French Fry Diary 693: O'Lordan's Irish Pub

On a recent trip to see the in-laws, and especially see the nephew rock the house as part of his school's chorus, we stopped for a late night dinner at O'Lordan's Irish Pub. It being a pub and it being Friday night meant it was very loud, but we were seated behind the stage where the atmosphere was much quieter - and apparently less traveled by the waitstaff.

As the company was good we didn't mind the long wait time, much. I got my regular, a burger and fries, but what I really wanted to try was the Onion Cone. It's described as "Spanish onions in a seasoned batter and fried golden brown." However in my current altered diabetic state, those types of deep fried delicacies are certain death by carb, and calorie, and cholesterol. Maybe next time.

The burger, ordered medium well, was on the charcoal side of very well done, but still tasty on the inside, as long as one could get through the blackened exterior. On the plus side, it was on a sesame seed bun, which I usually prefer.

The fries that came as a side were waffle fries similar in cut and first glance to Chick-fil-A, but that's where the resemblance ended. If one took those great Chick-fil-A Waffle Fries, battered them, deep-fried them until they were crunchy on the outside and greasy on the inside, then over seasoned them... yeah, you got it. They were that bad.

That said, potatoey products purchased by other members of our party (how's that for alliteration?) were quite good, including the Bangers & Mash and the Potato Skins, the latter of which were made from huge Russet baking potatoes. The Irish Whiskey chicken Tenders also looked very good, maybe for next time. And I'm not adverse to coming back, they could have been having a bad night - not as bad however as the singer who was soundly butchering David Bowie and Tom Petty on the other side of the wall...

Patricia Wells' Fake Frites

This one comes from Food52

Patricia Well's Fake Frites

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients: 2 pounds baking potatoes, such as Idaho russets or Bintje, peeled and cut into thick fries, 3/4 inch by 3 inches, 2 to 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, Fine sea salt to taste.

1. Preheat the oven to 500° F. Bring 1 quart of water to a simmer in the bottom of a steamer. Place the potatoes on the steaming rack, place the rack in the steamer, cover, and steam just until a knife inserted in a potato comes away clean, 10 to 12 minutes. (The potatoes should not be cooked through, or they will tend to fall apart.)

2. Transfer the steamed potatoes to a bowl and drizzle with oil. Carefully toss to coat evenly with oil. (The potatoes can be prepared to this point several hours in advance. Set aside at room temperature.)

3. With a large slotted spoon, transfer the potatoes in a single layer to a nonstick baking sheet. Discard any excess oil or liquid. Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake, turning so they brown evenly, until the potatoes are crisp and deep golden brown, 10 to 20 minutes. Remove from the oven, season generously with salt, and serve immediately.

For the complete recipe, with more images to help you along step by step, click here.

The Albert Bartlett Rooster Potatoes Commercial Revolution

Recently potatoes have taken front and center place in television advertising. Actress Marcia Cross, the flaming redhead best known for her roles in "Desperate Housewives," and a decade before that "Melrose Place," is at the center of this ad campaign.

Albert Bartlett has introduced a new (well, not so new, but new here) red potato to the United States, neither Red nor Russet, the Rooster Potato is one of their prizes and they're pushing it hard, on TV. They also market the Anya, Blonde Bella, and Sundance Potato varieties.



The above was the introductory ad of this campaign, and the full commercial, looking every bit like it's selling conditioner, is here. Enjoy.

Perfectly Baked Italian Herb French Fries

Perfectly Baked Italian Herb French Fries

Ingredients: 2 large Russet potatoes, with skin on, 1 1/2 teaspoon Italian Herb Seasoning, 2 teaspoons grapeseed oil (canola or vegetable oil will work fine), good pinch coarse salt and fresh ground pepper

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Take your washed and dried potatoes and slice longways about 1" thick. Take those slices and cut into fries, keeping your size the same to ensure they cook up evenly.

Place cut fries into a pile on a large rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with oil and seasoning and toss. Spread potato fries evenly across baking sheet. Liberally sprinkle with coarse salt and pepper.

Bake in 425 degrees oven for 25-30 minutes. At 20 minutes check your fries and toss if starting to brown. Let cook for additional 5-10 minutes until they are browned and crisp.

I came across this by way of the Just-Potatoes group over at Aggie's Kitchen. You can see the whole recipe with more delicious images and commentary here.

Brian Boitano's Pimp My Fries

This week on Food Network Fridays we're featuring my favorite new Food Network star, Olympic ice skater Brian Boitano.

His show "What Would Brian Boitano Make?" is seen Sunday afternoons on the network and is a lot of fun. Boitano's over the top, funny, and believe it or not, down to earth style make it a pleasure to watch. And the recipes rock as well.

The most recent episode, "Guy's Ride," features the favorite fried food. Brian's 'Pimp My Fries' is a double-fried treat that proves that the man knows his way around a French fry. You can check out his recipe here.

And yeah, the title of the show is a play on the song "What Would Brian Boitano Do" from "South Park." For me, that just makes it that much cooler. You go, Brian!

Rachel Ray's Oven Steak Fries

Another Food Network Friday, and another Food Network recipe. This one comes from Rachel Ray.

Oven Steak Fries, don't they look delicious?

The recipe comes from the "30 Minutes with an Attitude" episode of "30 Minute Meals."

The full recipe can be found here. Enjoy!

Guy Fieri’s Asian Street Fries

Guy Fieri is one of the more entertaining chefs/hosts on the Food Network. Recently on his "Guy’s Big Bite," on the episode titled "Flash in the Pan," he cooked up some of what he called Asian Street Fries.

For the video: http://www.foodnetwork.com/videos/asian-street-fries/42558.html

For the recipe: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/guy-fieri/asian-street-fries-recipe/index.html

Basic Baked Sweet Potato

Another one from Chow:

Basic Baked Sweet Potato

It may never replace your classic baked russet potato heaped with sour cream, but a baked sweet potato topped with molasses butter is a close runner-up.

TIME/SERVINGS
Total Time: 1 hr 15 mins
Active Time: 5 mins
Makes: 1 serving

INSTRUCTIONS

Heat the oven to 375°F and arrange a rack in the middle. Slice an “X” into the top of a sweet potato and place it directly on the rack with a piece of foil on the rack below. Bake until the potato is easily pierced with a knife, about 60 to 70 minutes. Top with Molasses-Clove Compound Butter and serve.

Chile-Cilantro Hash Browns

From Chow:

Chile-Cilantro Hash Browns

By Aida Mollenkamp

The ultimate hangover food, these hash browns are simply chile-spiked crisped potatoes sprinkled with cilantro. Serve them with a fried egg on top and a side of perfect bacon for a breakfast that will chase away the craziest night of partying.

INGREDIENTS

* 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
* 1 pound russet potatoes
* 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
* 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
* 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
* 1 tablespoon minced fresh cilantro

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Heat oil in a large cast iron skillet or frying pan over medium heat.

2. Meanwhile, peel potatoes and grate on the large holes of a box grater. Squeeze mixture by the handful to release as much moisture as possible. Mix potatoes with chili powder and pepper until well combined.

3. When oil shimmers, scatter potato mixture evenly in the pan and sprinkle salt over top. Cook until the bottom of the hash is golden brown and crisp, about 5 to 6 minutes. Break the hash into four pieces, flip, and cook until golden brown and crisp on the second side, about 4 to 5 minutes more. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve immediately.

How to Buy Potatoes for Thanksgiving

Grocery School gives us a lesson in buying potatoes just in time for Thanksgiving. Good luck buying them, enjoy the potatoes and have a Happy Holiday!

Vah Reh Vah Fries and Chips

Here's a couple video recipes for French fries and potato chips from the folks at Vah Reh Vah...



Much wisdom regarding type of potato, cooking temperatures and other goodies here. Mmmm... fries... and chips...

The Peckerwood Gravy Company

The Peckerwood Gravy Company, located here, is a fun and informative food blog exploring the styles and recipes of the American Midwest.



Here is their recipe for, what else – French fries!