INGREDIENTS

INSTRUCTIONS

Cesare Casella
2-4 Servings
Special Equipment:
9- to 10-inch pan for frying, with sides at least 4 inches high
Frying thermometer (one that covers the range between 200° and 400°)
Long cooking fork
Round Skimmer about 5 inches in diameter
Directions:
Fill the pan with 1 3/4 inches of peanut oil and place over the highest
heat on your most powerful burner. (Owners of commercial stoves should
reduce the heat by nearly half after the potatoes go in) Immerse the
thermometer in the oil. Wash and peel the potatoes and with a French-fry
cutter or a kitchen knife, cut them into long strips with a square cross
section about 3/8 inch on a side. Do not wash the pieces but dry them
carefully with a cloth and keep them tightly wrapped. Get the garlic and
herbs ready.
When the oil reaches 360°F. to 370°F., add all the potatoes. Do not use a
frying basket. Be careful not to splash the oil. The oil will bubble
furiously and drop to between 240°F. and 270°F. before the temperature
rises again. Stir continually with the long fork until the potatoes are
done, in 10 to 12 minutes, adding the herbs and garlic as follows:
About 2 1/2 minutes into the frying, stir in the garlic cloves.
Six minutes into the frying, the potatoes should begin to take on a golden
color, and the temperature should reach 280°F. to 300°F.
Stir in the rosemary sprigs.
A minute or so later, stir in the thyme, sage, and oregano.
Nine minutes into the frying, sprinkle with the salt. (Yes, right into the
potatoes and oil.)
The potatoes should now be a deep golden color, and the oil temperature
should have climbed to about 320°F.
A minute later, fish out a piece of potato with tongs or chopsticks, blot
it on a paper tower, wait a few seconds, and take a bite. It should be
crisp, and instead of bending, it should be stiff. The insides should be
creamy, with no hint of a raw taste. You are not likely to need more than
another minute or two of frying before the potatoes attain this state. If
the temperature reaches 360°F., lower the heat.
When the Tuscan fries are nearly ready, grind 6 to 8 turnings of the pepper
mill over them in the oil and stir well. Using the skimmer, lift the
potatoes from the oil (with the herbs and garlic--all of them delicious).
Place the potatoes, herbs, and garlic in a basket or deep dish lined with
paper, blot the top, transfer to a paper-lined plate, and serve immediately
(or keep warm in a 250°F. oven while you make another batch)
Serves 2 Tuscans, 3 or 4 Americans
Note: The oil can be used again to make additional batches of potatoes, but
only within a few hours--salt breaks down frying oil. After the first
frying, use only half the herbs and salt (but all the garlic), because the
oil becomes imbued with their flavors. And make sure the oil remains 1 3/4
inches deep.
Source: The Man Who Ate Everything; Jeffrey Steingarten
Page(s): 405-407
Posted to bbq-digest by Gary Wiviott <gwiv@enteract.com> on Aug 11, 1999,
converted by MM_Buster v2.0l.

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