Belgian Fries (Pommes Frites)
From Ruth Van Waerebeek's "Everybody Eats Well in Belgium Cookbook." There are other good frites recipes on Recipezaar; I'm including Ruth's for the sake of personal closure -- I can't NOT include her frites in my collection of her traditional Belgian recipes. What makes Ruth's unique is her call for older, starchy potatoes. As she says: "Never make fries with new potatoes.... It is imperative to use a starchy older potato for making real Belgian fries.... All your efforts will be in vain as the young potatoes have not had time to develop sufficient starch." She adds: "The size of the fries is a very personal matter. Experiment to find the size you like best." Adjust the frying time according to the thickness you prefer.
DIRECTIONS
- Pour enough oil into a deep fryer to reach at least halfway up the sides of the pan but not more than three-quarters of the way up. Heat oil to 325°F.
- Cut the potatoes into sticks 1/2 inch wide and 2-1/2 to 3 inches long. Dry all the the pieces thoroughly in a clean dish towel. This will keep the oil from splattering. Divide the potato sticks into batches of no more than 1 cup each. Do not fry more than one batch at a time.
- When the oil has reached the desired temperature, fry the potatoes for 4 or 5 minutes per batch. They should be lightly colored but not browned. If fryer has a basket, simply lift it out to remove the fried potatoes. Otherwise, use a long-handled skimmer to lift out the potatoes. Be sure to bring the temperature of the oil back to 325°F in between the batches. At this point the frites can rest for several hours at room temperature until you are almost ready to serve them.
- Just prior to eating, heat the oil to 375°F Fry the potatoes in 1-cup batches until they are nicely browned and crisp, 1 to 2 minutes per batch. Drain on fresh paper towels or brown paper bags and place in a warmed serving bowl lined with more paper towels. Sprinkle with salt and serve. Never cover the potatoes to keep them hot as they will immediately turn soft and limp. If you are inclined to perfectionism, leave some potatoes to fry halfway through the meal so you can serve them crisp and hot.