Pomme Frites - Homemade Crusty Fries

3:10 pm on 2 May 2014

It’s hard to share these. My sister-in-law Marcella taught me how to make them years ago, and nothing else compares. Be warned: super-skinny ones that stick together like golden crunchy nests are irresistible and big fat ones bring on gluttony! There’ll never be enough. Serves 6 – maybe!

Ingredients

  • 1.4kg floury potatoes (choose long ones)
  • 1 1/2 cups olive oil
  • flaky sea salt

Method

Peel potatoes and cut into slender chips. Bundle up chips in a clean tea towel and leave them to dry for 10 minutes. Open up tea towel and pat chips thoroughly dry with a second tea towel.

Heat olive oil in a deep frying pan (you’ll need one with a lid) over medium-high heat. When oil is hot, carefully lower in potatoes – they do not have to be in one layer. Immediately cover pan with a lid and turn heat to low. Cook for 10 minutes. Remove lid, inverting it quickly so moisture stays in the lid and doesn’t fall back into the pan. Drain moisture from lid. Turn chips over with a slotted spatula and tongs. Cook for 10 minutes without lid, then turn and cook again for 5–10 minutes more, until golden. Turn chips in clumps, rather than separately. They should stick together and develop a glorious golden crust.

Remove chips from pan and drain briefly on a cake rack set over a baking sheet. Sprinkle generously with flaky sea salt and serve while hot.

If fat chips are preferred, choose long potatoes, peel and cut into long fat fingers. Soak in cold water for 15 minutes, drain and pat dry, then carry on with recipe.

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