French Fries

I love potatoes! Baked, mashed or fried. Pretty much anyway you can cook the potato I love! There something about this everyday vegetable that just has a special place in my heart. On it's own its not really flavorful, but you add a few things here and there and WOW what a delicious mouthful! 

One of the best ways to enjoy the simplicity of the potato is French Fries. They are crispy on the outside, soft on the inside and kissed with salt! Oh so good!!! I eat fries with ketchup and sometimes I eat ketchup with fries, as my husband would say! :) You can dip these delicious golden sticks into any kind of dip. Ranch, bbq, honey mustard, sweet & sour sauce, mayo and so on. I love Campfire Sauce (this is a  dipping sauce from Red Robin), it's a mix of bbq sauce and ranch. It's is so good! I make my own at home, you just need to adjust to your taste. A little more bbq or a little more ranch, up to you.

How ever you like to dip, these fries will be just perfect!

Buen Provecho! 

Clean & Cut into sticks.

Soak for at least 30 minutes to 1 hour. Can also soak overnight.

Drain and blot fries dry.

1st fry- 5-6 minutes, until soft, par-cooked

The fries should still look pale & soft.

2nd Fry - Cook until golden brown.

Crispy goodness.

Season with salt.

Dip & Eat!!

French Fries: 4-6 servings

Ingredients:

2-3 large Russet Potatoes, scrubbed

Oil for frying

Salt for seasoning

Road Map:

1. Rinse the potatoes. Leave skin on, cut them into stick. 

2. Place them in a large bowl cover them with cold water. Soak 30 mins to 1 hour at least. You can also stick them in the fridge and let them soak overnight.

3. Drain off water and lay the potatoes on 2 baking sheets lined with paper towels. Blot with paper towels to dry them.

4. Heat a few inches of oil in a heavy pot to 325 degrees F. In 3 or 4 batches, cook the potatoes until soft, 5 to 6 minutes per batch. Remove each batch and drain on rack lined with paper towels.

5. Once all the potatoes have been fried once, turn up the heat until the oil reaches 350 degrees F. When the oil's hot, start frying the potatoes in batches again, cooking until the fries are golden and crisp. Remove the potatoes from the oil and drain on paper towels.

6. Season with salt and enjoy!

Fried Loaded Potato Bites - Leftover Rollover

I have quite of bit of mash potato leftover from a family dinner and I was trying to figure out what to do with it. I thought croquettes would be good and then I thought what if I added everything you'd find in a loaded potato, rolled it up into a ball and fried it. Delicious!

What's not to love about loaded potatoes! The bacon, cheese, sour cream, chives and bacon, oh did I say that already, well double bacon is never wrong! 

These bites are really simple to make. I took the method of a croquette and just added the extra toppings and shaped them into a ball and fried them up. The oil you use is important. You need one with a high temperature point so that when you fry it doesn't burn. I'm using coconut oil, which is said to be a very healthy oil. I figure that if I fry in health oil it can't be bad for me, right? Oh, the straws we grasp just to feel healthy. Peanut or vegetable oil are also good choices for frying. 

These bites are great as an appetizers, side dish or simply as a snack. I like to serve them with ranch dressing. I hope you give these golden bites a try! 

Buen Provecho!

The ensemble.

Mix together potato, cheese, sour cream, bacon & chives.

Make 1 inch balls. 

Prepare breading station. Corn starch, egg, panko.

Roll bites first in corn starch, tap off excess starch.

2nd roll in egg.

Final stage roll in panko.

Place breaded bites in the fridge to set up. 15-20 minutes.

Carefully place in oil. Cook into golden brown.

Golden bites of heaven!

Delicious bites!

Served up with a bit of ranch dressing.

Fried Loaded Potato Bites - Leftover Rollover

2 cups mash potato
2 slices of bacon, crumbled
1/2 cup cheddar, shredded
1/4 cup sour cream
2 tsp chives
Salt n Pepper to taste
Oil for frying

Breading
1 egg
1- 1/2 cup corn starch
1/2-1 cup panko, Japanese bread crumbs 


Road Map:

1. Mix bacon, cheddar, sour cream and chives to potatoes. Mix well, check for seasoning.

2. Prepare breading station. Place corn starch, egg, and panko in separate dishes/bowls.

3. Form mixture into 1 inch balls and place on a plate. Dredge each bite first in corn starch, then egg and final in panko. Once all balls are formed place in the refrigerator for 15 - 20 minutes, just enough time to set. 

4. Preheat oil in a pot with tall walls. Place breaded bite into a kitchen spoon/spider and gently lower into the oil. Once bite is golden brown, remove from oil and place on paper towel to drain. Sprinkle salt on bites.

5. Enjoy!

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