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Better home fries?

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    Better home fries?

    I made home fries once and my girlfriend loves them. I have tried a bunch of different home fries recipes from the internet, and none of them really give a good result. I get cooked potatoes, but I can never get the browning that everyone else seems to get. In fact, in some of the videos the potatoes come out much like mine, barely browned at all. I tried aluminum, nonstick, and cast iron pans and none of them seemed to make a difference. I tried potato slices, potato chunks, and small potato cubes and none of them are any better. Anyone have a better home fries recipe?

    #2
    Cook the potatoes first. I like to microwave them, but you can bake them too, ( the skin might be a bit chewy if baked - you can remove the skin if desired). I have not boiled first because I am concerned about excess moisture. That may not be a valid concern, but why chance it?

    I then saute lots of onions and some garlic in half and half butter and olive oil. Remove the onions and garlic from the pan and place the potatoes in the pan with a cut side down and brown on med high heat. You can flip to another cut side if desired, and when the potatoes are cooked to your desired crispness, add the onions and garlic back and stir until heated through. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.

    Comment


      #3
      I too cook my potatoes first. Microwave them to a regular baked potato doneness. If your microwave has a baked potato button use it, but otherwise an 1100 watt takes about 5 min for 1, or 15ish for 4 potatoes. Then once they cool enough to handle dice them or slice them (thick, you can't slice them thin once they're cooked.) Then fry. Since they're pre-cooked they brown up much quicker.

      Comment


        #4
        Originally posted by RonB View Post
        I have not boiled first because I am concerned about excess moisture. That may not be a valid concern, but why chance it?
        Well RonB I'm happy to report that boiling works great. Not that I know much, but as usual I saw it on YouTube when I was trying to answer the same question as Lost in China . The key is to parboil them, drain them, leave them in the colander over the hot pan and let them steam for a few minutes while you get your skillet or griddle heated. The evaporation leaves the outsides dry and gets great crispy fries. Microwave sounds probably easier, but before I knew any different I started doing it this way and it works, so I stick with it.

        Comment


        • RonB
          RonB commented
          Editing a comment
          Yes - I have since remembered that my Dad used canned new potatoes to make home fries, and they were packed in water.

        • radshop
          radshop commented
          Editing a comment
          Canned sounds even easier!

        #5
        I don't precook mine but I don't add them to the pan till the oil is good and hot

        Comment


        • customtrim
          customtrim commented
          Editing a comment
          Does not matter I mostly use a non stick pan, as long as the oil is hot

        #6
        What kind of pan?

        Comment


          #7
          HouseHomey or Karon Adams might be able to help you out here. I am curious as well.

          Comment


            #8
            All of the above can work just fine. First let's talk about "Home fries." What are they to you? Triangular shaped about 1/2"? wedges with a Julianne style onion? Sliced at 1/4"? Large diced?

            Assuming peppers and onion, correct? Rough chop or large dice?

            the potat0..... microwave or parboil is not an issue. Whatever you feel, at my last job the clubhouse would use baby reds and we would parboil whole then quarter and use on the flat top. I used to throw them in the fryer while the peppers and onion were cooking, pull them and finish on the flat top.

            if you take that same tater and giver a Med dice and add them to a nonstick (which I'm sure you have) along with the peppers and onion you should be fine.

            sounds like.... Here's what you need to know. Water is the enemy of brown so we need to get rid of the water to brown the carbs in the tater other wise we just have starchy.

            1. Select the tater. Say, russets.
            2. Par cook whole and let cool. You may steam, micro (@Huskee nailed it above) or boil halved if large, or bake. However you would like just don't overlook it. Slightly under is preferred so you may finish it.

            for a raw patatoes you may place in oiled pan and you may cover for 5-10 min as that helps extract moisture from the tater but then you must uncover.

            3. Now that you have your Par cooked tater cut to your desired shape, say medium dice (1/2"X1/2")
            4. Add butter and/or oil to your pan and get it med hot. Add taters, season well and don't touch them
            5. In a separate pan (or the same pan before you started the taters your cooking now) cook your onions and peppers in whatever fat you choose.
            6. When your taters are browned on one side flip to brown all sides.
            7. When there ready add to pan with onions and peppers and toss.
            8. Until you get the "hang of" browning the tater don't be afraid to use two pans. It's no big deal
            9. You know how the tater acts you can cook all kinds of stuff with it and still brown.

            Honestly, at home inuse raw russets, cast iron and I do my taters in the pan then add the onion and papers.

            just remember that everything gives off water and timing that water loss to brown your taters and cook your veggies at the same time Ian the sweet spot.

            iI hope this make sense. It's all about the water. Too much water = no bueno

            HH

            Comment


              #9
              Thanks for the advice! I'm going to try again tonight.

              What's the difference between parboil and parcook? What do those mean, anyway?

              I only have one kind of potato to choose from, the large brown kind. I always peel them because God knows what's on the skin.

              Season well, season with what? Salt and pepper and what else is known to taste good with home fries?

              Comment


              • HouseHomey
                HouseHomey commented
                Editing a comment
                Parboil and parcook just means to have them in a cooked ready to eat (or just about/whatever mark your shooting for) state. It helps cut out cooking time later such as.... pasta. No waiting 10 minutes if it's parcooked just reheat in some water real quick like.

              #10
              Another point is that waxy potatoes like Yukon Gold work better for me. Varieties like Russet tend to crumble if they stick.

              Comment


                #11
                Salt and pepper is great on home fries along with a shake of paprika. I like to ad a bit of cumin and garlic too.

                Comment


                  #12
                  So out of curiosity what does everyone considers homefries. Hashbrowns, fried potatoes ( sliced) fried potatoes ( cubed). ?

                  Comment


                    #13
                    If you are talking more like breakfast potatoes, either wedges or chunks, I like to fry in butter rather than oil. Can’t cook as hot so it will take longer but I like the butter flavour and get a good browning. I start with the potatoes raw, and either cast iron or on Sri k works fine as the pan.

                    For homemade fries, I like to deep fry in oil. I use a stock pot and usually do outside, either on the side burner of your gasser or a turkey fryer stand. I use a fry maker, you can usually pick up a restaurant grade at a pretty reasonable price, and just push the raw potatoes through it to make fries.

                    Comment


                      #14
                      I'm not going to contradict HouseHomey , but this approach has one element that really works - roughing the potato surfaces. https://www.seriouseats.com/2016/12/...toes-ever.html

                      Comment


                      • HouseHomey
                        HouseHomey commented
                        Editing a comment
                        I'm just a cook. Plenty o ways to make taters. Fancy ones too. I generally do mine at home from raw incast iron or non stick. I go all the way thru. Love the smell of garlic and cumin cooking with taters. Or chorizo.

                      #15
                      I do the wedges like the recipe in Alton browns latest book (recipe is "tomorrow French fries" ) which is a variant in the above.
                      1. Bake until cooked through
                      2. Chill in fridge overnight
                      3. Cut into wedges
                      4. Deep fry hot (won’t take long)
                      5. Salt immediately after extracting from oil.

                      Click image for larger version

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                      Comment


                      • Mr. Bones
                        Mr. Bones commented
                        Editing a comment
                        Dang! Great Food, an great pic, as well!
                        Causin some droolin, bout now!
                        Cool setup there!
                        Looks like mebbe ya even used parchment paper, as do I.
                        Thanks fer sharin with us!
                        #realestate

                      • HouseHomey
                        HouseHomey commented
                        Editing a comment
                        Right Bonsey? Those precut sheets I buy in a box of 1000. Awesome.

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