Idaho® Potato Fire Fries
Source:
Matthew McMillin
Big Bowl/Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises, Inc.
Chicago
Yield: 3 to 4 servings
Ingredients:
- 1 pound Idaho® Russet Burbank potatoes, scrubbed, unpeeled
- Peanut oil for frying
- 3 ounces Red Curry Paste (recipe follows)
- 2 teaspoons fish sauce
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves
- Red Curry Paste Yield: 2 cups
- 20 dried red chiles (half-fresh dried/half-red Thai chiles)
- 1/4 cup coriander seeds
- 2 tablespoons cumin seeds
- 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
- 1/2 pound shallots, peeled
- 8 garlic cloves
- 5 slices fresh galangal
- 4 fresh red chiles
- 3 stalks lemongrass (bottom 2 inches of stalk only)
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 3 tablespoons fish sauce
- 2 bunches fresh cilantro (roots and stems only)
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- Zest of 1 lime
- 1 cup peanut oil, divided
- 2 teaspoons paprika
Directions:
- Slice skin-on potatoes lengthwise, then into batons about 3⁄8-in. by 3⁄8-in. (Or use a french-fry cutter.)
- "Blanch" fries in 350°F peanut oil about 3 minutes. Arrange in single layer on parchment paper. Refrigerate overnight.
- At service, fry in 350°F peanut oil until golden brown, about 3 minutes.
- While fries are browning, sauté 1⁄2 ounce peanut oil and red curry paste until aromatic, about 1 minute.
- Mix together fish sauce, lemon juice and sugar; stir until sugar is dissolved. Toss mixture with fries.
- Toss fries with sautéed curry paste, then with cilantro.
Red Curry Paste
- In small skillet over medium heat, toast dried chiles, coriander seeds, cumin seeds and peppercorns until fragrant. In ventilated area, grind to medium powder in spice grinder or blender.
- In a food processor, combine shallots, garlic, galangal, fresh chiles, lemongrass, lemon juice, fish sauce, cilantro roots and stems, salt, sugar and lime zest; grind to paste. Blend in 1/4 cup peanut oil and paprika.
- Remove paste to bowl. Stir in remaining 3/4 cup peanut oil.
- Transfer to jar; refrigerate. (Curry paste will keep for about a week.)