The CookMobile » Potatoes

How to Fry the Best French Fries

Lalaine — Mon, 17 May 2010 05:28:16 +0000

Are you a bud of spud? I am, too. Baked, scalloped, mashed, one can never go wrong with a side of potatoes. But if you love them french-fried, try this thrice-cooked method and I promise, McDee’s bucket of fries will never do for ya ever again. We’ve all heard of double-frying potatoes for better fries but going the additional process of blanching them before frying and frying again means the BEST fries. I discovered this process under a comment thread at A Hamburger Today, gave it a test and never looked back. Boy oh boy! Not only did the french fries come out golden and crisp on the outside but were also light and moist in the inside!

In seasoning your homemade french fries, go beyond the basic salt and pepper. Give them a unique twist with a dash of curry or cayenne pepper, maybe a sprinkling of grated parmesan or fried garlic bits. Who says it always has to be french fries and catsup? Classic pairing, sure, but bring some excitement to the table and dip these spud wonders in pesto mayonnaise, malt vinegar, marinara sauce, spicy mustard or even Ranch dressing, as preferred by one I know. Ready? Let’s get peeling!

Ingredients

Idaho russet potatoes (about 1 per person)
water
vegetable oil (about 4 cups for 3 to 4 potatoes)
Salt or seasoning of choice

Procedure

Peel potatoes and cut, as evenly as possible, into 1/4-inch thick strips. If leaving skin on, give them a good scrub with a brush under cool running water.

Rinse cut potatoes and in a bowl of ice water, soak for about 30 minutes. Change water at least twice. Drain potatoes.

In a deep pot, bring enough water to cover into a boil. Drop potatoes into the hot water and blanch to just soften but still firm, about 3 to 5 minutes. With a slotted spoon, remove potatoes from water and arrange on a sheet pan. Cool and air-dry in refrigerator for about 30 minutes.

In heavy-bottomed, deep pan, heat oil to around 300 F to 325 F. In batches and without overcrowding pan, fry potatoes for about 3 minutes and remove from pan before they achieve color. Place back on tray and chill potatoes again in refrigerator for another 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, increase temperature of oil to about 375 F degrees. In batches and without overcrowding pan, fry potatoes again but this time, until golden brown. With a slotted spoon, remove from oil and drain on paper towels. Season with salt to taste and serve immediately. Make sure to heat oil back to 375 F between batches.

P.S. Did you know that for decades, McDonald’s fried their french fries in 93% beef tallow and it was only in the 1990’s they switched under pressure to vegetable-based oils? That should explain my thickened girth. But hey! Have access to duck fat? Fry your potatoes in it. So good! C’mon, life deserves gourmet french fries.

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Papas con Chorizo Omelet (Potatoes and Sausage Omelet)

Lalaine — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 12:05:58 +0000

The nursing facility I work at sits at the heart of San Fernando Valley and is roughly 40 miles from my house. My commute to work involves a torturous one hour-and-a-half bumper-to-bumper traffic through one of Southern California’s busiest freeways and what keeps me company (and sane) during the drive is my car radio. Every workday, you will find me in my vehicle from 7:30 am to 9:00 AM mercilessly slaughtering the songs of Mariah Carey, Celine Dion and Kelly Clarkson, unmindful of the misery my laborious singing invoked to fellow commuters on the road, while chugging on my daily ritual of ice-cold Diet Coke. On one of such mornings last week, the DJ of the station I was tuned in took the line of songs to a pause and started talking about the success of Michael Jackson’s This is It movie. As he piled praises upon praises on the dead singer, calling him “music icon”, King of Pop” and every grand salutation possible, I couldn’t help but mutter to myself, “Jackass, did you not call him Wacko Jacko just a few days before he died?” I mean, c’mon, how useless can this DJ’s words be when the person meant to appreciate them is now six feet under? A tad too late, don’t you think? Where were all these accolades when Michael Jackson was slowly receding to a lonely world of masks, gloves and chimpanzees? Forgive me for ranting here, but I just find it mighty sad that right before everyone’s eyes, he literally became a white ghost of his former self and no one cared other than to laugh and to ridicule. So, here’s my thing, if you are one of those who plan to mourn at my grave in my death, send me flowers, twirl me on the dance floor, whisper I am loved TODAY. Do it now while I can still smell the fragrance of the petals, while my limbs can still waltz, while I can still hear the beating of thy heart. And here’s my other thing, if you are one of those who plan to win the Chef’s Secret 10pc Surgical Stainless Steel 12-Element Cookware Set I am giving away, please subscribe, link to the post or leave a comment TODAY. Do it now while the contest in still open! If there is one lesson I have learned well enough, it is that we should live without procrastination and love without hesitation, as sometimes, life does not give second chances.

Well, sometimes, life does give second chances. That is if you are this papas con chorizo I cooked yesterday for breakfast. This dish managed to shine and re-shine on my table in three ways of deliciousness: by itself as a side for scrambled eggs, between a layer of fluffy eggs as an omelet, and enveloped in a flour tortilla as a breakfast burrito. Gourmet reincarnation at its best!

Ingredients

1 lb Mexican pork chorizo
2 large potatoes, peeled and cubed to 3/4-inch cubes
1 medium onion, peeled and finely chopped
2 jalapenos, seeded and julienned
1 tsp of oil
salt

Procedure

In a pot, cook diced potatoes in boiling salted water until tender yet firm. Drain from water and set aside.

Heat a skillet over medium heat until hot. Add in chorizo and fry until its fat becomes oil, using back of spoon to crumble.

Add onions and jalapenos. Continue to cook and stir until onions are translucent and softened.

Add diced potatoes and continue to cook for an additional 3 to 5 minutes. Stir well to combine potatoes with chorizo mixture. Serve hot as a side dish or proceed to following steps:

For Papas con Chorizo Omelet:
In a bowl and with a fork, beat 4 eggs with a tbsp of water until combined. In a skillet, melt about a teaspoon or two of butter over medium heat. Make sure to coat bottom of skillet well. Pour beaten egg mixture into skillet and allow to set on the bottom. As the eggs begin to set, use a spatula to push in edges of the setting eggs to allow the uncooked egg mixture on top to flow underneath. When the bottom is begining to set but the top is still slightly liquid, layer potato-chorizo mixture on one side of the eggs. Using the spatula, fold the other half over filling to form an omelet. Gently slide onto plate. Serve hot with salsa of choice.

For Papas con Chorizo Burritto:
In a slightly oiled pan or in the microwave, warm flour tortillas. Layer potato-mixture in bottom third of tortilla and fold flaps to enclose filling and to seal gaps. Serve with salsa of choice.

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Candied Sweet Potatoes with Sherry Syrup (Minatamis na Kamote)

Lalaine — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 09:52:26 +0000

Presenting candied sweet potatoes a week after the holidays~a tad too late, you say. Well, not exactly. First, according to Wikepidia, sweet potatoes are only distantly akin to the fibrous yams customarily served for Christmas dinner. Second, in the Philippines, these tuberous roots are not eaten alongside meat like the traditional ham and candied yams pairing here in the US. I am more accustomed to candied sweet potatoes as a sweet dessert or as an in-between-meal snack than as a side dish.

This is a very easy-to-make version of the minatamis na kamote I’ve enjoyed growing up in the Philippines. The recipe, however, is given a grown-up twist by the addition of sherry. You can substitute yams or even pumpkin but japanese sweet potatoes, which you can identify by their red-hued skin and pale flesh, are what I recommend.

Makes 4 Servings

Ingredients

3 to 4 large japanese sweet potatoes
2/3 cup turbinado raw cane sugar
1/4 cup sherry wine
1/8 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 to 2 tbsps butter

Procedure

Peel sweet potatoes and cut into 2 x 2 -inch cubes. Rinse with cold water and drain well.

In a wide baking dish, arrange sweet potato cubes in a single layer. Dust and toss with pumpkin pie spice.

Sprinkle sugar over sweet potatoes. Distribute dollops of the butter over sugar. Drizzle in sherry wine. Cover dish with foil.

Bake in a 375 F oven until sweet potatoes are tender. Remove foil and continue to bake until syrup is thickened and reduced, and sweet potatoes are caramelized. Serve warm.

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Bacon-wrapped Hotdogs, Fruited Coleslaw and Bacon-Potato Salad

Lalaine — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 07:11:03 +0000

Have I already mentioned that my birthday is this month? I have already discussed my personal feelings about getting old, yes? Can I tell you again the things I am starting to forget? Where I laid my keys, where I placed my purse, what whatchamacalit’s name is, etc.. Just last night I threw away cashier’s checks in the trash. They were in a blank envelope, which I mistook to be empty and which I swooped down when I cleared our kitchen counter. I had to go through our community dumpster while my husband and daughter shined a flashlight on me! I found the envelope in a garbage bag, amongst the leftover pasta we had last Saturday, the close-to-rotting bananas we had in our fruit bowl, and other unmentionables from our bathroom trash. True story, I tell you. Wait. This is not forgetfulness and really has nothing to do with getting old. Just Lalaine being Lalaine~at whatever age.

I took these pictures at our 4th of July celebration at work as I was meaning to share the recipes here. If a firecracker, probably a neighbor’s leftover from yesterday’s fireworks, did not explode with a bang outside our window, I would have forgotten all about these hotdogs! Oh well, better late than never. Our Independence day menu was pretty simple~hotdogs, fruited coleslaw and potato salad. This is not a recipe, per se, but more of a combination of ideas.

Hotdogs
We wrapped the hotdogs with bacon, which we secured on with toothpicks. We then grilled them until both bacon and hotdogs were cooked. We served the bacon-wrapped hotdogs on buns with sauteed green bell peppers and onions and condiments such as catsup, mayonnaise and mustard. Delicious!

Coleslaw
We used shredded cabbage and carrots, raisins, and finely-chopped fresh pineapples. We put the fruited coleslaw together with a blend of mayonnaise and strawberry yogurt as dressing. Very good!

Potato Salad
We did our potato salad with the usual works of finely-chopped onions and celery, chopped boiled eggs, boiled potato cubes but we added interest with chopped crisp bacon. We also mixed in buttermilk along with the mayonnaise. Creamy!

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Parslied Potatoes

Lalaine — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 08:47:23 +0000

The combination of chicken broth, parsley, onions and garlic gives a special dimension to the “regular” boiled potato in this parslied potato recipe. For an Italian twist, substitute fresh basil leaves for the parsley and add a sprinkle of red pepper flakes.

Makes 6 Servings

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds small red potatoes, scrubbed
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup fresh parsley, chopped
salt and pepper

Procedure

Peel a strip of skin from around the middle of each potato. Place in cold water and set aside.

Heat oil in a large skillet. Saute onion and garlic until tender, around 5 minutes. Add broth and parsley. Mix well and bring to a boil.

Place potatoes in skillet in a single layer. Return to a boil and then reduce heat. Simmer covered until potatoes are tender, for around 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Remove potatoes with a slotted spoon to serving bowl. Pour sauce over potatoes.

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