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How to fry potatoes: do it right. Video
Mastering the culinary mysteries begins with the simplest things. Even the most sophisticated steak can be a fiasco when served with undercooked or overcooked shapeless potatoes as a side dish. Conversely, plain deep-fried fish is a gourmet treat when sprinkled with golden crispy slices. Learn the secrets of making the “right” fried potatoes and be sure of a side dish to your culinary masterpieces.
Cooking the right fries begins long before you pick up your vegetable knife. It is worth choosing the wrong variety of potatoes – and even with all the subtleties, you will not succeed. To prevent the pieces of potatoes from falling apart, combining into a single mass, you need to choose medium-starchy varieties, also called waxy ones. Such potatoes keep their shape well, but at the same time they are quite boiled and “fluffy”. With the variety of varieties on the market, it is difficult to remember the specific names of the “right” potato. Foreign producers have recently begun to label potatoes with the Latin letters A, B, C and D, where A – salad potatoes, with dense pulp, ideal not only for salads, but also for soups, B – slightly boiling potatoes, suitable for frying and baking, C – mealy varieties, also suitable for frying, but worse in keeping their shape, and D – varieties of potatoes, suitable only for puréing.
Often a potato is one with a thin and tender skin. When frying potatoes in slices, they can be peeled or left. The edges of the peeled potatoes are more flavorful and even, but the potatoes fried with the skin get a more interesting texture due to the golden “rags”.
There are several fried potato dishes in which the presence of the peel is a must. One of them is country style potatoes
Of course, you will be able to fry raw potatoes faster than boiling potatoes and then frying them. However, fried raw potatoes will be fattier and less crispy. The fact is that when boiled, potatoes still lose some of the starch, and this allows them later, when “bathing” in boiling oil, to have sharper edges and absorb less fat. For a crisp, neat golden crust, it is important to dry well both raw and boiled potatoes before frying. While raw potatoes are usually dried on paper towels, boiled potatoes are more difficult to dry. However, there is a simple secret: to drain the potatoes, put the pan covered with a lid on the fire for several tens of seconds. This will allow the excess liquid to evaporate.
What to fry on and what to fry with
There is no specific fat on which to fry potatoes. A culinary classic is olive oil, which, unlike butter, does not burn at high temperatures. However, potatoes fried in lard, aromatic sunflower oil, duck or goose fat will be no less tasty. It is worth considering that animal fat gives the potato crust a slightly sloppy brown color, in contrast to the golden crust that vegetable oil leaves behind.
If you want to add a rich, creamy flavor to your potatoes fried in olive oil, place a piece of unsalted butter in the skillet a few minutes before the dish is cooked through.
Season the potatoes with salt, as well as black pepper, fiery paprika, mustard, chopped parsley, dill, thyme, rosemary. Fried potatoes with mushrooms, onions, garlic, bacon.
Garlic fried potato recipe
For 2 servings of fried potatoes, you will need: – 500 g of thin-skinned potatoes (even small tubers); – 1 tablespoon of olive oil; – 1 teaspoon unsalted butter; – 1 clove of garlic; – 2 tablespoons finely chopped green onions.
Rinse the potatoes thoroughly under running water. Place the clean tubers in a saucepan of cold salted water and bring to a boil. Simmer for about 15-25 minutes (depending on the size of the tubers). Drain off the hot water and let the potatoes sit under the lid over the fire for a few seconds to evaporate the excess liquid. Allow the potatoes to cool, then cut them into thin slices across. Heat olive oil in a wide skillet over medium heat. Arrange the potato slices in a single layer and fry until golden brown on one side, then turn over and wait until the other side is crusty. Peel the garlic and cut it into thin slices. Add it to the potatoes and cook for another 1-2 minutes. Add butter, stir, season with herbs and serve.
How to fry potatoes with mushrooms and onions
A dish that can be served not only as a side dish, but also as a main dish – fried potatoes with mushrooms and onions. Protein-rich mushrooms are quite capable of replacing meat. You will need: – 4-6 medium “wax” potatoes; – 500 g of chanterelles; – 2 tablespoons of olive oil; – 2 tablespoons unsalted butter; – 1 head of onion; – finely ground salt; – 1 tablespoon of chopped parsley; – 3 tablespoons of 20% fat sour cream.
Rinse the potatoes under running water, pat dry with paper towels, remove the skin and cut the potatoes in half lengthwise and then in long slices across. Clean the chanterelles of dirt and quickly rinse them under running water so that they do not have time to absorb excess liquid. Dry the mushrooms. Melt the butter in a large heavy skillet. Fry the mushrooms over medium heat for 15 minutes. Add onions, peeled and cut into half rings. Fry the onions until translucent. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the onion and chanterelles to a dish and cover with cling foil. Pour the olive oil into a skillet, heat it up, and place the chopped potatoes in it. Fry over medium heat, stirring every 5 minutes, until golden brown. Add mushrooms and onions. Season with salt, pour in sour cream, stir, heat for a few minutes and serve, sprinkled with parsley.