Cold Oil French Fries?
Cooks Illustrated this month has an article on frying potatoes in cold oil. That is, you throw the cut taters into a pan with cold oil, then turn on the heat. CI claims the resulting fries will absorb less oil (ask me if I care) than the traditional two-step frying process. But are they better?
My subscription to CI goes back to 1993. I used to be a big fan of their spare-no-effort process for coming up with the best recipes. But at some point a few years ago, they began cutting corners to appeal to a wider audience who would rather not go to so much effort. Lately, I think they have steered a course back towards the original rigor.
So yesterday I cooked up some fries using the cold-oil method with some ruby reds that were getting a little old. The fries were served with grilled rib-eye on a fennel and sweet pepper roll with onion marmalade. Were they better tasting? No. Were they as good. YES! Were they easier to make? Much easier. Isn’t it strange how we will stick with complex methods based on conventional wisdom when simpler can be better. File this one under “Why didn’t I try that a million years ago?”
I cut my potatoes, pat them dry, deep fry them in beef tallow or palm oil, drain and then eat. Is the traditional second step really necessary?
Not sure about “necessary”. Depends on your preferences. I really like this method.