Cold Gold Potatoes

My daughter, as most kids her age (10) is nuts about french fries, especially when mom makes them myself  "to order " at home. It is really about the only way I can get to her eat one of only three vegetables currently on her "ok veggie" list. She is not at all impressed with or fooled by the technique used to trick most of her friends into eating their veggies: that is to thoroughly douse a variety of kiddy crudite under a ultra thick coating of ranch dressing (to the point where you can't tell what the heck is holding up the all that creamy, white speckled "frosting").

I make these fries so often (served with a sprinkling of sea salt and Muir Glen Organic Ketchup....yum!) that I had to come up with super simple, almost fool proof way to get them just right. I stumbled upon this technique of tossing the cut potatoes into cold oil! (yes, you read me right !) while reading food guru Jeffrey Steingarten's " The Man Who Ate Everything". I mentally gasped at the absurdity of this idea but then couldn't get it out of my mind. I frantically began by search to see if any other food authority could corroborate this method to achieve the perfect fry. Sure enough,  by cross referencing my crazy sounding discovery with several other tried and true cookbooks I had in my collection I found that a couple of the "experts' agreed that this approach could prove to be a winner.

This recipe is so easy I often make it even returning exhausted after along day out about town with kid in tow. I am rewarded with completed homework assignments and a snuggle on the sofa.

Super Simple French Fries

2.5 pounds or about 5 Yukon Gold potatoes, cut lengthwise in 1/4 strips (ordinary Russets or Sweet Potatoes can work as well).
6 cups peanut oil
Sea salt

1. Pour oil in heavy bottomed pot.
2. Place potatoes in pot and heat until oil reaches a boil.
3. Cook for 5 minutes with out stirring.
4. Continue to cook for 15 minutes or until potatoes start to crisp up.
5. Stir with tongs until their are golden brown, about 5 to 10 minutes longer.
6. When done remove with tongs and place on a think layer of paper towels.
7. Season with salt and serve pronto.

That's it!