French Fries

This weekend, I made french fries, from scratch, for the first time. Crunchy and delicious, they were.

I don't own a fryer, so I used a deep wok-style skillet half filled with vegetable oil. More, and you risk an overflow when the fries go in. Avoid that.

Cut the fries into 1/4 inch slices. Flip and stack the slices, and cut them into 1/4 widths.

Heat the oil to about 375, which is approximately '7' on my electric stove.

Gently throw in about 2 potatoes worth of fries.

Cook until they reach 'blonde'. Slightly yellow, a bit raw in the middle. It should take 3-5 minutes. Take 'em out and put them on a cookie sheet to cool for at least 10 minutes. Repeat with the rest of the raw fries.

When the entire batch has gone through the first stage, take the first batch and toss it back into the oil until done. They will get crispy and firm and golden. They are done when they reach the stage you like. Take them out and lightly salt. Add any other seasonings you like immediately. The oil will spread the flavor for you.

A single batch will take approximately 20 minutes to complete, counting the 10 minute downtime. That's about the speed of baking frozen fries, and only a bit more work that can be done while you prepare the rest of the meal.

Double cooking is the way to go.