French Fries
The effort is worth it for these perfect homemade fast-food-style French fries! By soaking the raw fries in cold water, you remove some of the starch, a technique I recommend for other interesting preparations in which you want the vegetal rather than the starchy component of the potato. (Try soaking potatoes in several turns of fresh, cold water and then stir-frying in a blistering wok with Sichuan peppercorns someday. Massively addictive!) Once destarched, the perfect French fry concept is straightforward, if laborious. As with making the best home fries, you want to start with an already-cooked potato. The interesting deviation here is that you parcook the potatoes in acidulated water first, give them a second blanching in hot oil and then freeze the fries at this stage. Once frozen, they are yours to cherish for months at whim — ready your clean, hot fry oil and sizzle away.
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