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Home Fries

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Home Fries make a great side to egg and omelet meals. They can either be plain or herbed. Frying up boiled potatoes saves a lot of time at the stove (about 10 minutes versus 25-45 minutes for raw potatoes). Par-boiling is an alternate method described below and it works great too. It is my preferred method. Raw potatoes in addition to taking longer to fry, are difficult to get both crispy on the outside and cooked through on the inside.

Frying will require a large non-stick fry pan, 10-12 inches, or a seasoned cast iron skillet. Potatoes will stick to a stainless steel fry pan.

The preferred potatoes are Yukon Gold or Red potatoes. They are a bit softer and smoother in texture. The Red potatoes are better for herbed fries. Russets will have a dry, mealy texture by comparison. Cutting them into cubes rather than slices makes it easier to fry 1 lb. of potatoes in a single layer on the skillet.

Servings:  2-3

Ingredients:

	• Canola oil	2 Tbsp
	• Potatoes	1 lb., 2 Yukon, or 3 Red
	• Italian Herb	to taste

Directions:
Boiled Method:

1. Boil the potatoes. Wash well and put whole potatoes in a pot with skins. Add water to cover 1 inch. Bring to a boil then turn down to a low boil (about 5). Cook 25 minutes. Drain immediately. Let cool.
2. Cool overnight. Keep a batch of boiled potatoes in the refrigerator then at any time you can take out just what you need.
3. Cube the potatoes. Stand the potato on its thin side and cut into thirds the long way. Lay the slabs flat and cut into thirds or fourths again the long way. Cut the strips into 1/2" cubes.

Alternate par-boiled method:

1. Wash and cube the raw potatoes. Leave the skins on.
2. Place cubed potatoes in a large saucepan and fill with cold water to cover 1/2". Add 1 tsp salt. Put on a high heat.
3. When water just starts to come to a boil (6 minutes), remove from the heat and drain in a colander.

Fry the potatoes:

1. Preheat the skillet. Add about 2 Tbsp of oil, just enough to coat the bottom. Heat on a medium-lo heat (4) until the oil just starts to shimmer. Be careful not to heat the oil to the smoking point or it will become toxic.
2. Add the potatoes and spread out into a single layer. For herbed fries, add a few shakes of Italian Herb seasoning. Cover the pan to reduce oil splattering on the stove.
3. Let it sit on one side for about 4-5 minutes until browned. Flip and fry the backside without stirring for another 4-5 minutes. Boiled potatoes will be done in 10 minutes. Par-boiled potatoes can be flipped one more time and will be done in 12-15 minutes.
4. Slide out onto a paper towel to absorb any excess oil. Serve immediately.

Notes:
If desired, onions and/or garlic can be sautéed until translucent in the beginning then set aside. Add them back in when the potatoes are finishing up.