Tag Archives: potatoes

Recipe

Fresh French Fries

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My mom always made these when ever we had steak.

COOKING UTENSILS NEEDED

Crinkle Cut Serrator

Deep Fryer or dutch oven

Vegetable peeler

INGREDIENTS:

5 pounds Russet potatoes

1 gal peanut oil or canola

DIRECTIONS:

Heat peanut oil to 350 degrees in an extra-large heavy pot. I use a 7 quart Dutch oven or a large cast iron pot. Do not fill pot more than half way with oil.

Place fresh cut fries in large microwaveable bowl, toss with 1/4 cup oil, and cover with plastic wrap. Microwave on high power until potatoes are partially translucent and pliable but still offer some resistance when pierced with tip of paring knife, 6 to 8 minutes, tossing them with rubber spatula halfway through cooking time. Carefully pull back plastic wrap from side farthest from you and drain potatoes into large mesh strainer set over sink. Rinse well under cold running water. Spread potatoes onto kitchen towels and pat dry. Let rest until room temperature, at least 10 minutes and up to 1 hour.

SLOWLY lower fries into hot oil using a mesh spider or slotted metal spoon, and fry until potatoes turn light golden or just begin to brown at corners, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer fries to thick paper bag or paper towels to drain (now cook whatever entre you are making, like fried shrimp).

Turn heat to high and raise temperature of oil to 375 degrees. 

Return fries into hot oil using a large metal slotted spoon or and fry until golden brown and crisp, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to fresh paper bag or paper towels to drain. Season fries with salt to taste and serve immediately with ketchup.

Variations:  Seasoned French fries

© Russ Ahrens and The Magic of a Perfect Pairing, 2022

Recipe

Mashed Potatoes

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Mashed Potatoes

This IS a recipe I have been eating since I was a child. These were always a favorite with my sister and brothers. God, I still remember vividly how my brother would make a lake using mashed potatoes (and so did I). Then we would have mom fill it with gravy. I can even still smell all the black pepper he used on his potatoes. This was all way before the movie Close Encounters of the Third kind too!

Here is my mom’s recipe. This is one I watched her make forty or fifty times at least.

SPECIAL IMPLEMENTS

One big ass pot

Electric mixer

Colander

INGREDIENTS

5 lbs. of Russet or Yukon Gold potatoes

1 stick of Butter

½ cup half and half

¼ cup whole milk

Salt

White pepper

5 Cloves of roasted garlic (optional)

DIRECTIONS

Peel and cut potatoes into 2 inch pieces. Cook potatoes in boiling water about 20 minutes. Test potatoes with fork or metal skewer for doneness. Drain potatoes (in colander) and then return to pot. Add butter in tablespoon size pieces; add cream, milk, roasted garlic, salt, and pepper. Using an electric mixer starting on low, beat the potatoes until there are no lumps. Add cream and milk slowly as not to cool off the potatoes to fast or slash out while mixing.

NOTES: My mother never used half and half just whole milk. She alos never used roasted garlic. I find the ½ & ½ gives it a nice extra richness. I don’t make mashed potatoes every month so I can splurge on the extra butter and cream. I only use roasted garlic when making Prime Rib or a Standing Rib roast or leg of lamb.

The Drunken Chef (Russ)