Straw Potatoes
3 large baking potatoes, such as russet or Idaho (2 pounds)
Vegetable oil for deep frying
Salt to taste
- Starting at least 3 hours before serving, scrub the potatoes well under cold running water and peel them. Using a sharp knife cut each potato lengthwise into long sticks about 1/8 inch square. Place in a large bowl of cold water and refrigerate for 2 hours.
- Drain well on paper towels and pat completely dry. Wrap the potatoes in paper towels to keep them from discoloring. Place a large cake rack over a flat pan. In a Dutch oven or other deep heavy pan, melt shortening to 325 degrees over high heat to a depth of 2 - 3 inches.
- In batches, without crowding, deep-fry the potato sticks until tender and just beginning to color, about 3 minutes. Using a mesh-type skimmer, transfer to the wire rack and let cool.
- The fried potatoes can stand at room temperature for up to four hours. Right before serving, preheat the oven to 200 degrees for keeping the potato sticks warm as you deep fry them.
- Transfer the cooled potato sticks to paper towels and pat to remove excess fat. Reheat the shortening over high heat to 375 degrees. In batches, without crowding, add the potato sticks and fry until crisp and golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes.
- Using the skimmer, transfer the cooked potato sticks to a wire rack and place in the oven to keep warm while frying the rest. Season lightly with salt and serve immediately.
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