Triple Cooked French Fries (Chips)

So, forget for a moment that the the photo of above is not simply french fries, and is in fact Poutine with beef brisket, and focus on the simply the fries in the photo. Once you make these fries, you can use them for a myriad of applications, including fries supreme; with chili, sour cream, cheese, and green onions and such. Or simply enjoyed without any adulteration. Which in the case of these fries, might be advisable, because they really are that good. The technique is taken from high level master chef Heston Blumenthal and is simple, but perhaps more labour intensive than most people would expect from a way to make french fries. However, as he says about his fries, they have a wonderful glassy exterior, and a fluffy interior, and they almost instantly shatter and dissolve in your mouth, delivering wonderful potato flavour.

Recipe

Potatoes

Salt

Deep Frying Oil (Corn, Grapeseed, Sunflower, Safflower, Canola, Avocado)

This works best with dry type baking potatoes. In Canada, the best choices are White Potatoes, Russet, Yukon Gold. Do not use Redskin, Russian Blues, or any other highly starchy boiling potatoes.

1. Peel potatoes then cut into consistent thickness planks then cut planks into consistent sized batons. You're cutting french fries. Cut them the way you like your fries, but be consistent with the way you cut them to make it easier to cook them evenly. Place batons in a saucepan of cold water and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook until the handle of a spoon or fork easily penetrates the fries with little effort.

2. Remove from heat and carefully remove the fries from the water and drain them in a sieve or a colander. The fries are extremely delicate at this point, be very careful not to break them. After draining them, line them on a tray lined with parchment paper and place them in the fridge for 30 minutes to cool. 

3. Heat a saucepan of oil to 150C (300F) and cook the cooled fries until lightly golden. This usually takes about 3 minutes. Cook in batches if necessary to avoid overcrowding oil. Be quick in putting in the fries, but be careful not to burn yourself. Remove fries and drain on a paper towel lined tray, then chill in the fridge again for 30 minutes on a clean tray. If you are serving these fries later, you can do up to step three ahead of time, and leave the last step until just before serving. 

4. Heat a saucepan of oil to 190C (375F) and cook the cooled fries from step 3 until golden. Again, cook in batches if necessary to avoid overcrowding the oil. Remove fries from oil, toss in a bowl with salt, serve.

Gnocchi with Spinach Pesto and Yogurt Cheese

So, this stuff isn't really that big a deal to make, and gnocchi in general requires a "chill" attitude towards making, and eating. There is a great deal of ink spilled telling you how difficult, time consuming, and important gnocchi is, but it's actually easy, and also, delicious. I prefer my gnocchi slightly firmer, but nowhere near as firm as the stuff sold commercially, but I honestly don't really like stuff that dissolves in your mouth either. Also, for shock value, mostly because it doesn't really matter, I microwave my potatoes, and then use a box grater on them, so, anyone that says you have to bake them, or, you have to boil them then dry them out, and use a potato ricer, its not really true. Also, gnocchi is really about feel, and you should make them whatever length and size you really feel like, I vary them slightly when I make them, partially because I don't really care, and partially because I like it, when it comes to cooking them, I do group them by size though and cook them in size batches, just to ensure even cooking.

Also, gnocchi are really, really fast to make, and for some reason, lots of people find them impressive. Probably because they don't know how easy or fast they are to make. Also, with regards to sauce, you can eat them any way you want, I made them this way because I had some spinach I wanted to use up, and I'm allergic to nuts, so I don't eat pesto most of the time. However, gnocchi are good with tomato or cream based sauces, butter and herbs, butter and cheese, and simply even olive oil and salt and pepper, or honestly, without anything at all. Honestly, you could even use them in a stew, or a soup, or a curry, they'd be equally as good.

Also, Pesto and Yogurt Cheese, two things everyone should make, are included below. And pesto, like gnocchi is a touch and feel thing, you can make it to taste and some people like to add enough oil that it splits out, it's really about what you like. Yogurt cheese is so simple and with such a big payoff its ridiculous, it's like cream cheese, but, if you use fat free Greek yogurt, it's basically fat free cream cheese that tastes better than cream cheese! You can use other yogurt, and even fruit yogurt for the process, its all good. The process is simple, and the less whey in the yogurt, the quicker the process.


Gnocchi

Serves 2

1 Potato (Approx 240g)
4 Heaping Spoonfuls All Purpose Flour (Approx 40g, some for kneading)
1 Large Egg 65g (Beaten)
Salt, Pepper

1. Wash and clean potato, remove eyes or black spots. Pierce all over then microwave on high, 3 minutes in a 1200W microwave. Flip potato over in microwave, and repeat again on high for 3 minutes.

2. Wear gloves or allow potato to cool for about 7 minutes, cut in half and grate flesh into a bowl, discard peel. I usually eat the peel with salt and pepper, it's delicious, and contains a great deal of vitamin C.

3. Lightly toss potato flesh in the bowl with a spoon to allow them to cool slightly then add beaten egg and salt and pepper, stir to combine. Then add flour, stir until dough forms into a large ball then turn out onto floured board.

4. Gently knead on floured board until dough stops being tacky. This usually takes only a few minutes, gnocchi dough requires nowhere near the same amount of kneading as bread dough.

5. Form dough into long finger thickness ropes, then cut ropes into knuckle sized pieces. If you have a gnocchi board, use it to create the traditional ridges. They don't REALLY do much for the gnocchi, but they're very appealing to the eye. See below for a pretty chill video on using a gnocchi board.

6. Boil pieces in lightly salted boiling water, gnocchi are cooked, and ready to be scooped out when they've floated for about 30 seconds. Drain gnocchi fairly well, coat lightly with olive oil and salt and pepper for serving. Keep warm until pesto or sauce is ready then combine and serve.






Pesto

Small Batch

1 Cup Baby Spinach (Approx, Cleaned)
1/4 Cup Unfiltered Olive Oil
1 Clove Raw Garlic
1 Tbsp Lemon Juice
1/2 Tbsp Dried Basil
1 Tsp each Salt and Pepper

1. Combine all ingredients in a food processor and combine well. If using as a sauce for gnocchi, warm slightly then combine with warm gnocchi.


Yogurt Cheese

1 500g Container of Greek Yogurt
This yogurt is already thick, so the process is really quick, thinner yogurt takes longer to drain, and will yield less yogurt cheese.

1. Line a fine mesh sieve with paper towel and place it into a bowl large enough that the sieve sits without falling out, and with at least 10cm of clearance from the bottom of the bowl.

2. Pour the yogurt into the paper towel lined sieve, cover with more paper towel or fold sides of paper towel back over the yogurt.

3. Refrigerate for 24 hours or until about as firm as cream cheese. Discard liquid or use to flavour sauces, stews, soups, or curries. It's a slightly acquired taste though and is essentially whey protein, which some people drink to build muscle. Just taste it before using it in a sauce.