Thursday, September 29, 2011

Les Frites


            We recently discovered how to make a pretty good French fry.  It wasn’t an explicit goal.  I usually don’t go looking for ways to deep fry any foods, less because of the health detractions and more because they make a mess out of my pans and stove top.  But one Saturday, my husband wanted to try the beef from a different butcher at the market and I thought I would give our favorite steak au poivre a try.  Dorie Greenspan has a nice recipe in Around My French Table with the accompanying recipe for the requisite accompanying frites.  When I read it through, it sounded doable and the result was very satisfying.  Here’s how it goes:
1.     Wash potatoes and pat dry.  We leave the skins on, but if you peel them, wash and dry them at that point.
2.     Slice into French fry slices.  The thinner the slices, the crispier the French-fry.  If you like a more tender potato inside, make them thicker.
3.     Fry potatoes in peanut or canola oil at fairly high heat just until they are blanched, meaning softened on the inside, but not yet browned.  Keep batches small so as not to crowd the pan.  Drain on paper towels.  Save your oil.  Cool the blanched potatoes or even put them in the refrigerator to finish at a later time.
4.     Finally, fry the cooled potatoes again at high heat until browned to your liking. 
5.     Season with an excellent quality salt, like fleur de sel.  Since the salt will sit on top of the food, this is a time to use the best salt you can find.


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