How to Make Home-made Crispy French Fries

Batatas,papas, potatoes, does not matter the language, this tuber from the potato plant has been delivering nourishment for centuries to populations in either first or third world countries; becoming one of their main sources of food. Rich in carbohydrates and very good when combined with meat, vegetables or soup, the potato is an easy way to enrich our daily diet.

Thousands of recipes have been created in order to maximize the benefits of this vegetable, and make it one of the most used foods in the whole planet. This recipe in particular, comes from my childhood in Cuba, where my grandmother used to fry thin slices of potatoes to combine them with rice, beans and scramble eggs. At that time, I did not know French fries existed, so the recipe below comes from an authentic source: the kind that improvises every time it gets tricky to make meals tastier with just a few ingredients.

Here it goes step-by-step

Peel the skin of the potatoes. People usually peel the potatoes so that they become more tasty and appealing at the same time; but here is a tip: if they are fresh, and have an undamaged skin, wash them carefully and cut them with skin. This choice is up to the enjoyer.

Cut them in half, along the narrow side. Potatoes are never completely rounded so you will have to decide which side is longer, then cut it.

Cut thin slices of about ½ inch thick. Have fun, play with those slices! Make them thinner, thicker. Once you have tried the French-fries, you will realize which thickness you like the best.

Afterwards, cut little sticks, just like regular fries. You can also change the shapes, so they don't look all the same.

Meanwhile...Heat up the frying pan with enough oil to cover part or all the fries.

It is time for rinsing! Water drains all the starch on the potatoes. Once they are cutted it is even better to do this, because you can rinse that off-white substance and, according to my grandma's theory, this will make the chips crispier on the outside. Rinse them well, one or two times.

Put the fries on a plate and spatter them with salt.

The amount of salt is optional. Let them pick up the salty taste for a minute or two.

Do not let the oil overheat! Check the right temperature by tossing a French fry into the pan. If it starts to effervesce and pops more or less to the surface, then it's perfect. Lower the heat, and try to maintain that temperature for as long as you are frying.

Place enough amounts of fries so that they cover the pan's surface. Flip them over every once in a while. You will see them stirring on the surface. As soon as you see them floating, give a little touch with a fork to see if they are crispy enough on the outside.

Drain up the oil and while they are hot, add a little more salt and oregano.

Make as many rounds as you want and serve them with any meal...

They are just d-e-l-i-c-i-o-u-s!

Até já!