World-Class Home Fries: A Primer

There is nothing like a fried potato.

I make the following recipe for home-fried potatoes at least once a week. The success of home fries lies in the technique and timing, not in any fancy-pants ingredients or accompaniments.

Ingredients:

Olive Oil for frying
Red potatoes (2 medium potatoes yields a good serving)
Salt
Prosciutto or other thin cured meat (optional)

Preparation:

Wash and dry the potatoes with the skins still on. Red potatoes work best because they're a "waxy" kind of potato instead of a "starchy" kind like a russet. Cut them up into cubes a little bigger than dice (3/4" or so).

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat, and pour in enough olive oil to just coat the entire bottom of the pan.

Once the oil starts to really get going (a bit of rippling and smoke) add the cut potatoes, tossing them a few times to coat, and sprinkle on some salt. Every potato piece should fully touch the surface of the oil as they sizzle.


Now, the important technique: LEAVE THEM ALONE. No flipping or stirring for several minutes; this allows the magnificent gold crust to form, which is key to successful home fries.

Once you see a golden brown color coming up on the potatoes from the bottom of the pan, it is time to turn them. Use your implement to flip each potato so it's resting on a different side than before. They should have shrunk a little bit in the last few minutes, making this easier. Salt again, and let them be!


After several more minutes of frying on a different side, the potatoes should be close to done. Stab one out and taste it -- it should be crispy on the outside and have a kind of creamy consistency in the center. If they're still not done, let them go a little more.


Once they're where you want them, add the slices of cured meat (or a bit earlier, if the cured meat is thick-sliced.) This will heat the meat up and cook it a bit, but just slightly -- You don't want cured meat with the consistency of shrapnel in your home fries.

Slide the fries onto your plate or bowl, lightly salt once more, and you're done!


A note about seasonings: the flavor of a just-fried potato is, by itself, a glorious thing. Maybe a touch of ketchup or Tabasco if that's your scene, but try them by themselves first to see what you're missing.