Fried potatoes with garlic sauce

Fried potatoes with garlic sauce, or what we might call French fries with aoli, are a delicious accompaniment to a number of dishes on feasterneurope.com. In fact, with or without the garlic sauce, deep fried potatoes figure frequently on Eastern European menus.

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The perfect fried potato straws

Why “fried potatoes straws” you ask? Because it feels weird putting a recipe for something called “French fries” on a blog about Eastern European cuisine. The truth is these fried potatoes are no more “French” than any other cuisine (though the origin of the dish is hotly debated). Potatoes are new world produce anyhow so maybe they should be called “Andean Fries.” Maybe I’ll just call them “fries” from here on out.

Two key steps lead to the perfect fries, which are crispy golden on the outside and fluffy soft on the inside. The first step is soaking the cut potatoes in cold water before frying. The second is frying the potatoes twice. A third consideration, not really a step per se, is to fry the potatoes in properly hot oil–320°F for the first batch and an even hotter 375°F for the second. The first batch (or “bath”) thoroughly cooks the potatoes inside; the second bath crisps the outside and may only take a few seconds depending on the size of your straws.

The process for making fried potatoes with garlic sauce

Idaho or russet potatoes make the best fries (because of their size, shape and starch/moisture proportion). Peeling is optional. Slice the potatoes vertically into “disks” of equal thickness. Slice vertically through these disks at intervals equal to their thickness to create a long square fry. Place the cut potatoes in a bowl of fresh water while you work to keep them from oxidizing (turning grey-brown). The color change won’t harm them but it’s not very appetizing.

Why a soak? Fried potatoes with garlic sauce

Soaking the potatoes before frying helps remove surface starch from the potatoes. Ever notice how sort of milky-slimy potatoes can be right after cutting? The water bath removes this for a better fried exterior. I even like to soak them in water with a little sugar dissolved. I heard that’s how McDonald’s fries start out. Who doesn’t love McDonald’s fries? I pour off the first cloudy soaking water after a few seconds and then let the fries soak in clear, cold water for 30 minutes.

Frying in tallow

We’re going to use beef tallow to make these fries today however you could use a vegetable oil that will stand up to high heat. Eastern Europeans use a lot of sunflower oil, as I do on the blog. Peanut oil, canola oil, safflower oil, corn oil…any of these will work. You don’t need an expensive oil for frying potatoes. You could even use a mixture of oils or a mixture of oil and tallow (which I do when I’m short of either).

While your oil heats up, spread the soaked fries on a paper towel and blot them to remove any surface moisture. Water on the potatoes will cause the oil to splatter.

Once you’ve heated the frying oil to 320°F, place the cut potatoes in the pot and make sure they are completely submerged. Don’t overcrowd the oil. Work in batches if you have a lot of fries. Cook the fries for about 3 minutes at this temperature then remove them to a towel-lined plate or a wire basket/colander to drain while you fry the remaining potatoes or while you bring the oil up to 375°F. This is a place to stop if you are getting them ready to serve at a later time. You can finish them off just before serving if you have other items in your meal to prepare.

The final fry

When your oil has reached 375°F (yes, you should use a thermometer for making fries), re-submerge the potatoes in oil as in the first bath. If you make the thin-cut fries shown here, this second fry will only be a few seconds, just enough time to crisp up the outside. If you make larger cut fries (“steak fries” or “chips”), you might have to cook them a little longer in this stage–but still not more than a minute.

Once again drain the fries after the second bath. Lightly salt or season them to taste and then serve alongside your main. Or just enjoy them as a snack with a traditional dipping sauce like ketchup or the garlic sauce that follows or sprinkle them with malt vinegar.

The garlic sauce

This simple sauce uses equal parts plain yogurt and mayonnaise, 3-4 minced garlic cloves (about 3-4 teaspoons) and salt to taste. Combine all ingredients in a bowl, mix throughly and serve! It’s a bit tangier than a true aoli, owing to the yogurt but the tang is what makes it extra special.