Portuguese Potato Fries- Batatas Fritas a Portuguesa

By amaliana

Portuguese Homestyle Cooking-
Ana Patuleia Ortins

"These fried potatoes are a great favorite in our family. I always make extra because half of the potatoes are eatne before they ever reach the table! Fried in olive oil, they are terrific with steak, seafood, and especially Carne de Poro a Alentejana, which was traditionally eaten with boiled potatoes in my father's town. Unlike American fries, these potatoes are tender rather than crisp. Although Portuguese fries are not meant to be crisp, presoaking the potatoes in cold water, then blotting dry, removes excess starch that absorbs oil and prevents the potatoes from crsiping on the outside."

Ingredients

• 6 large potatoes(preferably russets) (allow 1 1/2 per person)
• olive oil(approximately 1 1/2 quarts or enough to give a minimum depth of 5 inches for deep frying)
• coarse salt as needed

Preparation

Step 1

1. Peel the potatoes and slice into 1/4-inch rounds
2. Heat the oil over medium-high heat until it quivers. Fry the potatoes in small batches until golden. Remove the potatoes with a slotted utensil to drain on paper toweling or brown paper. Salt to desired taste.

NOTE:
Frying in small batches allows movement of the potatoes and keeps the temperature of the oil more constant, so the potatoes brown quickly. If you use vegetable oil, the flavor will be different from that of the traditional olive oil.