My Momma was a concert pianist and piano teacher. So, the days that she was too busy performing or teaching, she would hire a housekeeper named Ola Mae to come take care of the house and feed us kids. Like Momma, Ola Mae was Southern…and, honey, could she ever cook! Now, on Thursdays, my older sister had her music lessons, while my little brother had baseball practice, so it’d just be me and Ola Mae at the house. So, on that day, I couldn’t wait to git home to see what delicious meal was being cooked up for us!
Ola Mae would always greet me at the the front door wearin’ a huge grin, give me a big ol’ hug and say, “Now, you go put down them books, change your clothes, and git back into the kitchen with me and we’ll cook us up some supper. Then, you’ll tell me what-all they taught you at that school today.”
Back in the kitchen, we’d laugh and chat. She’d slice me a sliver of the fresh chocolate pie topped with little golden meringue tips, that she’d baked fresh that morning. “Now, I’m only givin’ you a small sliver,” she’d say, “Cause I don’t want you to go and ruin your appetite! I’m makin’ you chicken-fried steak with gravy, fresh biscuits and your favorite hash brown patties.”
Well, boy, oh, boy! That’s all I had to hear. I gobbled down that sliver of pie, which was just enough to whet my appetite for the upcoming feast, and helped Ola Mae grate the potatoes for the hash browns. “Now, you better let me chop them onions, ‘cause I don’t want you cryin’ and messin’ up my hash brown patties with no tears!” Then she’d git out the cast-iron skillet and put in just enough oil, and wait for it to sizzle. It was then time to throw in the patties, two or three at a time, and fry ‘em up until they were a perfect golden brown.
“Now, I’ll finish up here with the gravy and you go set us up some places at the dinin’ room table. ‘Cause, honey, this here supper is callin’ our names!” To which, I happily followed her instructions because the smells from that kitchen were, by this time, makin’ my mouth water. I’d sit down in my chair at the dinin’ room table and Ola Mae would bring in our plates filled with her delicious chicken-fried steak smothered in gravy, the fresh biscuits with butter, and her perfect hash brown patties. It was heavenly! And she knew that I couldn’t wait to dig in!
But once Ola Mae sat down at the table, she’d take my hand and say, “Not ‘til we’ve said the blessin’! Lord, we thank you for this delicious meal and for givin’ us the love it took to make it. And, I ask that you always keep a special place in your heart for Bobbi Jo, so when she grows up, she’ll always remember that LOVE is the REAL ingredient to makin’ these here perfect hash brown patties.”
So, Ola Mae, wherever you are, I just want you to know that I’ve never forgotten your words. And I’m sharing your simple recipe with the world, with the weary hope that whomever reads it will know just how special and important THEY are to me.
Hash Brown Patties
Recipe by: Bobbi Jo Lathan
Recipe type: Side Dish
Cuisine: Southern
Serves: 4
PREP TIME
20 mins
COOK TIME
15 mins
TOTAL TIME
35 mins
INGREDIENTS
2 medium Russet potatoes
¼ yellow onion (finely chopped)
2 tablespoons flour
1 egg (beaten)
3 tablespoons peanut oil
¼ teaspoon each of salt and freshly ground black pepper (or to taste)
¼ teaspoon Cayenne pepper (or to taste)
INSTRUCTIONS
Peel and rinse your potatoes.
Use the largest hole on the grater and shred the potatoes.
You need to remove as much of the liquid from the shredded potatoes as possible. So, git yourself a colander and press the shredded potatoes into the colander to remove the excess liquid or place them in a CLEAN dish towel and squeeze them over the sink.
Then, git a mixing bowl and add the dried out shredded potatoes, the chopped onion, the egg, and the flour, salt, pepper and cayenne and toss until evenly combined.
Heat the oil in your cast-iron skillet over a medium heat. To check to see if the oil is hot enough, toss a piece of potato into the hot oil, if it sizzles, it’s ready.
Now, scoop out some of the potato mixture and place into the hot oil in the skillet. Then, flatten or press the scoop of potatoes into a patty or pancake shape with a spatula.
Cook until nicely browned on the bottom and flip over to brown on the other side. About 4 or 5 minutes on each side should do it.
Now, transfer the cooked patties to a paper towel to soak up any the excess oil.
Serve up when ready
NOTES
You may need to add more oil to the skillet as you go along. Also, to keep them warm while you cook your chicken-fried steak or eggs, you can place the fried patties on a cookie sheet in 1 200 degree oven and then serve up when ready.