THE BEST HOMEMADE TRUFFLE FRIES

I LOVE FRIES. In fact potato crisps and fries are probably my favourite two savoury things in the world that I could not live without (and vegetables in general but that is a bit boring and "healthy") and while I can still get my hands on my favourite crisps in these strange times we live in, my fancy local organic supermarket stocks my go to fancy truffle crisps from Torres and Co-op still sells those iconic Chardonnay vinegar crisps, it is pretty impossible right now to get your fry fix unless you make them yourself, heck even McDonalds is shut after all!

I mean you can get frozen fries of course but the kind of fries I am talking about are the ones you have to make fresh - perfectly crisp, a little brown on the edges and even in London not that easy to find, the kind of fries dished up in a little Parisian cafe with a delicious mustardy mayo on the side, accompanied by an ice cold glass of white wine.

I wasn't sure how well I was going to do in recreating decent French fries at home, especially with neither a deep fat fryer or a thermometer (a requirement for many recipes that I found online), but after some extensive online research I found a brilliantly easy and effective recipe with the end result being rather outstanding restaurant quality fries!

I topped the finished potatoey goodness with some truffle oil, a staple in my cupboard but not a must, and shaved parmesan, and apart from the oil for frying and potatoes, it really did not need much for a very marvellous end result. It may not have been in a cute cafe in Paris but me, my truffle fries and a glass of ice cold Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc had a bloody marvellous time and I will sure be making these a lot more often at home now that I know how easy it is to make the perfect fries with your own two hands!

Serves two for an evening of wine and fries. I rustled up a little salad of tomatoes, red onion, avocado and coriander on the side for added greens and vitamins.

INGREDIENTS

• 4 baking potatoes (this kind of potato has a dense texture and will keep their shape nicely), thinly cut into fries, about 1.5cm width.
• 1.5 Litres of canola or sunflower oil
• Sea Salt
• Truffle Oil to drizzle on top (Sainsbury's sells a very decent and reasonable priced one)
• Parmesan to shave on top

METHOD

• Cover a few baking trays with kitchen towels for draining.
• Scrub potatoes and dab them dry, then cut into batons.
• Place batons into a big saucepan and add oil; it will barely cover the potatoes. 
• Turn stove on to highest setting and bring oil to a boil, which will take about 5 minutes. 
• Cook potatoes for another 15-20 minutes; do not stir; they’ll just break. 
• At this 20 minute mark, you can use tongs or a thin spatula to gently scrape loose any potatoes that have stuck to the pan. 
• Continue to cook, stirring only if absolutely necessary, for 5 to 10 minutes longer, or until crisp and as golden as you like them. 
• Use a large slotted spoon or spider to scoop potatoes from and spread them on prepared trays drain, tossing immediately with salt as you do.
• Plate up and top with truffle oil and parmesan.

Best enjoyed with a lovely white wine like my favourite, a good old Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc!

Get frying ;)