Preparing the Potatoes
Peel the potatoes and grate them with a hand grater or the grater attachment of a food processor. Over a sieve (to catch any pieces that fall), squeeze the potatoes by hand to extract as much water as possible.
Cooking
To a small frying pan over medium heat, add enough oil to come to 5 mm (¼ inch) and heat until sizzling. Add enough potato to completely fill the frying pan with a layer about 1 cm (½ inch) thick. The exact amount will depend on the size of the frying pan. Use a spatula to spread out the potato evenly, then gently push down on the edge of the potato, which naturally contract to a semi-solid pancake. After about 5 minutes, when the underside is golden brown, use a wide spatula to flip the potato over. The smaller the frying pan, the more likely you will be able to flip all of the potato in one piece. Continue cooking for a further 5 minutes until the second side of the hash brown is golden brown. Place the hash brown on paper towels or a wire rack to drain off excess oil, then repeat with the remaining potato and oil.
Serving
You can keep the hash browns warm in an oven preheated to 100°C (200°F/Gas ½). Season with salt and pepper.