The Gourmet Mama

Homefries are far more delicious than those limp things you get at fast food places. You get to choose your toppings and exactly how much salt you want . . . my own personal recipe calls for paprika and plenty of sea salt, but you can add anything you like, from garlic powder to oregano.

If you’ve been scared off the idea of making your own french fries at home due to the fact that you have to deepfry the suckers, don’t worry. I’m going to show you how very simple it is to make your own homefries without setting the kitchen on fire or burning yourself.

Homefries

Serves 4-6

1 tsp. paprika
1 Tblsp. salt
8 potatoes

2 c. oil

Peel the potatoes and slice lengthwise, then again lengthwise to create potato sticks. Pat dry with a tea towel.

In a deep pot, heat oil until it starts to spit.

Use a long handled spoon to transfer the potato to the oil, being careful not to drop it it. The oil will go a bit nuts, but if you’ve done a good job of drying the potato, the oil won’t spit too much.The erupting reaction is usually caused by water hitting the hot oil, so by removing most of the moisture, you can avoid this problem.

Once the fries start to brown slightly, you can remove them . . . or let them turn dark brown, if that’s your preference. Drain on paper towel . . . or coffee filters, which is what I use.

Sprinkle with salt and paprika and toss to make sure they are all equally flavored.

You will probably need to cook your fries in three or four batches, depending on how big your pot is. If you have a large pot, you can add more oil and cook more potatoes at the same time.

Finally, serve those tasty homefries up with a dollop of ketchup and you’re good to go!