I know, I know – I just shared a recipe for homemade french fries on Friday, but I couldn’t resist sharing this rendition with you guys. My first taste of this wonderful fry flavor fry at Gordon Biersch, a national brewery/restaurant chain. I was blown away by their sheer awesomeness, and immediately went home and tried to re-create them. Several attempts were made, but none of them turned out quite right.
I’d been using olive oil to create the garlic-parsley infusion, which just seemed to make them extra greasy. The next time I tried butter instead. Once I swapped that out, bingo! Right on the money. These fries are drop dead delicious, ya’ll. A pungent bite from the garlic, a hint of lemony-herby goodness from the parsley. Certainly a great side dish, but these stand alone as an appetizer as well. With football season only a few weeks away (can I get an Amen?), I’m going to be looking for fun new munchies to make for my guys during the game. These fries definitely fit the bill!
Garlic-Parsley Fries
1/2 gallon vegetable oil
8 medium Idaho potatoes, peeled
kosher salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut in chunks
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 garlic cloves, minced
Pour the oil into a deep fryer or heavy saucepan to reach halfway up the sides and heat to 350 degrees F, use a deep-fry thermometer to determine this. While the oil is heating, peel the skin off the potatoes and cut them into uniform 1/4-inch sticks; feel free to use a knife, mandoline, or French fry cutter. Dry the potato sticks thoroughly to keep the hot oil from splattering.
Fry the potatoes in batches so the pot isn’t crowded and the oil temperature does not plummet. Cook the French fries for 3 minutes, until soft but not browned. Remove the fries with a long-handled metal strainer and drain on brown paper bags.
To make the parsley butter: combine the butter, parsley, and garlic in a saucepan over medium heat. Swirl the pan around until the butter is completely melted.
Increase the oil temperature to 375 degrees F. Return the par-fried potatoes to the oil and cook a second time for 2 minutes, or until golden and crispy. Drain on fresh brown paper bags then place in a serving bowl. Salt the fries while they’re still hot and pour the parsley butter on top; toss gently to combine.
Source: adapted from Eat This Book by Tyler Florence
