Matchstick French Fries Food

MATCHSTICK POTATOES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Pour at least 1-inch of oil into a deep pot and heat it to 350 degrees F.
• Slice the potatoes into thin matchsticks (1/8-inch thick) with a vegetable slicer or mandoline, dropping them into a bowl of cold water as you cut. Drain the potatoes and dry them thoroughly with paper towels. Drop the potatoes in batches into the hot oil and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from the pot with a wire basket skimmer or slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Place on a baking sheet, sprinkle with salt, and keep warm in the oven while you cook the rest of the potatoes.
• Sprinkle the potatoes with parsley, if desired, and serve hot.

MATCHSTICK FRENCH FRIES

Steps:

• Trim potatoes into 4-inch-long blocks. Using a mandoline, cut into 3/16-inch-thick sticks. In deep fryer, heat oil to 350 degrees. Fry potatoes in batches until light golden, about 1 minute. Drain, let cool, and freeze, covered, until firm, at least 1 hour.
• Deep-fry again at 350 degrees; until golden brown, about 1 minute. Salt while hot; serve with ketchup, if desired.

TRIPLE-COOKED FRIES

Steps:

• Cut the potatoes into strips approximately 1/2 to 3/4 inch wide and 1/2 inch thick. As you cut them, submerge them in a bowl filled with cold water to prevent oxidizing (turning color).
• Fill a stockpot with cold water, add a little salt, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Lift the potatoes from the cold water with a slotted spoon and cook in the boiling water until fork-tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Lift the potatoes from the water and spread out on a paper towel-lined baking sheet. Pat the potatoes dry, replace the original layer of paper towels with dry paper towels, and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a deep, heavy pot or deep-fat fryer, bring the fat to a temperature of 275°F over medium-high heat.
• Working in batches, fry the chilled potatoes for 3 to 5 minutes before lifting them from the hot oil with a slotted metal spoon and spreading on the baking sheet (no paper towels this time!). Let the oil regain its heat between batches. Chill the potatoes again for about 15 minutes.
• While the potatoes chill, raise the heat under the fat or adjust the thermostat on the fryer and heat the fat to 375°F.
• Fry the chilled potatoes again until golden brown and crispy, 4 to 5 minutes, working in batches and letting the fat regain its heat between each one. Use tongs or extra-long chopsticks to break the potatoes apart, if necessary, and turn them in the fat so that they brown evenly.
• With a slotted spoon, transfer the fries to a shallow bowl. Add the parsley and toss to mix. Season with salt and serve warm.

MATCHSTICK FRIES

Steps:

• Trim potatoes into 4-inch-long blocks. Using a mandolin, cut potatoes into 3/16-inch-thick sticks. Place in a strainer and rinse under cold running water. Transfer to a large bowl and add cold water to cover by 1 inch, then let soak in the refrigerator at least 4 hours or up to 24 hours. Drain potatoes and rinse again and then spread on a clean kitchen towel and dry completely, patting off as much water as possible.
• In deep fryer, heat oil to 350 degrees. Fry potatoes in batches until light golden, about 1 minute. Sprinkle with salt while hot and serve immediately.

JICAMA MATCHSTICK FRIES

Steps:

• Place a heavy pot over medium-high heat and fill with at least 1-inch vegetable oil. Heat the oil to 350 degrees F. (Portable deep-fryers at home are great for this, but if you don¿t have one, use a candy thermometer ¿ just be careful!)
• Very thinly slice the jicama, as you would a potato to make chips, then stack a few slices at a time and cut them all into matchstick-sized pieces.
• Carefully place the chips into the hot oil (use a slotted spoon and wear mitts) and fry until very crispy (just a few minutes will do). Cook in batches, as necessary. Remove and drain on paper towels.
• Sprinkle liberally with equal amounts of salt, onion, and garlic powders, and paprika to taste. Toss to coat well and serve immediately.

UN-FRIED FRENCH FRIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
• Slice each potato lengthwise into 1/4-inch ovals, then slice each ovallengthwise into matchsticks (i use a mandoline which makes this go much quicker).
• Coat a baking sheet with 3 sprays of the vegetable oil.
• Combine the egg whites and cajun spice in a bowl.
• Add the matchstick potatoes and mix to coat.
• Pour the coated potatoes onto the prepared baking sheet and spread them out into a single layer, leaving a little space between them.
• Place the baking sheet on the bottom shelf of the oven.
• Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until the fries are crispy, turning them every 6 to 8 minutes with a spatula so that they brown evenly.
• Serve immediately.