Fermented French Fries
Take your French Fry Game from flat to FUNKY! We've leveled-up our fermentation projects to give you Fermented French Fries. Follow our easy guide to crisp fries with a natural twang and just the right amount of salty. Not only will you get to do weird stuff with potatoes but the results are downright delicious!
Ingredients
- 4-6 Large Organic Russet Potatoes
- Sea Salt or Kosher Salt, for salt/water brine
- Spring Water, for salt/water brine
- Vegetable or peanut oil, for frying
Instructions
- Wash potatoes with skin on.
- Slice potatoes into fries by hand, with a fry cutter, or using a mandoline.
- Place fries in a clean fermentation vessel such as a crock, 64 ounce mason jar, or pitcher.
- Cover fries completely with saltwater brine. Our recommendation is approximately 1.5 tablespoons of salt per 4 cups of spring water.
- Ensure fries are fully submerged using a fermentation weight, clean plate, or a sealed Ziploc bag full of water.
- Allow fries to ferment for 3-5 days.
- Remove fries from brine, rinse thoroughly, and spread out on a wire rack or paper towels. Allow to dry 5-10 minutes.
- Heat oil in a Dutch oven, large wok, or other suitable frying vessel over high heat to 400° F. The oil will drop in temperature as fries are added. Add fries in manageable batches using a fry basket or wire mesh spider. Cook for approximately 1 minute and remove to a brown paper bag or paper towel lined pan. Between batches allow to oil to return to temperature so that oil is maintained over 350° F at all times. Continue with remaining fries. Once all fries have been removed from the oil allow them to rest for approximately 30 minutes.
- Make sure your oil is heated back to 400°. Again fry your potatoes in manageable batches until they are a light golden brown. This will take approximately 3 minutes. It has been our experience that the fermented potatoes tend to brown more quickly than a potato that has simply been soaked in water so keep an eye on them and don't be afraid to pull them earlier. During this process try not to let your oil drop below 350°. Remove your fries to a paper towel lined boil or sheet pan. The fermented fries will already have some salt from the brine so go ahead and serve immediately but give them a taste before a final salting!
Notes
- This recipe relies on a salt/water brine solution so use as many potatoes as you will need to feed your crew and just scale up the liquid appropriately!
- We recommend salt that does not include iodine and unchlorinated water such as spring water.
- Brine can be mixed by weight or by volume. When using volume 1.5 tablespoons of sea salt per 4 cups of water results in salinity of approximately 3%.
- As you cut your potatoes placing them in cold water will keep them from discoloring.