What could be simpler than fried potatoes? Everyone has their own way of preparing this simple and delicious dish. Some add spices and onions, others prefer only salt, some cover with a lid, others fry in a lot of fat. But among the many, there is only one simple way to prepare fried potatoes, and not steamed, stewed or poached.
Crispy fried potatoes come from starchy varieties. There is no need to be afraid that during heat treatment this variety will fail and the pieces will lose their integrity. On the contrary, thanks to starch, a golden crust will form on the surface, and there will be soft crumbly pulp inside.
- Cooking time: 20 minutes.
- Number of servings: 2.
Required ingredients and equipment
The recipe contains ingredients for two people. It is easy to calculate the number of tubers for a particular company: you need to multiply 2.5 medium tubers (200 g raw) by the number of servings. Also, depending on the preferences and age of family members, you can add spices and onions to the potatoes, but you can do without them.
So, for preparation you will need:
- Potatoes – 5 medium starchy tubers (400 – 450 g);
- Refined oil – 70 ml;
- Onions – 1 pc.;
- Salt - half a teaspoon without a slide;
- Ground paprika, black pepper, fresh herbs - optional.
You will also need the following equipment:
- vegetable board;
- a sharp shredding knife and a paring knife;
- container with water;
- cast iron frying pan or non-stick;
- wooden spatula;
- paper or cloth towel.
Cooking process step by step
1. Wash the tubers well under running water. Pour clean cold water into a bowl. Peeled potatoes are placed in this water. When the entire volume is cleaned, the tubers are washed well and wiped dry with a paper towel.
2. Potatoes can be cut in different ways. The recipe uses the cutting method into cubes. To do this, the rounded parts on the sides are cut off from the tuber, and also trimmed at the top and bottom.
3. The resulting rectangle is cut into three plates.
4. The plates are stacked on top of each other and cut into three more parts, producing cubes. When cutting, you should try to give all parts the same size. Then the potatoes will acquire an even color and fry at the same time, there will be no raw or burnt parts left.
5. Cut parts do not need to be thrown away. They are placed in a separate bowl to be used later for vegetable stew or puree soup.
6. When the cubes are cut, they are laid out on a towel. At this time, place the frying pan on the stove, pour in vegetable oil (to a height of 7 - 10 mm), and allow it to warm up well. Dry the potatoes well with a cloth or paper towel. This technique will achieve a crispy crust.
7. The next stage is at the discretion of the cook.If children do not like potatoes with onions, then it is better not to add them. And if the dish is intended for adults, then onions and spices will be appreciated. So, the onion is peeled, the root part is removed, and cut into half rings. Add spices (but not salt) to the potatoes and mix thoroughly.
8. When the oil is hot enough, pour the cubes into it. Mix thoroughly with a spatula. Reduce heat to medium. Allow the tubers to fry for about 2 minutes without turning. At this point you can add the onion.
For the next 10 minutes, while the potatoes are frying, turn them several times with a spatula to ensure an even golden color. When all the potatoes have a fried appearance, season the dish with salt.
You can serve fried potatoes with fresh herbs, ketchup, sour cream sauce with garlic and dill, canned tomatoes and cucumbers. It will be very tasty. Bon appetit!
