OMELETTE INGREDIENTS SHOULD BE COOKED INTO THE EGGS!! I don’t want to gather bits of food off my plate for a cohesive bite. The omelette design is meant to overcome this exact issue.
I’m convinced 90% of the population doesn’t see it, and not just food. Hell, yesterday I was at a BBQ and noticed the grass was shredded by some dull ass blades.
My boss said the exact same thing the first day I started my new job. I just used oil and pressed down on the hash a little to make it semi compact. Works like a charm
Patience
Hot pan first
Ah, yes, hash browns from scratch! You have to use Russet. After shredding, soak the shredded potato in water to rinse off all the starch, then use a cheese cloth to squeeze out all the water. You need to get the potato as dry as possible. If there’s water, it will steam, and not get crispy. You can either prep to this point and let it rest in the fridge uncovered to get even dryer but I usually skip this. Then once the shredded potato is super dry, you’re ready to fry in oil, butter, or any sort of fat.
Corn starch
More fat
I always tell them to do it. Well done
My very first job I was a busboy at an independent breakfast joint. This place had I think 12 tables, probably 40 capacity but it was always busy. People came from larger cities, drove like half an hour just for it. This is how they did their hash browns and I loved it. Although they cooked them more like a patty then chopped it up but they were great. It was always funny cause I worked weekends so while I’m working I get to see all my classmates who had gone partying the night before come in for a hangover breakfast
Treat hash browns like pancakes.
It’s not hard, it just takes patience.
Your probably not squishing the water out enough, and you’re probably not cooking them low and slow enough.
Ask for crispy.
My wife always orders them crispy, never gets them.
Because they take FOOOOORRRREEEVVVVEEERRRR too cook. If it’s busy you could have gotten another 5-10 orders all while these were cooking. That takes up real estate. Property where another order or something could go. They want orders out fast.
Also these are nowhere near crispy enough.
You’re impatient.
Go the airport. Get a ticket to Germany, visit a fun fair and look for the potatao wagon.
Order some. They will be crispy.
Or go to Switzerland to a regaular restaurant. They’ll be crispy.
😅
Too much moisture in the potatoes I read a trick on Americas test kitchen where they salted the potatoes after shredding and let them sit then squeeze as much water out as you can then believe it or not microwave them for a minute or two to dehydrate them further then fry them in the pand and don’t move them around while they cook
90% of commenters did not read the text and are giving OP advice 🤦
Had this problem too. I would order them extra crispy and they always turn out soggy. I do it myself for now on.
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskCulinary/s/9mVkkTnul0
Flatop real estate is hard to come by
Potatoes have a lot of water in them. You need to shred them kind of thick, then let them hang in a cheesecloth for 8-10 minutes and squeeze the liquid out. Save that liquid and watch it separate, then pour off the clear bit. Toss your shreds back into the liquid left and mix them well, this step is because that liquid is potato starch and that stuff gets crispy. After that, use a neutral oil with a high smoke point and preheat your skillet to low medium with a bit of oil. Spread your shreds out evenly and let them go until they’re brown. Don’t fuck with them. Leave them alone until they’re brown.
You know they’re ready to flip, when they are brown and not a moment before. Leave them alone until they are brown. Add a little oil and flip. Repeat waiting.
Then crunchy time.
Too much oil, don’t crowd the pan…
Patience
I don’t see any brown to this hash lol
Most people don’t get enough water out of the potato and onion beforehand water doesn’t cook
also depends how big is the flat top. If the server rings in every table at once with hash it’s going to be a chore and a half
The trick is to wring the ever living starch out of it. Get them shreds nice and beforehand.
Moisture!
Your hash browns need to be as dry as possible before they hit that flat top or skillet. Water is the enemy of browning.
Most places fail to use enough clarified butter, and don’t use a grill weight.
honestly one of many things jewish people do better. Latkes mogg hashbrowns every time. Not least because they never come to the table soggy and sad.
I put my shredded hash browns into a clean dish towel and ring the shit out of it to get the water out, can’t brown something that has a lot of water still. And it still takes awhile 🙂
Put in hot oil.
Don’t fucking touch it.
Low and slow baby, plus lots of oil or clarified butter help. Don’t flip until it’s ready. (Breakfast cook here)
Time, it takes more time on the flattop to get them crispy. They are cheap and usually made in a rush.
hash browns like this make me gag. WHERES THE BROWN!!!!!!!!! i feel like people are scared to let things caramelize because they’re afraid of “burning” it
How I get perfect hash browns every time.
1) heat to medium and get some oil (3tbsp) in your skillet
2) spread hash browns in pan evenly cook on medium with lid 7 mins
3) use a plate and invert the pan or use a wide spatula to flip em out in a pancake shape and then lay em back down
4) cook other side for five minutes
Viola.