Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Spike's Village fries

So, I've just spent a couple of hours this morning cleaning up my email inbox in an attempt to un-clutter my (digital) life somewhat. It is funny - gmail tends to keep all the email addresses you've ever sent an email to, which I guess is kind of handy, but can be confusing when you are trying to cull contacts (it makes me more confused? Who are you? Should I be keeping you? Perhaps the rule of thumb is that if you cannot remember who it is, then it is not worth keeping. Just like your freezer - if you can't remember what it is or when it got frozen, it is probably time to throw it out.

We are still in Stawell and this evening we are continuing our tour of regional Chinese restaurants of Australia. We will be moving down to Warrnambool in about a week or so, depending on the rental situation. *sigh* more moving... It is becoming rather tedious, but Food Critic Andrew and I are getting super efficient at packing and unpacking!

However, in the meantime, I have a treat for you! Spike's village fries. These are delicious and easy. Far far too easy, in fact! I had never made oven chips before and found these are well worth the peeling and cutting. As with the previous recipe, Spike Mendolsohn's sexy burgers, these are also from The Good Stuff Cookbook: Burgers, fries, shakes, wedges, and more which I can't wait to purchase for Food Critic Andrew. I didn't use the type of potato listed in Spike's recipe (red bliss; I used Sebago), however mine still turned out amazingly good. I urge you to try making your own oven fries! Again, I also made some small adjustments - apologies to Spike if you're reading this!

Spikes Village Fries

Ingredients


I kg Sebago potatoes
Canola or vegetable oil for deep-frying
1/2 cup chopped fresh rosemary
1/2 cup chopped fresh thyme
1⁄8 cup sea salt

Method

1.Wash and scrub potatoes under cold running water. Pat dry with paper towels. Cut in half lengthwise, and then into long strips about 1⁄4-inch thick.

2. In a deep saucepan or deep-fat fryer, heat about 3 inches of oil until a thermometer reads 120°C. Line a metal tray or plate with a few paper towels.

3. Add one handful of the potatoes to the pot. Fry until tender but have no color. Remove with a slotted spoon. Drain on the paper towels. Repeat the procedure until all the chips are cooked. Refrigerate until cool. (This took me about 15 minutes - luckily I had to go to the shops for some forgotten ingredients!)

4. Reheat the oil to 175°C. Line the metal tray or plate with fresh paper towels.

5. Add the cooled potatoes a few handfuls at a time and fry until golden and crispy. Remove with a slotted spoon. Drain on the paper towels.

6. Toss with the rosemary, thyme, and salt while the slices are still hot, and serve.

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