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October 15th is National Greasy Foods Day, pointing a finger at fried foods. We have a great potato stacks recipe below (photo #1), but first: Why are some fried foods so greasy?
Because they’re cooked in an excessive amount of oil, and not drained well.
HOW TO CUT THE GREASE IN FRIED FOODS
Here’s how you can cut the grease in fried foods.
Type of oil. Use a good frying oil with a high smoke point and a neutral flavor. The recipe will usually recommend an oil.
Amount of oil. Don’t overload the pot with more oil than is necessary. You need to just cover the food.
Temperature. Use your food thermometer to fry the food at the correct temperature. If it’s too low, the food will absorb more oil.
Small batches. Similarly, always fry in small batches. Large batches will lower the oil temperature and enable the food to absorb more oil.
Slotted spoon. Use a slotted spoon to lift the food from the oil, and shake it well before removing it from the pot to a rack or paper towels.
Kitchen rack. You can first transfer the food for a few minutes, to a rack set in a pan lined with paper towels. This allows the excess grease to drip off. Then, transfer the food directly to clean paper towels.
Paper towels. Use the most absorbent paper towels. We like Bounty and Viva, the latter being the most absorbent. After the first drain on the towels, set out clean towels and drain again. Move the pieces around so that all sides benefit from toweling.
Another option is to bake the food. You can find baking alternatives for bacon, fried chicken, fish, fries, mozzarella sticks, zucchini, and other fried foods—and they’re almost as good.
RECIPE: ELEGANT, CRUNCHY POTATO STACKS
While this recipe is fancy enough for dinner parties and special occasions, you can serve it with weekday meals as well. Serve it as a side, or as a first course with dipping sauce.
The potatoes are sliced so thinly, that this is the crispiest potato recipe you can make.
It’s important to use Idaho® Russet (or other russet) potatoes due to their higher starch level and lower moisture. They cook up crisp and hold their shape. If a potato has too much moisture, it will be soggy when fried.
The recipe was created by Chef Venecia Willis of Velvet Taco for the Idaho Potato Commission.
Ingredients For 6 Servings
6 Idaho® Russet potatoes, peeled
6 cups canola oil
1 tablespoon flaky sea salt
Optional: 1 cup dipping sauce of choice
Preparation
1. SLICE the potatoes paper thin using a mandoline. Stack the slices in order by size as much as possible, discarding the rounded tops and bottoms.
2. USING a sharp knife, cut the stacks on each side to make perfect rectangles.
3. HEAT the oil in a heavy pot to 350°F. Once the oil is hot, lower the stacks of potatoes into the oil two at a time, being careful not to overcrowd the pot.
4. COOK for 5 minutes each, until golden brown. Remove from the oil and sprinkle with the flaky sea salt.
5. SERVE warm with your favorite dipping sauce or as a side.
> The different types of potatoes.
> The different types of cooking oil.
> The history of potatoes.
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[1] Crispy potato stacks are the crispiest potatoes you can make (photo © Idaho Potato).
[2] You need to use russet potatoes for deep frying, because of their higher starch level (photo © Potato 101).
[3] Canola oil is a great neutral oil for frying. The La Tourangelle brand is the finest you can buy, a Nibble Top Pick Of The Week (photo © Good Eggs).
[4] Flaky sea salt adds another layer of crunch (photo © Osmo Premium Salts).
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