PROCESS:
Use large Idaho baking potatoes (russets)
Peel the potatoes and place them in cool water. Slice the potatoes into shoestrings on a mandolyn or by hand with a sharp knife. Immediately place the sliced potatoes in cool water and allow them to sit for 10-minutes to release some of their starch. This also helps them get and stay crispy. Because these fries are so thin, they do not need to be blanched or fried twice. If you cut your fries thicker than these, you will have to blanch them, see instructions below.
Dry the potatoes: Remove the potatoes from the water and drain on paper towels, blotting them until dry. Water and hot oil are a dangerous combination.
Notes about frying oil:
Heat the oil in a deep pan or wok until it reaches 375 degrees before adding the fries. The temperature will go down when you add the fries.
Be sure you have not too much oil in your pan that it overflows when you add the potatoes. Hot oil all over the stove is a dangerous mess! Start with we oil at 375 it will go down when you add the room temperature potatoes.
The optimum frying temperature is between 350 and 375 degrees. Adjust the stove temperature so the oil stays at optimum temperature.
Cooking:
Allow the fries to come to room temperatures. Add to the hot oil, do not over crowd the cooking vessel. Turn or stir the fries frequently in the oil, until they are golden brown and crispy, about 10-minutes. Remove from the oil with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Season immediately with salt and pepper and serve with your favorite burger.
Blanching the fries:
Thicker fries need to be cooked TWICE to get crispy. Simply par cook the potatoes as above and drain on paper towels. allow fries to cook for ten minutes at room temperature. You may also freeze the potatoes at this point. Re-fry the potatoes until golden brown and crispy.
INGREDIENTS:
2 pounds baking potatoes
oil for frying
salt & pepper