9
Perfect French Fries
The Cuisinart
®
Mandoline makes cutting perfect french fries a breeze!
Makes about 2 to 3 servings
vegetable or peanut oil for frying
1
pound russet potatoes*
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1. Heat oil in Cuisinart
®
Compact Deep Fryer to 325°F.
2. Scrub potatoes well or peel if preferred.
3. Adjust the runway of the Cuisinart
®
Mandoline to the upper
position and fit with the thick julienne blade set to the ³∕
8
-inch
setting on either the crinkle or straight edge blade.
4. Cut potatoes in half lengthwise. Secure the potato with the food
holder on the uncut side and slice the potatoes on the
mandoline. As you slice, put the french fries into a bowl of ice
water to keep them from turning brown.
5. Once oil is ready, drain and dry the french fries completely and
thoroughly in batches. If they are wet at all, the oil will spatter
and spit. Fry the potatoes in small batches. Cook for about 3
minutes, remove and drain on a tray lined with a wire cooling
rack, or on layers of paper towels.
6. Increase the oil temperature to 375°F. In small batches again, fry
the potatoes for a second time, this time about 4 minutes, until
golden and crispy. Drain on fresh layers of paper towels. Season
with salt and pepper to taste when hot and serve immediately.
*Don’t forget sweet potatoes and other root vegetables, as they
make tasty fries as well.
Note:
French fries can be fried once in 375°F until golden brown.
Frying them twice makes them extra crispy!
Nutritional information per serving (based on 3 servings):
Calories 332 (64% from fat) • carb. 27g • pro. 3g • fat 24g • sat. fat 4g
• chol. 0mg • sod. 52mg • calc. 20mg • fiber 2g
Pommes Anna
Pommes Anna is a classic French side dish – what could be better
than potatoes and butter?
Makes about 12 servings
½
cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
2
pounds russet potatoes, peeled and stored in cold water
¾
teaspoon kosher salt
¼
teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Melt butter in a small saucepan. Allow to bubble slightly until a
white foam appears on the surface. Carefully skim off the white
foam then pour into a separate container. Once melted pour
butter into a separate container, being careful to not pour in any
white solids – strain through a cheesecloth if necessary,
discarding the white solids. This is called clarified butter and can
be heated to higher temperatures without burning.
3. Adjust the runway of the Cuisinart
®
Mandoline to the lower
position and fit with the straight edge blade set to the ¹∕
8
-inch
setting. Slice potatoes using the food holder and cover with fresh
cold water.
Tip:
Potatoes slice more easily if cut in half – this way the potato
can run smoothly across the mandoline with the straight edge
surface.
4. Place a Cuisinart
®
French Classic 10-inch skillet over medium to
medium-low heat and brush well with plenty of butter. Working in
batches, dry the potato slices very well with paper towels.
Working in concentric circles, start placing potato slices in the
buttered skillet, starting in the center and overlapping them to
create a solid potato layer in the pan. Brush the layer well with
butter and sprinkle with some of the salt and pepper.
5. Continue making layers in the same fashion – butter and season
each one. There should be six layers total, depending on the size
of the potatoes.
6. Butter a sheet of foil and press the buttered side onto the top
layer of potatoes – place pie weights or dried beans on the foil to
