Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Homemade French Fries



The delicious chill of fall is in the air, but this weekend we squeezed the last sweet drops out of summer.  We went out for Mexican food and margaritas, made a pie, went to two farmers' markets, canned tomatoes, grilled burgers outside, made mojitos using mint from the garden, and ate out on the deck.  It was stupendous.

I read once that if you only ate junk food that you made from scratch yourself, you probably wouldn't get fat.  It makes a lot of sense.  If you make your own junk food, you control what ingredients go into it, and because homemade goodies take a lot more time, you're less likely to indulge on a regular basis.  Plus, the stuff just tastes so much better.  Worth it.  Worth the trouble, worth the calories.  McDonald's?  Not so much.


Homemade French Fries

4 russet potatoes, scrubbed clean
Light oil (safflower, canola, corn) by itself, or mixed with a little olive oil for flavor
kosher salt

Preheat oven to 350.  Slice unpeeled potatoes into 1/4-inch slices, and then cut slices into fries.  Heat a deep fryer to medium, or fill two large, shallow pans with 1/2 inch of oil over medium-high heat.  When the oil is shimmering, fry potatoes in batches until golden.  Remove to a paper towel-lined baking sheet, and sprinkle immediately with salt.  Allow to drain for a minutes or two, then remove the paper towels and place the baking sheet into the preheated oven to keep warm until ready to serve.

Serves 4.

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