Frying hash browns in water instead or oil?!
Answers: i have a bag of frozen shredded potatoes & it says i can fry them in water instead of oil for a fat free hash brown...what is it like are they still as good as if i fried them in oil?
I doubt it... they will be steamed rather than get crispy.
Just use a nonstick skillet to avoid oil, and skip the water.
It is really a bit more like steaming. But there is some grease already in the potatoes. So if you have a nice nonstick skillet it might work well.
pam
They would not taste the same. Fat adds flavor.
That's not frying; it's boiling.
if you do it in water you will boil it and it wont cook oil cooks
If you don't want to use oil try a cooking spray like pam. It will cook better than water and still have a little crispness to it.
No matter what the bag says, you cannot "fry" something without using fat of some sort. That is the very definition of "frying." It sounds like they are telling you to heat them up by pan steaming them. They'll have fewer calories, but they definitely will not be as flavorful. If you need to do without the few calories from the oil, then you can boost the flavor by adding some spices - a pinch of chile and a little garlic works well with potatoes.
The water will make them soggy. Use pam or a spray cooking coating.
They'll be mushy and kind of gross. Use a cooking spray in a non-stick skillet. You'll be adding minimal fat and the hashbrowns will still brown and get crispy.
I bake mine in the oven. Dizzle with olive oil or a dab of butter.
By definition frying requires some form of fat. You will simply be steaming them and releasing (and washing away) hte little bit of oil put there by the manufacturer.
Chef Jack Garrison