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Food & Drink
2003-03-01 11:49:00
French fries aren’t done
: Sometimes if I know I'm going to have a busy day ahead, I may cut potatoes for French fries and place them in a container of ice water in the refrigerator overnight. The next day when these potatoes are fried, they get very dark and look done but are raw in the center. What happened?
ANSWER: When potatoes (or a number of starchy vegetables) stay chilled for a period of time, some of the starch breaks down into sugar. Now, these higher sugar content potatoes brown much faster. The sugar and protein content, along with the acidity, determine how fast a food will brown. If left at room temperature for a day or so, the sugars will join back together to form starch. If you have whole potatoes stored at a cool temperature, you may want to leave them at room temperature a day before frying. Cooks can use this little bit of science to make better low-fat oven fries. One of the problems with making fake French fries by roasting potato strips in the oven is that they get not so very brown. If you soak cut potatoes overnight in ice water in the refrigerator (maybe even add a little sugar), steam them a few minutes to partially cook, then toss them in something alkaline (less acidic) like slightly old egg whites, lightly beaten and sprinkled generously with herbs, cayenne, salt, pepper and a small amount of Parmesan, these potatoes will brown nicely in a hot oven. Be generous with the seasonings. Remember, one of the great problems with low-fat cookery is lack of flavor. Fish and ChipsServes 2· 2 white fish fillets (e.g., cod, haddock, sole), each about 7 oz. · Oil for deep frying (peanut, canola, sunflower) · 2 eggs, beaten · 3/4 cup fine matzo meal · 3 medium Russet potatoes For fish:1. Preheat oven to 200 F. Pour at least five inches of oil into saucepan or deep fryer. Be sure to leave several inches at top, because the oil will bubble vigorously when the fish is introduced. Heat oil to 370 F. 2. Wash fish fillets and dry with paper. Slice fillets in half crosswise. Dip them in beaten egg and then coat with matzo meal.3. Carefully place fillets in hot oil. Do not use more than two fillets at a time, because this will bring down oil temperature.4. Cook fish until a deep golden brown, about 8 minutes. Remove from oil, drain on paper towels, sprinkle with coarse salt. Keep fish warm in oven.For potatoes:1. Peel potatoes and cut into chips about the size of your index finger. Soak in cold water while fish is cooking.2. When fish is done, drain potatoes and slowly place one-third of them in hot oil.3. Cook potatoes until golden brown and crispy, about five minutes. Remove from oil, drain on paper towels, sprinkle with coarse salt. Place potatoes in oven. Repeat process with two remaining batches of potatoes.Serve fish with chips on plate or newspaper. Sprinkle fish with either fresh lemon juice or (preferably) malt vinegar.
