Hash Browns with Goat Ricotta and Chorizo
Lulu worked from home today, so I brought him breakfast in bed. I love this little ritual we have once in a while. It's my way of showing him how much I love him. I love seeing my hubby's smile when I give him special treats in the morning.
I made some hash browns with goat ricotta cheese and placed a surprise vegetarian chorizo in the center. The chorizo adds a little spiciness to the dish without overpowering the hashbrowns and also some protein. The goat cheese has a tangy taste and velvety texture that complements the other components of the dish quite well. There's nothing wrong with good ol' fashioned hash browns (we get them from the local pancake house all the time), but if you're in the mood for something a little different, this is a great recipe to try.
Ingredients
Yields: 2 servings
2 Yukon potatoes1 tablespoon lemon juice
1-1/2 tablespoons jasmine rice flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon white pepper, freshly ground
2-1/2 tablespoons goat ricotta cheese
6 teaspoons soy chorizo
1/2 yellow onion, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons canola oil, as needed
1 tablespoon onion chives, finely snipped
Directions
Wash and peel the potatoes. Shred them and place them in a bowl. Add the lemon juice and a little water. Let sit for about 5-10 minutes. Drain the potatoes using a fine mesh colander. Discard the liquid. Place all the shredded potatoes in a cheese-cloth and remove as much excess water as possible. Pat dry with paper towels.
Sprinkle rice flour over the potatoes. Toss well. Add the onion, goat ricotta cheese and about 2 teaspoons of chives. Season with salt and pepper. Using food service disposable gloves, mix well.
In a heavy-bottomed skillet, heat the oil until hot. Grease the disposable gloves with oil, then form about small potatoes flattened patties . Lower the heat to medium-high, then place the patties in the skillet. Add a teaspoon of soy chorizo in the center of each hashbrown. Cover the soy chorizo with a few shredded potatoes. Brown the hash browns for about 3 minutes. Flip the hashbrowns using a spatula. Cook until golden for about 2-3 minutes. Transfer the golden hash browns onto a large platter lined with paper towels.
Serve immediately with some ketchup on the side (if you want). Garnish with some chives.
Bon appétit!
Tips
I like using special tools (you can use a food processor too if you make large quantity) to shred the potatoes into thin strips. The thinner the strips, the crispier your hash browns are going to be.
The lemon juice prevents the potatoes from turning dark. I use the same procedure when making bì chay (shredded tofu and crispy mock pork).
My other secret to crispy hashbrowns is sprinkling rice flour over the shredded potatoes. Vietnamese cuisine calls for rice flour for a lot of fried items for a nice texture. You can find rice flour in most Asian stores, but I prefer grinding my own though. I get a finer flour using the Nutrimill brand mill. I got it several months ago and it's very useful to make any kind of flour. It's a great complement for gluten allergies as well. I make my own flour with buckwheat, oat, sorghum and spelt.
I bought goat ricotta cheese at a local store, called the Milk Pail Market. The address is 2585 California Street, Mountain View, CA 94040, but you can order online if you can't find it online or simply substitute with regular cow's ricotta cheese. I use it in my goat ricotta cheese and pine nut stuffed zucchini; it's delicious.
The vegetarian chorizo (click on the link for the recipe) has a similar texture to ground beef. The spices really add an extra dimension of flavor to this dish that plain, bland tofu cannot. Lulu is a vegetarian but if you're a carnivore like me, you can always use the real thing.
If you're not afraid of extra calories, top the hash browns with a dollop of crème fraîche 
.
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