Process for producing potato patties

A hash brown potato patty is formed from fresh potato shreds and a dry binder, deep fat fried and frozen for subsequent reheating in a conventional household toaster. The dry binder is made from fresh potato pieces which are blanched, frozen, ground to appropriate size, dried at a temperature below the resolubilization temperature of retrograded amylose and subsequently added to the potato shreds. The potato shreds are made by blanching and cooling fresh potato pieces and holding at a reduced temperature for a predetermined period of time. After shredding, water and the dry binder are mixed with the potato shreds, such that the dry binder is uniformly hydrated and dispersed within the shreds. During frying, the retrograded amylose in the binder forms an essentially continuous film around the periphery of the patty, reducing the oil absorption during frying and subsequent release during reheating. The dry binder can be made from other sources of potato solids, such as mashed potatoes, rehydrated, dehydrated potatoes, or reject fresh potato pieces from commercial potato processing.