Fuller on Food: The secret to perfect skillet fries
Wednesday, March 7, 2007 6:35 AM PST
By Don Fuller, columnist
Printable version
E-mail this articleWith cool weather and gray days, I find myself devoting more time to catching up on my reading. Besides some serious periodicals, I peruse our stacks of food magazines.
As I get inspired by the glossy pictures in the magazines, I begin making shopping lists. My urge to create these wonderful dishes makes keeping my weight down a losing battle. But the trade-off is worth it.
One article that inspired me to experiment discussed how to make perfect French fried potatoes -- crisp on the outside and creamy on the inside. The answer is to use russet potatoes, cover with water to shed excess starch, and then drain and dry them.
The next step is to fry them once until cooked through, remove from the oil and drain. Then a second frying at a higher heat makes them crisp.
I rarely make French fries for the two of us. Instead, I will simply slice and fry cooked or raw potatoes. However, the slices stick together and the browning is uneven. I wondered if I could use the article's approach to make skillet French fried potatoes for two. And I was off on my experiment.
I peeled two russet potatoes, cut them into slabs and then into 1/2-inch strips and finally into cubes. I took the cubes, put them in a bowl of cool water and let them set for a half-hour, after which I drained them and dried them on paper towels.
To a heavy, 10-inch skillet, I added a couple of tablespoons of canola oil and heated until a cube placed in the oil began to sizzle. I then added all the potatoes and arranged them in one layer. I resisted the urge to stir too frequently. When I did stir, I used two spoons to rotate the cubed potatoes so that all sides were exposed to the oil.
After about 10 minutes and a few stirs, the potatoes took on an opaque soft look. I removed the potatoes from the skillet and put them in a sieve over a bowl.
Just before dinner, I reheated the skillet with the oil that remained in the fry pan and whatever had drained into the bowl. When the oil shimmered but was not smoking, I returned the potatoes to the skillet.
This time I continued to the stir the potatoes until they were a nice, rich brown. All that remained was to return them to the sieve and then on to paper toweling.
Place them in a serving bowl, and add a little salt. And now you have Skillet French Fries. Each cube had turned into a delicious miniature square French fry. But beware: They're addictive.
In my last article I told you about my crispy chicken experience. I modified the recipe and tried again. This time I also used two potholders and had no burns. I am including the revised recipe this week. We recently bought some Maytag blue cheese which led Judy to search for the scrap of paper on which I copied down a blue cheese dressing recipe some time ago. The recipe replicates the salad dressing we had enjoyed at an Oregon coast restaurant many years ago.
CRISPY BAKED CHICKEN BREASTS
4 small boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, about 6 ounces each
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons Dijon-style mustard
2 tablespoons water
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
4 cups toasted breadcrumbs (recipe follows)
Lemon wedges
With a flat meat pounder or mallet, lightly flatten the chicken breasts to a uniform thickness between pieces of wax paper or plastic wrap. Set aside.
To a medium bowl, add 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, olive oil, mustard, and pepper. Mix thoroughly. Add 2 tablespoons water and mix again. Add the chicken and thoroughly coat. Refrigerate until an hour before baking the chicken.
Line a rimmed baking sheet, about 12 x 17 inches, with aluminum foil. Place a flat rack on top of the foil. The rack should be large enough so the chicken breasts will not be crowded.
In a shallow bowl or pie tin, mix the breadcrumbs and remaining Parmesan cheese. Working one piece at a time, place a breast in the center of the pile of crumbs. Scoop a healthy amount of the crumbs to cover the top of the breast and press well. Transfer to rack. Continue the process with the remaining chicken. Cover them with foil and refrigerate for one hour.
Heat oven to 450 degrees and bake the chicken until firm to touch or 160 degrees on an instant read thermometer. Serve immediately with a wedge of lemon.
TOASTED BREADCRUMBS
1/2 loaf fresh white bread (about 1 pound) preferably a firm country loaf
4 tablespoons olive oil
Heat oven to 300 degrees.
Tear bread into small pieces and lightly load them into a food processor. Pulse into coarse breadcrumbs. Pour crumbs into a large mixing bowl. Repeat until you have completed the half loaf. Add a tablespoon of olive oil and toss. Continue to add the olive oil a tablespoon at a time and thoroughly mix after each addition.
Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. Pour the mixed crumbs onto the sheet. Shake pan to even out the crumbs. Put in the oven and bake stirring about every 5 minutes. The outer edges will brown first so pull them to the center as you stir. Continue baking until most of the crumbs turn a medium light brown, about 20 minutes. Let cool. Unused crumbs may be frozen.
BLUE CHEESE DRESSING
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 tablespoon honey
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 ounce blue cheese, crumbled
1/2 teaspoon dried Italian herbs
Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and whisk vigorously. Put into a jar and refrigerate before using. Shake jar before dressing a salad.
Don Fuller, an avid cook, retired as dean of instruction at Lower Columbia College in 1998. Reader can reach him at The Daily News, P. O. Box 189, Longview, WA 98632 or by e-mail at dfuller@teleport.com
Past Month's Most Commented Stories