How to Make the Perfect French Fries

Everyone loves French fries.  These instructions make fries that are crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. Rinsing the fries before cooking them is absolutely necessary.  Rinsing and soaking removes the potato starch.  Many recipes call for heating the oil first and then blanching the fries.  I have found my method works just as well, better in fact, and is much easier.

French fries can be a side dish for burgers or they can be topped to make them a great snack or a main dish.  I have given you a list of our favorite French fry toppings.

Servings:  6-8

Time: Prep: 10 minutes Resting: 30 minutes, Cooking: 12-15 minutes
Hardware: A cutting board and large knife, large mixing bowl, a clean tea towel, a deep heavy skillet, an oil thermometer, tongs, a paper towel covered plate

Ingredients:

• 4 pounds of russet potatoes
• Peanut oil for frying
• Ice water
• Salt

1. Wash the potatoes and cut them into ¼ inch sticks.  Rinse them under cold water until the water turns clear.  Cover them in ice water and allow them to soak for 30 minutes.
2. Rinse the potatoes and pat them dry with the tea towel.
3. Place them in the skillet, no more than two layers deep.  Cover the fries in oil. 
4. Turn the oil to medium or until the oil rises to 325˚. 
5. Fry until the potatoes begin to soften and they become a buttery color.  This will take about 10-12 minutes.
6. Toss the potatoes.  Turn the oil up to 350˚ and allow the fries to crisp and turn golden brown.
7. Remove them to the paper towel covered plate and salt while they are still hot. Serve right away.

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Bacon Cheese Fries

• Fries
• ½ cup Ranch dressing
• 6 pieces of crispy bacon, crumbled
• ½ cup shredded sharp cheddar
• 2 chopped green onions

Toss the hot fries with the crumbled bacon and cheese.  Top with the ranch dressing and sprinkle with the green onions.

Bacon Cheese Fries

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Buffalo Fries

• Fries
• ½ cup hot wing sauce
• Four prepared chicken fingers-chopped into small pieces
• ¼ cup crumbled blue cheese
• ¼ cup blue cheese dressing
• ½ stalk celery sliced as thinly as possible

Toss the hot fries with the wing sauce, chicken, and blue cheese. Top the fries with the dressing.  Sprinkle with the slivers of celery.

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Breakfast Fries

•  Fries
• Sunny side up eggs
• 6 pieces of crispy bacon, crumbled
• ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese

Place the fries into serving bowls.  Cover in cheese and bacon.  Add an egg to the top of each serving.

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Rueben Fries

•  Fries
• 1 cup shredded corned beef
• ½ cup shredded Swiss cheese
• ¼ cup 1000 island dressing
• 2 tablespoons sauerkraut-drained very well and chopped

Toss the hot fries with the corned beef and Swiss cheese.  Top with the dressing and sprinkle with the sauerkraut. 

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Devil Fries

• Fries
• ½ cup hot wing sauce
• ½ cup shredded pepper jack
• ½ cup sharp cheddar
• 2 tablespoons chopped pickled jalapeños
• 2 tablespoons buttermilk ranch dressing
• 2 tablespoons French fried onions (like Durkee)

 Toss the fries with the wing sauce, cheeses, and jalapeños.  Top with the dressing and sprinkle with the onions.

Sun Dried Tomato Chicken

Over on my Facebook page, my followers have asked for healthier, easier recipes.  Sun Dried Tomato Chicken is both.  It is also delicious.

You can tweak this recipe by adding mushrooms, prepared artichokes, or diced olives with the onions.  You can add all three if you wish.  I served this over mashed potatoes, but it goes with pasta, rice, or can be served on its own.

Servings: 4-6

Time:   Prep: 5 minutes; Cook: 20 Minutes
Hardware:  Measuring spoons and cups, a cutting board and knives, a heavy bottom skillet (I prefer a cast iron skillet), a wooden spoon, tongs

Sun Dried Tomato Chicken

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 ½ lbs boneless skinless chicken breast
• Olive oil to cover bottom of the skillet
• ½ cup onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• ½ cup chicken stock
• ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
• ¼ cup sun dried tomato pesto (I used Classico)
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• Salt & pepper

1. Salt both sides of the chicken. Roughly chop the onions and garlic. Set aside.
2. Heat the olive oil in the pan on medium. Add the onion and garlic.  Cook, stirring often until the onions are translucent, about 5 minutes.
3. Turn the heat up to medium high and add the chicken.  Sauté the chicken for 4 minutes per side.
4. Add the remaining ingredients. Lower the heat and simmer 10 minutes, or until cooked through.  Flip the chicken half way through.
5. Adjust the salt and pepper.  Serve warm over pasta or mashed potatoes.

Shrimp Scampi

Everyone loves Shrimp Scampi, but everyone prepares it a little differently.  I have tweaked this recipe a million times.  This is where I am now. I like pre-cooking the shrimp a little in the liquid, before I bake it.  I think it keeps it moist.  I also use less butter than most of the scampi dishes I have tried, because it can be a little greasy.  You can use more or less crumbs depending upon your preference. You can sprinkle a little chopped parsley on top for garnish.

I served this to some friends.  They loved it.  From beginning to end, it only took me 35 minutes.  Fast, beautiful, and delicious. 

Servings: 4-6

Time:    Prep: 15 minutes; Cook: 15 Minutes
Hardware:  measuring spoons and cups, a cutting board and knives, a skillet, a small bowl, a slotted spoon, a wooden spoon, a glass pie plate or other shallow casserole dish, a large pot                  

Ingredients:

• 1 lb -21/25 count shrimp-cleaned with tails removed
• ½ stick butter
• 1 lemon
• ¼ cup white wine
• 2 teaspoons fresh parsley
• 2 teaspoons fresh basil
• 5 garlic cloves
• Pinch of red pepper flakes
• 3 tablespoons bread crumbs
• 3 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
• ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 8 ounces
• Salt
• Parsley for garnish

1. Wash the parsley and basil and roughly chop them. Crush the garlic. Squeeze the lemon. Generously salt the shrimp
2. Pre-heat the oven to 350˚. Put salted, pasta water on to boil.
3. Melt the butter in the pan on medium. 
4. Add the garlic to the pan and cook until you can smell it (a minute or so.) Toss in the shrimp, parsley, basil and red pepper flakes.  Cook until the shrimp just turns pink. This should take no more than a minute.
5. Add the wine and lemon juice and turn the heat to medium high.  Allow the liquid to come to a boil. Immediately remove it from the heat.
6. Remove the shrimp to the glass dish with the slotted spoon.  Add about 2 tablespoons of the liquid to the shrimp.
7. Mix the crumbs, cheese, and Italian seasonings together.  Sprinkle the crumb mixture over the shrimp. Bake the shrimp scampi until the crumbs brown, about 10 minutes.
8. While the scampi is baking, boil the pasta according to package directions.
9. Serve the scampi over the angel hair immediately. Sprinkle a little chopped parsley on right before serving.
   

Pork Carnitas

Carnitas means ‘little meats’ in Spanish. These little chunks of goodness are a popular ingredient in tacos, burritos, or just served on their own.  Think of them as Mexico’s version of pulled pork. I wait until pork shoulder or butt are on sale to make them.  So, this is inexpensive.  I don’t remove the fat from the meat when I’m preparing it, since it renders off in the braising process. I also make sure the oil is very hot when I fry the meat, because I just want to brown the outside while leaving the inside moist and juicy. You can double this recipe using the same amount of liquid, but doubling the spices.  If you want you can add a chopped chili to the liquid.  I love heat, but prefer my carnitas savory instead of spicy.

I always serve carnitas in warm, soft tacos with refried beans and Spanish rice.  I offer my guests chopped tomatoes, avocado tossed in lime juice, chopped cilantro, pickled jalapeños and sour cream to dress their carnita tacos.

Servings: 4-6

Hardware:  A cutting board and knives, measuring spoons and cups, a large Dutch oven (or other big pot with a heavy bottom), a wooden spoon, a heavy skillet, a slotted spoon, tongs, a bowl
Time:  Prep:  10 minutes    Cooking: 3 hours   Active time: 20 minutes

Pork Carnitas Tacos

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds pork butt or shoulder
• 3 cups beef stock
• 1 medium yellow onion
• 1 large, thin-skinned orange
• ¼ cup vegetable shortening
• 4 garlic cloves
• 3 bay leaves
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon oregano
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• 1 teaspoon thyme
• Oil for frying

1. Cut the pork into 1 ½ inch cubes.  Leave on the fat. Wash the orange carefully. Quarter the onion and the orange. Smash the garlic.  Toss the meat, orange, and onion with the seasonings in the Dutch oven.  Add the shortening and turn the heat up to medium.  Let the shortening melt. Then add everything but the frying oil. Allow the liquid to boil.
2. Lower the heat and simmer without the lid.  Stir occasionally.  Simmer until the pork is tender, 1 ½ -2 ½ hours.
3. Remove the pork with the slotted spoon.
4. Heat the oil in the heavy pan on high.  The oil should be deep enough to cover the pork pieces and you want the oil to be very hot. Fry the pork pieces until they are crispy, about 2 minutes per side.
5. You can make these on the weekend and serve them up to three days later.  Serve warm.

Fish Cakes

Fish cakes are an easy way to get non-fish fans to eat fish.  They can be made into sandwiches or eaten as is.  You can even make tiny fish cakes and serve them as snacks.

Any firm fish will make a good fish cake.  I chose tilapia because it is mild.  However, I have made these with salmon and amberjack. You can even use more than one type of fish.  Using different fish will give your fish cake a different flavor, so feel free to experiment. You can also use 1 cup homemade mashed potatoes rather than the dry instant potatoes. Really, anything goes.

Servings: 4-6

Time:  Prep: 20 minutes    Cooking:  20-25 minutes
Hardware:  Measuring cups and spoons, a knife and cutting board, a zester, foil, a baking sheet, a metal spatula, a mixing bowl, a heavy skillet, a paper towel covered plate, a shallow bowl, and tongs.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound tilapia
• 4 large lemons
• 9 sprigs of fresh dill
• ½ stick very cold butter
• 2 slices of bacon
• 1 green onion
• 1 tablespoon Old Bay seasoning
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1¼ cups instant mashed potato flakes
• ¼ cup mayo
•  Oil for frying
• Salt & Pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 450°.  Line the baking sheet with foil.
2. Zest and juice one of the lemons. Set the zest aside.  Slice the butter into thin pats. Wash the dill and remove it from the stems. Mince the dill and set aside 1 tablespoon of it. Slice the lemons and the green onion.  Set the onion aside.
3. Rinse the fish in clean water and pat dry.  Place the fish onto the prepared baking sheet. 
4. Sprinkle with salt & pepper. Lay half the lemons and sprinkle half the remaining dill on the fish. Bake the fish for 7 minutes and then turn with the spatula. Season the other side of the fish with salt & pepper and all but 1 tablespoon of the dill.  Cover with the remaining lemons and juice. Bake for 5-7 minutes on the second side depending on the thickness of the fillets.  Be careful to not overcook the fish.  It is done when it is opaque and flakes easily.
5. Allow the fish to cool.  Reserve the liquid that cooked off the fish. While the tilapia is cooling cook the bacon until it is crispy.
6. Crumble the bacon into the mixing bowl.  Make sure the bacon pieces are small. Mix in the ¼ teaspoon salt, dill, lemon zest, green onion, Old Bay seasoning, mashed potatoes, mayo, and liquid from the fish.
7. Gently flake the fish and fold it into the potato mixture.
8. Place an inch of oil into the skillet with the bacon fat.  Heat it on medium high.
9. Put the bread crumbs into the shallow bowl. Gently form ¼ cup of the fish mixtures into 1 inch patties. Make sure you apply enough pressure so they won’t fall apart, but don’t over handle them. Place the fish cake into the crumbs, flipping them so they are covered in crumbs. Salt and pepper the cakes.
10. Fry the cakes until they are golden brown. Flip the cakes and fry until the other side is golden.  Remove to the paper towel covered plate.
11. Serve warm.

Ranch Chicken Sandwiches

Sandwiches are often an afterthought for me. I realize that I haven't planned dinner and so we have sandwiches.  Chicken Ranch Sandwiches take some planning, but are still easy to make.  They are hearty enough for even the biggest appetite and impressive enough to serve to guests.  They are also delectable. 

The avocado and the Ranch Dressing are bright tasting over the fried chicken and the crunchy onions.  I like to make my own dressing.  I also use more than this recipe calls for. You can do both. If you don’t like onions then you should add sliced cucumbers.  The sandwich needs the texture.

Servings: 4-6

Time:  Prep: 10-15 minutes   Cooking:  10-15 minutes
Hardware:  A cutting board and knife, measuring spoons and cups, 3 shallow bowls, a fork, a whisk, a paper towel covered plate, a deep skillet, tongs, and a butter knife

Ingredients:

• 6 pieces of bacon
• 1 ½ lb. boneless skinless chicken breast-sliced very thin
• 1 teaspoons + 1 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1 teaspoons + 1 teaspoon onion powder
• ½ teaspoon + ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 ½ cups flour
• 2 eggs
• ½ cup milk
• 2 cups bread crumbs
• Oil for frying
• 2 Haas avocadoes
• ¾ cup Ranch Dressing (make your own)
• 6 slices of sweet onion
• 6 sesame seed Kaiser rolls

Ranch Chicken Sandwich

1. Cook the bacon on medium in the skillet until it is crisp. Cut each slice in half and place all of them on the paper towel covered plate.
2. Cut the chicken in half horizontally so that it is thin. Season the chicken on both sides with ½ the garlic salt, onion powder, and black pepper.
3. Put the flour in the first bowl.
4. In the second bowl whisk the eggs and milk together until completely blended.
5. In the last bowl, toss together the crumbs and remaining seasonings.
6. Heat the oil on medium high.
7. Dip the chicken into the flour and shake to remove the excess.  Dip the floured chicken into the egg and then dredge it with the crumbs, making sure it is covered.
8. Fry the chicken for 4-5 minutes per side, or until golden brown.  Don’t crowd the chicken.  You may need to cook it in batches.
9. Remove the chicken to the paper towel covered plate.
10. Slice the avocado.
11. To assemble the sandwiches spread one tablespoon Ranch Dressing on the bottom of each bun. Place a piece of chicken on the bun and top the chicken with another tablespoon of Ranch Dressing.  Then lie a slice of onion, two slices of avocado, and 2 bacon halves on each sandwich. Top the sandwiches with the top of the bun.
12. Serve with a side salad or Sweet Potato Fries.

Ranch Dressing

I like to make my own salad dressing.  Bottled dressing always has a strange aftertaste. Maybe it is the xanthum gum or disodium phosphate…Who knows?  This will not taste like the stuff you make with the dry package of strange chemicals.  I think it tastes better.  I know that it is better for you.  I made this jar for my Ranch  Chicken Sandwiches.

Servings: 1¾ cups   Time: 10 minutes

Hardware:  Measuring cups and spoons, a knife and cutting board, a whisk, a plastic spatula, a mixing bowl, and an airtight container.

Ingredients:

• ¾ cup mayonnaise
• ¾ cup buttermilk
• ¼ cup sour cream
• 1 ½ tablespoon minced chives
• 1 tablespoon minced parsley
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• ½ teaspoon FRESH ground black pepper
• 2 cloves garlic

Better when homemade

Mince the chives and parsley.  Mash the garlic. Shake the buttermilk vigorously. Whisk everything together.  Store the Ranch Dressing in the fridge until you are ready to use it.  Allow the dressing to rest for at least 2 hours, but preferably overnight to allow the flavors to meld.  This will keep for a week if you keep it refrigerated.