Home Fries

Whenever I go out to breakfast with my siblings, my two brothers always order hash browns.  No matter where we go or what they order, there is going to be a side of hash browns.  They love their hash browns – or so they think.

What my brothers really love are home fries.  And the confusion is not their fault.  For whatever reason, hash browns, especially outside the South, has become a generic term to describe almost any sort of fried potato.  This is incorrect, and I’m here to set the record straight.

Hash browns are shredded or finely diced potatoes that are pan-fried to a crisp brown.  Typically, hash browns do not have anything added to them.  Home fries, meanwhile, are diced or cubed potatoes that have been cooked with onions, peppers, and herbs.  Potato pancakes (such as latkes or potato galettes) fall somewhere between these two distinct dishes.  Potato pancakes are shredded potatoes that include onions, eggs, herbs, and other seasonings, and which have been pan-fried to a crisp.

In honor of my brothers, here’s my recipe for

Home Fries

PREP TIME: 5 minutes
COOK TIME: 30 minutes

WHAT TO GRAB:
2 Yukon gold potatoes, peeled, cubed, and dried with a paper towel*
*drying helps brown the potatoes
1 onion, diced
4 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1 teaspoon pepper

HOW YOU DO IT:

1.  Preheat your griddle or cast-iron skillet on medium-low heat.  Melt the butter and add the potatoes.  After five minutes, add the onions, and begin tossing the potatoes.  Cook for another 20 to 25 minutes, tossing occasionally so that the potatoes brown evenly.

2.  Off the heat, add the chopped parsley, salt, and pepper.  Then serve warm!