Hash Browns and Home Fries

**Hash browns:** russet potatoes, peeled and grated (or shredded on a box grater), excess moisture squeezed out in a towel, seasoned with salt, pressed into a flat, thin patty on a well-oiled griddle or skillet, and cooked without moving for 5-7 minutes until the bottom is deeply golden and crispy. Flipped once. The exterior should shatter; the interior should be tender. **Home fries:** potatoes (russet or Yukon Gold), diced into 1-2cm cubes, par-boiled or par-roasted until just tender, then pan-fried in butter or oil with diced onion, bell pepper, and seasoning until golden and crispy on the cut surfaces. **Key Principles (hash browns):** 1) Squeeze the moisture out of the grated potato — wet potato steams instead of crisping. Wring in a clean towel until no more liquid comes out. 2) Press flat and do not move — the crust forms from sustained contact with the hot surface. 3) Generous oil or butter on the griddle. 4) Russet potatoes — the high starch content produces the crispiest hash browns. **Key Principles (home fries):** 1) Par-cook the potatoes before frying — raw potato cubes take too long to cook through and burn on the exterior. 2) Fry in a single layer — overcrowding steams. 3) Don't stir too frequently — each face of the cube needs contact time with the hot surface to brown.