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French Fries Soufflées

Source of Recipe

From "Tom Fitzmorris's New Orleans Food" by Tom Fitzmorris


Recipe Introduction

"Almost all french fries in restaurants are terrible, made with frozen potatoes and rarely to order. We put up with that because fries made with fresh potatoes at home are such a pain in the neck to prepare. Our kids love them so much, however, that we're constantly finding ourselves going through the ordeal - and then enjoying the results very much. Start with large, starchy potatoes (such as russets). Blanch them briefly in boiling water. Then fry them twice. The second frying is not essential, as the people who crowd in grabbing fries after the first frying will prove. But it adds a magical crunch to the fries. If you want to go to the outer limits of excellence in french fries, use rendered beef fat to fry them in. But few of us have the heart to do that."

List of Ingredients

◦  5 pounds starchy potatoes
◦  Canola oil for frying
◦  Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste


Recipe

Bring a large pot of water to a boil while you're peeling the potatoes (if you want them peeled). After peeling, slice the potatoes as thick as you like in whatever shape you like, but put them into a bowl of cold water while they're waiting for the next step.

Boil the sliced potatoes for about a minute. This will not only begin their cooking but will also prevent the sugars from oxidizing and turning the raw potatoes brown. Drain and collect them in a colander.

Bring at least 2 quarts (8 cups) of oil to a temperature of 375° F in another large pot. Use a fat thermometer to monitor this. The oil should not fill more than half the pot.

It's safest to use a fry basket. Put a handful of the cut, blanched fries into the basket and lower it into the hot oil. Be prepared to lift the basket should the oil foam up to near the top. Fry the potatoes until they're just light brown. Remove and drain. Let the temperature of the oil return to 375° F before lowering the next batch.

If you can keep from eating them at this point, let the french fries cool a bit. When ready to serve, heat the oil back up to about 400 degrees F. I warn you that we are in grease-fire territory here - be very careful and have a dry chemical fire extinguisher handy. Place a handful of the once-fried fires back into the basket and lower it into the hot oil. Fry for about 15 seconds; they will brown very quickly and may even puff up. Drain, season with salt and pepper, and serve immediately. For a distinctly New Orleans way of eating fries (the Belgians also like this), serve with a dish of Spicy Garlic Mayonnaise.


Serves 8


Spicy Garlic Mayonnaise:

◦  2 egg yolks
◦  1 tsp Dijon mustard
◦  2 cloves garlic
◦  2 Tbsp lemon juice
◦  1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
◦  ⅛ tsp salt
◦  5 dashes of Tabasco

Put the egg yolks, mustard, garlic, and 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice in a blender or food processor. Blend at medium speed for about 45 seconds.

With the blender or food processor still running, add the oil a few drops at a time until the contents of the container noticeably begin to change texture. Then add the remaining oil in a thin stream while the blender or food processor continues to run.

When all the oil is incorporated, add the salt, Tabasco, and remaining lemon juice. Refrigerate to thicken.


Makes about 1¾ cups