Homemade French Fries

Ingredients

3 large Russet or Idaho potatoes, peeled

1 quart vegetable or canola oil

salt, pepper, and ketchup

Directions

Wash potatoes and peel as much or as little as you’d like.

With the potato facing you lengthwise, slice off about 1/4-inch of the bottom of the potato, creating a stable surface to continue to slice to potato.

Slice the potato lengthwise into 1/4-inch planks.  Stack two or three planks on top of one another and slice planks into 1/4-inch batons, or strips of potato.  These are our fries!  Continue until all of the potatoes are sliced into fries.

Place fries in a  large bowl of cool water.  This will help wash some of the starches off the surface of the potatoes, so they don’t stick together during frying.

Pour 1 quart of oil into a large, heavy bottom saucepan.  In the right pan, the oil should be about 1 1/2-inches deep.   Attach fry thermometer to saucepan, so that the thermometer touches the oil.  Heat over medium heat until oil reaches 250 degrees F.  In the meantime, line two large baking sheets with several layers of paper towel.

When oil reaches 250 degrees F, carefully drop small batches of potatoes to the hot oil.  I cooked about ten fries at a time.  Gently stir the fries to ensure that they don’t stick to the bottom of the pan or stick to each other.  Fry until cooked though, about 4 to 6 minutes.  Remove from the oil using a pair of tongs, or metal slotted spoon, and allow to cool on the prepared paper towels.  Continue until all of the fries are cooked.

Once fries have cooled to room temperature, heat the same oil to 350 degrees F.  Add once cooked fries, again in small batches.  Gently stir until golden brown, about 3 minutes.  Remove fries from the oil  and place on the remaining lined baking sheet.  Immediately sprinkle with coarse salt and black pepper.  Serve immediately.  

Recipe found at: http://joythebaker.com/2012/07/homemade-french-fries/