These aren’t your average hash browns. Crispy on the outside, cheesy in the middle, and loaded with chorizo. The potatoes are baked first for better texture, then double-fried for that serious crunch. The freezer step helps them hold together, and yes, it’s worth the wait.
Category
Breakfast
Servings
6
Prep time
20 minutes
Cook time
55 minutes
These aren’t your average hash browns. Crispy on the outside, cheesy in the middle, and loaded with chorizo. The potatoes are baked first for better texture, then double-fried for that serious crunch. The freezer step helps them hold together, and yes, it’s worth the wait.
Note: allow extra time for the potatoes to cool before peeling the skin, and then again before grating. Then allow for freezing time before deep frying the hash browns.
Ingredients
- 6 medium floury potatoes (Sebago, Russet), cleaned
- 40g (¼ cup) cornflour (corn starch)
-
sea salt and white pepper
- 50g butter, melted
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 chorizo sausage, finely diced
- 60g mozzarella
- neutral oil, for deep frying
Directions
Cook the potatoes
Preheat the oven to 200°C fan forced (390°F).
- Place potatoes on an oven tray lined with baking paper. Prick several times with a fork then bake for 35 minutes, until almost tender.
- Set aside until cool enough to handle.
Prep the hash browns
Slice the potatoes into quarters and scoop out the flesh in a large chunk. Chill until very cold. Reserve the potato skins for another use.
- Grate the potatoes into a large bowl. Mix in the cornflour, butter, garlic powder and chorizo. Season well with salt and pepper.
- Mix well until the potatoes come together like a dough.
- Slice mozzarella into 6 pieces, approximately 3cm x 6cm x ½ cm.
- Divide potato mixture into 6 portions and form into balls. Divide each into 2 and flatten 1 portion out in the palm of your hand, then top with a piece of cheese and cover with the other potato portion.
- Mould into an oval shape and flatten to 3cm high, smoothing the edges. Transfer to a lined tray and freeze for 30 minutes.
Cook and serve
Heat the oil in a deep frying pan to 140°C (285°F).
- Gently lower the hash browns in batches into the oil and cook for 3 minutes. Carefully transfer back to the tray and chill again until very cold.
- Increase oil temperature to 180°C (355°F). Cook hash browns again, in batches, for 5 minutes, turning to brown evenly, until very crisp and dark golden.
- Drain on a wire rack over a tray, season with salt and serve.
Recipe notes
Cook support
The twice-cook method ensures super crunch in the hash brown, but be gentle on the first cook to not disturb the patty too much during cooking or it could fall apart.
Sourcing
Floury/starchy potatoes are ideal for roasting and baking. Varieties include Sebago, Russet, Idaho, King Edward, Maris Piper.
Substitutions
You could try diced ham or a Kransky sausage instead of Chorizo, but do not use a raw sausage that requires pre-cooking in this recipe.
Storage
Refrigerate in an airtight container for several days and reheat in a hot oven on a wire rack over a tray to help with crispiness.
Serving ideas
This doesn’t really need sauce to serve, but you could dip in some aioli if you like. Or serve with a fried egg, bacon, beans and sauted spinach.
