French Fries

July 13: National French Fries Day

French fries are one of our favorite side dishes and snacks—so much so that Islander gave them up for Lent one year! Highlander’s Mum used to make homestyle fries for her seven kids, too. But they ate them faster than she could cook them! For National French Fries Day, we peeled a potato, sliced them thinly into strips and simply deep-fried them for a fast-food fix—no restaurant runs needed. Bon appetit!

Recipe

(Adapted from America’s Test Kitchen via Serious Eats)

Ingredients

• 1 large potato (we recommend a Yukon Gold)
• peanut, vegetable or canola oil for deep frying
• salt

Directions

Wash and peel the potatoes. Thinly slice into strips (¼ inch by ¼ inch), squaring off the ends.

Place the strips of potatoes in the basket of the deep fryer. Lower into the cold oil. Heat the oil to 375 degrees F. Fry the strips to a crisp for about 15 minutes but do not stir or the potatoes will break. After 15 minutes, stir the strips gently, loosening any that are sticking to the bottom. Continue to fry for another 5-10 minutes or until brown and crispy. Remove the basket from the deep fryer and let the oil drip. Drain the French fries on paper towels. Season with salt.

Notes

• The above recipe features the cold-fry method. Another method is to twice-fry the potato strips.
• Cut the potatoes into thick, long wedges for steak-style fries.
• Serve the French fries with sauce, such as ketchup or mayonnaise (Highlander learned how to dip them into the latter when he visited Belgium).
• Sprinkle garlic salt, parsley or other seasonings to add a variety of flavor to the French fries.