Tuscan Fries

Who doesn't love french fries?  

I'm kinda picky about fries and prefer them with the skins on, on the thin side, crispy, and well salted.  I occasionally fry my own but find standing over the stove frying batch after batch to be tedious.  When I spotted this recipe that calls for starting them in cold oil and pretty much just leaving them until they are done I knew this was the start of something wonderful.

And wonderful they were.  I sliced my potatoes thinner than suggested and ended up with this lovely pile of french fries that were perfectly golden and crispy.  Exactly like I like them.  Garlic and a handful of herbs are tossed in the oil after a while and add wonderful flavor and elevate these fries to something extraordinary.  As if a plateful of french fries weren't incentive enough, the easy prep for these makes this recipe a must try. 

In other news - I’m participating in a Good Old Fashioned Recipe Blog Swap! Julie {White Lights on Wednesday}, Kelley {Miss Information} and Rachel {i love my disorganized life} have paired up 30 incredible bloggers to trade blogs for the day.

Cindy from Crazylou Creations and I will be sharing a fabulous recipe on each other's blogs {but we can't tell you what they are, because they're a secret!}.  Be sure to visit both of us on May 27th, we wouldn't want you to miss out on any deliciousness!

Tuscan Fries
Nigellissima, Nigella Lawson

2 1/4 pounds potatoes (Nigella recommends Yukon Gold but I used Russets)
1 1/2 quarts corn oil or flavorless vegetable oil, for frying
Unpeeled cloves from 1 head garlic
8 tender top sprigs thyme, rosemary, and sage, or herbs of your choice
Kosher salt, to taste

Cut the short ends off each potato (but don't peel) so that it can sit up vertically, and then slice downwards into generous 1/2-inch slices.  Cut these slices into fries about 1/2 inch thick; again, err on the generous side.  Load up a clean dishcloth with the fries as you cut them.

Put the oil into a wide, heavy pan and add the freshly cut potatoes.  Then put the pan over high heat and bring to a boil, which should take about 5 minutes.  Keep a careful watch on the pan at all times.

Continue to cook the fries, without stirring them, for another 15 minutes.  The pan will be bubbling vigorously.  If the oil gets too hot or bubbles too hard, reduce the heat a little, and always keep a close eye on it.  (If you're using a thermometer, once the oil temperatures reaches 325° F, turn down the heat slightly and keep the fries cooking at between 300 and 325° F.)

Now you can very carefully give the fries a gentile stir with a pair of tongs held in an oven mitt, moving any that have stuck away from the bottom or sides of the pan.  Add the unpeeled cloves of garlic to the pan, stir gently again, and cook for another 5-10 minutes (watching the temperature and making sure the garlic doesn't look burnt or the fries too dark), before testing a fry for crispness on the outside and tenderness on the inside.  Do not burn your mouth!  You might need another 5 minutes or so beyond this, but stand by your pan; the fries can turn from a cooked gold to a burnt bronze quickly.

At the point when the fries are pale gold, but crisp, toss in the herbs, then after a minute or so scoop everything out - using a couple of perforated scoops for ease, and wearing oven mitts to protect your hands - onto a baking sheet or platter lined with a double thickness of paper towels.  Sprinkle with salt and serve.