1) Grate potatoes and parsnips (peeled) onto a few paper towels or a clean dish towel to get out as much liquid as possible. Season the roots with a pinch of salt as they drain. You can actually squeeze them in the towel to help remove liquid.

2) Mix together potatoes and parsnips and stir in egg and flour.

3) Add olive oil to a pan over medium heat. Once the oil is hot put a disk of hash browns in the pan. If it sizzles then you did it right. Use a spatula to flatten it down.

4) Cook hash browns for for 5-6 minutes on one side. It might take less time to get a good brown crispness if your pan is too hot. Also, you might want to turn your hash browns 180 degrees halfway through because the center of your pan is most likely hotter than the outside.

5) Flip the hash browns and cook for a few minutes on the second side until they are very crispy.

6) Top with a small amount of grated cheese if you’re using it.

Serve garnished with chives and with eggs and bacon.