Info
- Course: Side Dish, Snack
- Skill Level: Moderate
- Cost: Moderate
- Favorited: 35 Times
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Parmesean French Fries
Cookbook
At the Ajax Tavern, my one-time restaurant in Aspen, I served these French fries with shaved black truffles and truffle oil. I called them twenty-five-dollar fries and charged that much, too. They sold like mad. Imagine coming off the slopes and sitting down at the end of the day with a glass of Champagne and a basket of those fries.
Yield : Makes 6 to 8 servings
Ingredients
- Peanut oil for deep-frying
- 3 pounds russet potatoes, peeled
- Finely ground sea salt, preferably gray salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 2 ounces Parmesan cheese, cut into shavings with a vegetable peeler
- 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh Italian (flat-leaf) parsley
- 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
Directions
Pour the peanut oil to a depth of at least 4 inches into a deep fryer or a heavy, 8-inch-deep stockpot and heat to 325°F. Make sure the pot is at least 8 inches deep to allow room for the oil to foam up without risk.
Meanwhile, cut the potatoes lengthwise into ½-inch-thick slices.
Then stack the slices and cut the stacks into ¼-inch-wide strips. Rinse the potato strips in a bowl of cold water, changing the water until it runs clear. Dry thoroughly with paper towels.
Working in 2 batches, fry the potatoes for 2 minutes to cook them partially. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the potatoes to paper towels to drain.
Reheat the oil to 375°F. Again working in 2 batches, fry the potatoes until golden brown and crispy, about 5 minutes. Using the slotted spoon, transfer to paper towels to drain briefly, then put the French fries in a large bowl and season to taste with salt and pepper. Add the Parmesan cheese, parsley, and lemon zest and toss to coat the fries evenly. Serve at once.
Notes
Cooking Notes: Rinsing the potatoes in water leaches out most of the starch, which allows them to crisp nicely in the oil. Soaking them overnight is perfectly okay. Fry them in smaller batches so the temperature of the oil doesn’t drop dramatically when you add the potatoes. And it is critical that you fry them twice, not just one long time: once makes them soggy; twice makes them crispy.
Entertaining Notes: Try serving these French fries in paper cones or widemouthed glasses. I sometimes create an assortment of differently flavored fries for an interesting presentation. For a more gourmet taste, in addition to the cheese, parsley, and zest, toss the fries with 1 tablespoon truffle oil. Or, for a more casual barbecue version, omit the Parmesan cheese and lemon zest and toss the fries with 2 tablespoons Spanish paprika; 2 ounces pecorino cheese, shaved with a vegetable peeler; and the 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh Italian (flat-leaf) parsley. I sometimes line an antique sugar mold with paper cones, fill them with the assortment of fries, and let guests take their pick. You might pour some Champagne, too.
© 2005 NapaStyle, Inc.
Nutritional Information
Nutrients per serving
Nutritional information includes 1/8 teaspoon of added salt per serving. This recipe serves 8.
351 kcal
10 % daily value
56 % daily value
1 % daily value
718 mg
42 mg
6 g
1 g
4 g
30 g
6 mg
409 mg
5 g
24 g
8 % daily value
