Hash Browns / Country Fried Potatoes

Ingredients:

• Russet Potatoes (1 small one or half a big one, roughly, per person)
• Oil (1 tablespoon, roughly, per serving. Canola Oil or Vegetable Oil is best for crispiness, but you can also use Olive Oil)
• Salt 
• Pepper
• Cubed ham (optional)
• Toppings, optional, like cheese, bacon bits, sour cream

Directions:

• Shred or dice potatoes: We usually use a salad shooter to shred them, but you can also use a cheese grater. Absent one of those tools, you can simply dice the potatoes into small pieces.
• Rinse the starch off the potatoes: Put the shredded or diced potatoes into a big bowl, fill the bowl with water, and then drain the water through a colander. Repeat until all the starch is rinsed off.
• Dry the potatoes: We usually take the rinsed potatoes from the colander and put them on a plate with a paper towel. Take another paper towel and pat dry the top of the potatoes. Don't ignore this step because if the potatoes are wet, they will not fry up as crispy. 
• In a frying pan commensurate with the amount of potatoes, turn the burner to medium-high, and then add the oil.
• Let the oil get hot for a minute, and then add the potatoes across the frying pan to form a layer about half an inch thick. If the layer of potatoes is too think, they will not fry up as crispy. 
• Put salt and pepper (and other spices, if you desire) on the potatoes and let them cook for about 5 minutes. Resist the urge to stir because stirring them will turn them to mush. 
• If you are adding cubed ham, now is the time. We love putting left over Honey Baked Ham (from Thanksgiving or Christmas) in the hash browns. 
• Flip the potatoes. The up side should be a crispy brown.
• Allow the second side to cook for about 3 minutes, and then they will be done. 
• You can add additional oil during the cooking process if they seem dry or not frying well, but be careful not to add too much.