Fries

After months of pasta and weeks of Thai food, I’ve been trying to mix it up. Last night, all I wanted was some sort of Asian cuisine and I can’t imagine why. And then I wanted pasta. Ok, no. We can’t! So I made burgers and fries! (Insert face balm here.)

Fries:

Cut 5 yellow potatoes into 1/4” sticks. Place in Dutch oven.

Pour oil until almost covered. Turn on high. Leave potatoes untouched and let boil for 5 minutes, and cook for 15 minutes more. Stir to unstick any from the bottom. Cook for a few more minutes until lightly brown.

(I should have stopped here instead of 5 more minutes, as I burnt mine while I went to the bathroom. Insert another face balm here.)

Scoop fries from oil with slotted spoon and place on paper bag or towels. Salt immediately and eat.

James loved them- especially because they were burnt. I’ll have to try again. 

Reusing oil:

Here’s what I’ll do with the oil to reuse it (based on Cook’s Illustrated):

For every cup of frying oil, whisk together ¼ cup water and 1 tablespoon cornstarch. Add mixture to oil. 

Heat oil gently over low heat (do not let it simmer), stirring constantly with heatproof spatula, until starch mixture begins to solidify, 10 to 12 minutes. 

Remove oil from heat and strain through fine-mesh strainer (or use slotted spoon to fish out gelled mixture). Don't worry if oil appears cloudy; it will clear up once reheated. 

Refrigerate oil and reuse up to 3 times.