Triple-Cooked Fries

Preparation Cut the potatoes into strips approximately 1/2 to 3/4 inch wide and 1/2 inch thick. As you cut them, submerge them in a bowl filled with cold water to prevent oxidizing (turning color). Fill a stockpot with cold water, add a little salt, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Lift the potatoes from the cold water with a slotted spoon and cook in the boiling water until fork-tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Lift the potatoes from the water and spread out on a paper towel–lined baking sheet. Pat the potatoes dry, replace the original layer of paper towels with dry paper towels, and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes. Meanwhile, in a deep, heavy pot or deep-fat fryer, bring the fat to a temperature of 275°F over medium-high heat. Working in batches, fry the chilled potatoes for 3 to 5 minutes before lifting them from the hot oil with a slotted metal spoon and spreading on the baking sheet (no paper towels this time!). Let the oil regain its heat between batches. Chill the potatoes again for about 15 minutes. While the potatoes chill, raise the heat under the fat or adjust the thermostat on the fryer and heat the fat to 375°F. Fry the chilled potatoes again until golden brown and crispy, 4 to 5 minutes, working in batches and letting the fat regain its heat between each one. Use tongs or extra-long chopsticks to break the potatoes apart, if necessary, and turn them in the fat so that they brown evenly. With a slotted spoon, transfer the fries to a shallow bowl. Add the parsley and toss to mix. Season with salt and serve warm. NoteIf you can get beef or duck fat, you won’t be sorry. The flavor either one imparts is impossible to match. You’ll probably have to work with a butcher or beg a local restaurant chef to help you secure your gallon of fat, but in the end you’ll be happy. On the other hand, these fries are damn good when fried in a vegetable oil with a high smoking point, such as canola, soy, or sunflower oil. From So Good: 100 Recipes from My Kitchen to Yours by Richard Blais. Copyright © 2017 by Richard Blais and Evan Sung. Reproduced by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved. Buy the full book from Amazon.

Preparation Cut the potatoes into strips approximately 1/2 to 3/4 inch wide and 1/2 inch thick. As you cut them, submerge them in a bowl filled with cold water to prevent oxidizing (turning color). Fill a stockpot with cold water, add a little salt, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Lift the potatoes from the cold water with a slotted spoon and cook in the boiling water until fork-tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Lift the potatoes from the water and spread out on a paper towel–lined baking sheet. Pat the potatoes dry, replace the original layer of paper towels with dry paper towels, and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes. Meanwhile, in a deep, heavy pot or deep-fat fryer, bring the fat to a temperature of 275°F over medium-high heat. Working in batches, fry the chilled potatoes for 3 to 5 minutes before lifting them from the hot oil with a slotted metal spoon and spreading on the baking sheet (no paper towels this time!). Let the oil regain its heat between batches. Chill the potatoes again for about 15 minutes. While the potatoes chill, raise the heat under the fat or adjust the thermostat on the fryer and heat the fat to 375°F. Fry the chilled potatoes again until golden brown and crispy, 4 to 5 minutes, working in batches and letting the fat regain its heat between each one. Use tongs or extra-long chopsticks to break the potatoes apart, if necessary, and turn them in the fat so that they brown evenly. With a slotted spoon, transfer the fries to a shallow bowl. Add the parsley and toss to mix. Season with salt and serve warm. NoteIf you can get beef or duck fat, you won’t be sorry. The flavor either one imparts is impossible to match. You’ll probably have to work with a butcher or beg a local restaurant chef to help you secure your gallon of fat, but in the end you’ll be happy. On the other hand, these fries are damn good when fried in a vegetable oil with a high smoking point, such as canola, soy, or sunflower oil. From So Good: 100 Recipes from My Kitchen to Yours by Richard Blais. Copyright © 2017 by Richard Blais and Evan Sung. Reproduced by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved. Buy the full book from Amazon.