French Fries and Trying Something New

By: Hillary Vaillancourt

It's difficult to find a really bad french fry. Even bad fries are still pretty darn good fries. 

Quality fries should be crispy on the outside yet tender on the inside, salty but not abrasively

seasoned, and definitely not mushy. 

Over the years I've tried to replicate restaurant fries at home with no success. Baked fries just aren't the same, but the process of frying food at home intimidated me. 

It seems complicated. The hot oil can be dangerous. And I can never remember the protocol for handling the used oil. 

Recently, my five year old son declared that he wants to make sixty-four potato recipes. The

first one? French fries. 

Since becoming a mom five years ago, I've been challenged and pushed beyond my comfort

zone in everything from my beliefs to my ability to function on very little sleep. And, now,

apparently frying food. 

How could we make quality fries without a deep fryer? I looked up a few articles online, read

through some recipes and tips, reached out to friends on social media and hoped this was all

worth it. 

I carefully selected a bag of Russet potatoes for our experiment and cut them into wedges. 

I heated the pot until the oil bubbled around the handle of a wooden spoon then dropped the

prepared potatoes in, watching as the oil hissed and consumed the slivers of spuds. 

Moments later, I checked, and sure enough, they were turning golden brown and delicious! 

I fished them out with a slotted spoon and gave them a shake of sea salt and black pepper

before frying them a second time. 

When they were fully ready and slightly cooled, I put the plate in front of my son, anxious for his reaction. 

He popped a fry in his mouth and shouted, "These are the best fries I've ever had!"

He handed me a fry. “Try it!” They were crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, and as my son smiled at me, I knew making french fries was definitely worth it.