Thin Fries

My entire family is addicted to these super-thin fries, and I don’t remember an instance I’ve made them when a single dang fry was left. And usually when I plan on making them, I try not to let the word get out until the last batch is being fried—otherwise they disappear sooner than I can get them on the table. Crazy fry-loving hooligans!

IMPORTANT: Please be careful when frying with hot oil. Keep the pot on the backburner so little kiddos won’t get hurt.

Peel and rinse the potatoes, then slice them into thin pieces.

Depending on the size of the potatoes, you’ll get about 4 to 6 slices.

(Note that this is all much easier if you have a good, sharp knife!)

Next, stack a few pieces at a time and slice them into thin sticks.

Take your time to get them nice and thin.

Again…a sharp knife helps!

Place the fries in a large bowl and cover them with cold water. Swish them around to get off the extra starch, then pour off the starchy water and replace it with fresh. Do this once more, covering with fresh water and setting them aside to soak for 2 to 3 hours.

You can also stick them in the fridge, covered in plastic wrap, and let them soak for up to 3 days. I’ve sliced the fries then gotten distracted or busy and didn’t get around to frying them until 2 or 3 days later, and I’m always amazed at how well the potatoes hold up.

When you’re ready to make the fries, drain off the water and lay them on baking sheets lined with paper towels. Blot them with more paper towels to dry them as much as you can. Water and hot oil do not make very good bedfellows, so really blot until you cain’t blot no more!

Heat a few inches of oil in a heavy pot to 300 degrees (use a deep fry thermometer to make sure the temperature is accurate.) In 3 or 4 batches, use tongs to place a small amount of fries into the oil and until the potatoes are soft but not at all starting to brown, about 2 minutes per batch.

Remove each batch…

And drain them on new/dry paper towels. They won’t be done at this point! This is just the first frying.

Now, when all the potatoes have had their initial frying, turn up the heat until the oil reaches 400 degrees…

And when the oil’s hot, start frying the potatoes in batches again…

This time cooking them until they’re golden and slightly crisp.

Remove them from the oil and drain them on paper towels.

Then sprinkle them generously with salt.

A little parchment rolled up in a mug makes a cute home for the fries!

(Albeit a very temporary home.)

Dig in!

Here’s the handy dandy printable.

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Recipe

Thin Fries

Prep Time: 3 Hours Cook Time: 20 Minutes Difficulty: Easy Servings: 6

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Ingredients

• 6 whole Russet Potatoes, Peeled
• Vegetable Or Peanut Oil For Frying
• Salt
• Ketchup, For Serving

Preparation Instructions

Peel and rinse the potatoes, then slice them into thin pieces. Next, stack a few pieces at a time and slice them into thin sticks. Place the fries in a large bowl and cover them with cold water. Swish them around to get off the extra starch, then pour off the starchy water and replace it with fresh. Do this once more, covering with fresh water and setting them aside to soak for 2 to 3 hours.

When you're ready to make the fries, drain off the water and lay them on baking sheets lined with paper towels. Blot them with more paper towels to dry them as much as you can.

Heat a few inches of oil in a heavy pot to 300 degrees (use a deep fry thermometer to make sure the temperature is accurate.) In 3 or 4 batches, use tongs to place a small amount of fries into the oil and until the potatoes are soft but not at all starting to brown, about 2 minutes per batch. Remove each batch and drain them on new/dry paper towels. They won't be done at this point! This is just the first frying.

Now, when all the potatoes have had their initial frying, turn up the heat until the oil reaches 400 degrees. And when the oil's hot, start frying the potatoes in batches again until the fries are golden brown. When they're all done, sprinkle them generously with salt and dig in!

Posted by Ree | The Pioneer Woman on February 18 2015