Chips & French Fries
Potato chips and French fries, made from Russet potatoes
Ingredients
1 pound Russet potatoes
3-4 cups vegetable oil (depends on size of pot)
Seasoning to taste (seasoning salt, pepper, regular salt, dried herbs, etc)
Instructions
Tools
A large, deep pot. Deep enough to allow a few inches of oil at the bottom without any overflow when the potatoes are added
A spider strainer or metal tongs
Paper towel
Large bowl or colander
Wire rack, cookie sheet with paper towel, or plate for draining
Steps
In the pot, pour in about 2-3 inches of vegetable oil and heat it on mid-high heat
Wash and (peel if desired) cut the potatoes based on your preference. Put them in a bowl of cold water as you cut the potatoes.
When all potatoes are cut, check the oil to confirm it is lightly smoking and/or shimmering a bit in appearance.
Drain and pat the potatoes with paper towel to get as much starch and water off of them as possible.
Carefully place the potatoes in the hot oil as quick as possible, working to unstick any pieces that may be clumped together.
In 3-4 minutes check the potatoes to confirm they are not sticking together, if so - use your tongs or spider strainer to stir them a bit. Let them cook for an additional 3-4 minutes.
Remove the potatoes from the oil and let them drain on wire rack, cookie sheet with paper towel, or a plat covered in paper towel for at least 10 minutes.
The oil will be back up to temperature again, place the potatoes back in and cook for another 3-4 minutes. Watch for a nice golden brown color and remove promptly for seasoning
In a bowl or colander lined with paper towel, toss the potatoes to drain oil off and season them while they are hot
About This dish
The measurement of oil and potatoes really depend on how many dishes/ people you are trying to fill. 1 pound of potatoes is about 3 side dish servings worth. The oil measurement is also dependent on how big your pot is. I recommend deep frying in a large pot to prevent any oil from jumping out onto the stove. Safety is key when dealing with frying oil! When it comes to the potatoes after cutting, it is important to dry them as much as possible, and to load them into the oil carefully. Water and hot oil do not mix!
The cook time also varies based on your stove. It will take some practice to see just how how your stove gets and how much time the potatoes need in your particular pot. Watching them cook the first few times really helps you get the baseline. The method of taking the potatoes out while they are partially cooked, cooling them off, and cooking them a bit more is known as blanching. Blanching gives the potatoes an extra crispy crunch. If you want to make this even easier, you can just keep the potatoes in the oil for the same amount of time - they will be slightly soft in the center.
Last, seasoning is time sensitive. You will want to do it as soon as you take the potatoes out. If they cool down too much, seasoning will not stick to them. Feel free to get creative! Classic salt only is tasty, but you can kick it up a notch with pepper or dried herbs.
