Published July 1, 1996.
The Russet Burbank baking potato, often called the "Idaho," turned out to be the best choice for our french fries recipe, frying up with all the qualities we required. Because these are starchy potatoes, it is important to rinse the starch off the surface after cutting the potatoes into fries. Then refrigerate the potatoes in a bowl of ice water for at least 30 minutes. When the potatoes first enter the hot oil, they are nearly frozen, which allows a slow, thorough cooking of the inner potato pulp.
For those who like it, flavoring the oil with a few tablespoons of bacon grease adds a subtle, meaty flavor to the fries. Their texture, however, is not affected if the bacon grease is omitted. Once you’ve peeled the potatoes, you can use a mandolin or V-slicer, rather than cut them by hand. To prepare steak fries, cut the potatoes one-third-inch to one-half-inch thick, and increase the cooking time to ten to twelve minutes during the initial frying and just a few seconds longer in the final fry. Idaho potatoes are also named "russet" or "Burbank".
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