So Good – Review

In his cookbook “So Good – 100 Recipes From My Kitchen To Yours“, Richard Blais says “So here is a collection of recipes that work at home that you want to prepare time and again. They aren’t restaurant dishes with complicated cooking instructions and tons of garnishes.” Now while I agree that you won’t need a Michelin Star to whip up these recipes but they aren’t exactly entry level either. But who cares, they look like they are worth the effort!

When you flip through the recipes you will enjoy a lovely full page for color pictures and lots of little tips or comments about the recipes. The introduction is short and sweet, though I might have liked to find out how he transitioned from McDonalds to cooking school.

Categories For Every Need

• Starters
• Soups and Porridge
• Pasta
• Fish and Seafood
• Chicken, Turkey, Duck, Goose, Squab (and Rabbit)
• Beef, Pork, Lamb, and Goat
• Vegetable
• On the Side
• Desserts

As previously mentioned, these are not recipes for the new cook. While the detailed instructions are excellent, make sure you read the recipes before you start. A few of the recipes require specialized tools or unusual ingredients not found in every kitchen so you might have to make accommodations.

All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed this excellent book. Because I can’t resist a good chip, I have chosen the recipe for Triple-Cooked Fries, enjoy!

Triple-Cooked Fries

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I've been cooking – and eating – French fries since I was a baby and pretty much enjoying every bite. With that pedigree, I feel I can proclaim with 100% certainty that following this process makes a truly great fry! I urge you to try frying them in the beef or duck fat I suggest (see more about them in the note at the end of the recipe). Don't let the type of fat put you off – particularly because the fat pretty much makes the fry. I start the spuds in water, which preps them for the subsequent frames. The double frying and the chilling create a light brown canvas of crevices and fissures that, after two plunges into hot fat, produce irresistibly crunchy, crackly French fries. I've talked enough; I'm hungry!

Makes4 Servings

Ingredients

• 5 pounds Russet potatoes peeled
• kosher salt
• 1 gallon beef tallow or duck fat (see Note)
• 1 bunch parsley fresh, flat–leaf, chopped

Instructions

• Cut the potatoes into strips approximately 1/2 to 3/4 inch wide and 1/2 inch thick. As you cut them, submerge them in a bowl filled with cold water to prevent oxidizing, (turning color).
• Fill the stockpot with cold water, add a little salt, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
• Lift the potatoes from the cold water with a slotted spoon and cook cook in the boiling water until fork-tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Lift the potatoes from the water and spread out on a paper towel-lined baking sheet. Pat the potatoes dry, replace the original layer of paper towels with the dry paper towels, and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a deep, heavy pot or deep-fat fryer, bring that back to a temperature of 275 F over medium-high heat.
• Work in batches, fry the chilled potatoes for 3 to 5 minutes before lifting them from the hot oil with a slotted metal spoon and spreading on the baking sheet (no paper towels this time!). Let the oil regain its heat between batches. Chill the potatoes again for about 15 minutes.
• While the potatoes chill, raise the heat under the fat or just the thermostat on the fryer and heat the fact is 375 F.
• Fry the chilled potatoes again until golden brown and crispy, 4 to 5 minutes, working in batches and letting the fact regain its heat between each one. Use tongs or extra-long chopsticks to break the potatoes apart, if necessary, and turn them in the fat so that they brown evenly.
• With a slotted spoon, transfer the fries to a shallow bowl. Add the parsley and toss to mix. Season with salt and serve warm.

Notes

If you can get beef or duck fat, you won't be sorry. The flavor either one imparts is impossible to match. You'll probably have to work with a butcher or beg a local restaurant chef to help you secure your gallon of fat but in the end, you'll be happy. On the other hand, these fries are damn good when fried in a vegetable oil with a high smoking point, such as canola, soy, or sunflower oil.

About the Reviewer:

Chris Sadler is WebAdmin and Reviewer for RecipesNow.com
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