Homemade Garlic-Rosemary Fries

These fries take a little of preparation and planning, but they are worth all of the work.  These are perfect as an appetizer all by themselves with some dipping sauce, with a burger for lunch, or for fish and chips for dinner.  These are thin cut, they are extremely crispy and have that 'crunch' you want from a french fry, but they have that soft inside that makes them perfect.  They are flavored with fresh garlic and fresh rosemary.  The garlic gives the fries an extra kick.

Ingredients

2-3 Russet Potatoes

4-5 Cloves of Garlic

2 Sprigs of Rosemary
Vegetable Oil

Salt and Pepper

Leaving the potato skins on, use a mandolin to cut thin strips out of the potatoes, or use a knife and try to cut thin fries that are all about the same size.  Put the fries in a bowl and cover them with water, let them soak over night.  Soaking them over night does two things, it pulls a lot of the starch out of the potatoes and it keeps them moist and soft inside.

The next day strain the fries and dry them with a paper towel.  I let mine rest on a wire rack for about 10 or 20 minutes after I wipe them down.  Pour enough oil in a pot or your deep frier to completely sub merge a good batch of fries.  You will have to make these in batches in order to not cool down the oil.  Heat the oil to 325 degrees.  

This is a good size for one batch.

Fry the batches in the 325 degree oil for about 3-4 minutes per batch.  Your goal is to slightly cook them but you don't want them to get over done or soggy with oil.  After you cook the first batch put them back on the wire rack and let them rest.  At this point you could freeze them in a vacuum sealer and save for later.

Garlic and rosemary waiting
 to be tossed with fries.

If you want to keep going, heat the oil up to 375 degrees.  While the oil is pre heating crush the cloves of garlic and tear off the rosemary leafs.  Chop both finely and add to a bowl.  Season mixture with a good dash of salt and a little bit of fresh cracked pepper.


When the oil is hot drop in the same sized batch as the first time and drop in until golden brown.  The fries will begin to rise to the top of the oil when they are ready.  You can keep them in as long as or as short as you want depending on your preferences.  When the fries are golden brown immediately toss them in the garlic mixture, give them a generous pinch of salt and a little pinch of pepper and toss.

The hot oil on the fries perfumes the whole room, and all the fries with garlic and rosemary.  To keep warm while finishing the other dishes place in the oven set on warm, but it is really hard not to eat the first batch while making the rest!