The Catalan TableIngredients
Servings:
4
Ingredients
- Carpentier
- Mondiale
- Monalisa (can be used for frying) Is more floury and when fried they tend to stick to each other
Step-by-step Guide
French Fries
- Peel the potatoes and cut them into thin strips approximately 1 centimeter thick each. Ensure the strips are uniform to guarantee even cooking.
- Rinse the cut potatoes under cold water to remove excess starch, then dry them well with a clean kitchen cloth.
- Heat vegetable oil in a deep frying pan or fryer to about 180°C. To check the correct temperature of the oil, you can use a cooking thermometer or introduce a small piece of potato into the oil; it should start bubbling immediately.
- Fry the potatoes in small batches to avoid lowering the oil temperature too much. Cook for about 5-6 minutes until they are golden and crispy. Stir occasionally with a skimmer to ensure even cooking.
- Remove the potatoes from the heat and place them on a plate covered with paper towels to remove excess oil. Season immediately with salt to taste while still hot.
Sources
- Thierry Marx. Michelin - I do it just as Thierry Marx says, following his reliable techniques and recipes.
- Ferran Adrià. Michelin - I recommend applying the innovative methods of Ferran Adrià, known for his creative dishes and gastronomic avant-garde.
- Heston Blumenthal. Michelin - Follow the instructions of Heston Blumenthal to achieve excellent results in your preparations. Potato varieties for frying: use Agra potatoes, which are the best for frying at medium-high heat (approximately 180 ºC) until golden. You can also consider the Carpentier and Kennebec varieties, which are good for frying. Mondiale, Liseta, and Monalisa varieties can be used for frying, but they are more floury and tend to stick to each other if not stirred often during cooking.
Early Rose
- Choose a potato variety suitable for frying, preferably with slightly yellow flesh, as these varieties tend to yield better results when cooked in oil.
- Remember that, schematically, the guiding principle is: the more yellow the potato's flesh, the better it will fry. Potatoes with whiter flesh are more suitable for boiling.
According to Thierry Marx (2 Michelin stars)
- Prepare all the necessary ingredients before starting to cook, ensuring that the vegetables are cut into even pieces and the meat is marinated according to the recipe instructions.
- Preheat the oven to 180°C for 10 minutes before cooking the food to ensure even cooking from the start.
- Cook the vegetables over medium heat in a skillet with a little olive oil for 5-7 minutes, stirring often until they are tender and slightly golden.
- Add the meat to the skillet with the vegetables and increase the heat to medium-high, cooking for 3-5 minutes on each side until it is well browned on the outside.
- Reduce the heat to low, cover the skillet, and let everything cook for an additional 10 minutes, ensuring to stir occasionally so that it cooks evenly.
- Remove the paella from the heat, adjust the seasoning to taste, and let it rest for 5 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to blend well.
According to Heston Blumenthal (3 Michelin stars)
- Peel the potatoes and slice them into rounds approximately 1 cm thick (you can cut them into 1/2 cm slices if you prefer thinner potatoes).
- Cut the slices into thick sticks, ensuring they are all of the same size for even cooking.
- Rinse the potato sticks in a bowl with cold water to remove excess starch. Make sure to drain them well afterward.
- Place the drained potatoes in a saucepan with cold water, without adding salt. Cook them on low heat for 20 minutes, ensuring the water does not reach a boil; it should reach approximately 90°C (194°F).
- Drain the potatoes again and thoroughly dry them with paper towels or a clean kitchen cloth.
- Let them rest at room temperature for about 30 minutes (according to Thierry Marx) or place them in the freezer for 1 hour (according to Heston Blumenthal). I follow Thierry Marx's advice. This step ensures that the potatoes are tender inside and crispy outside, perfect for patatas bravas.
- Fry the potatoes for the first time at a moderate temperature, around 130ºC-140ºC, for 5 minutes or until they start to gain color.
- Remove them from the pan and allow them to drain on paper towels. You can do this step in advance and set them aside until ready to serve.
- Increase the heat and let the oil reach 180ºC for a second fry, until the potatoes are well-golden and crispy.
- Remove them from the pan and let them drain on absorbent paper to eliminate excess oil.
- Generously season with coarse salt; Maldon salt is an ideal option for an excellent final touch.
According to Ferran Adrià
- Peel the potatoes and slice them into rounds approximately 1 cm thick. Ensure that all slices are of the same thickness to guarantee even cooking.
- Cut the rounds into sticks that should be slightly thick and of the same size, maximizing the use of the potatoes to obtain consistent sticks.
- Wash the potato sticks in a bowl with cold water to remove excess starch. Gently stir them for a few minutes.
- Drain the potatoes thoroughly and dry them completely with paper towels or use a clean kitchen cloth to prevent oil splatters.
- Perform a first fry at moderate heat when the oil is at a controlled temperature between 130ºC and 140ºC, for approximately 5-7 minutes, until they begin to brown very lightly. Stop before they change color.
- Remove the potatoes from the pan and let them drain on paper towels. This step can be done in advance and the frying can be finished just before serving.
- Increase the heat to high intensity and, when the oil reaches 180ºC, fry the potatoes a second time for 2-3 minutes until they are golden and crispy.
- Remove the potatoes from the pan and let them drain again on paper towels to eliminate excess oil.
- Moderately salt the potatoes with slightly coarse salt, such as Maldon salt, to give a perfect final touch of flavor.
Recommendations & Tricks
- Ensure to cut the potatoes into uniform pieces to guarantee even cooking and prevent some from being raw while others burn.
- Before frying them, soak the cut potatoes in cold water for at least 30 minutes. This helps remove excess starch, reducing the tendency to stick together during frying.
- Once fried, place the potatoes on kitchen paper to absorb the excess oil and achieve a crispier texture.