Description
Crispy potato straws, also known as Pommes Paille, are thinly julienned potatoes fried until golden and crunchy. This simple yet delicious recipe creates perfect crispy fries ideal for snacking, garnishing dishes, or serving alongside your favorite steak or main course.
Ingredients
Scale
Ingredients
- 1 potato (Aus: Sebago, US: Russet, UK: Maris Piper, or another starchy or all-rounder potato)
- 1 1/2 – 2 cups vegetable oil (canola, sunflower, or peanut oil)
- Sea salt flakes, crushed with fingers into a powder
Instructions
- Shred: Finely julienne the potato using a julienne mandoline, cutting into 2-4 mm (1/16 – 1/8 inch) thick strips to create thin potato straws.
- Rinse: Place the julienned potato in a bowl of water and rinse thoroughly, changing the water as necessary until it runs clear. Drain the potatoes in a colander. Optionally, you can keep the potatoes soaking in water overnight in the fridge to remove excess starch.
- Dry: Spread the rinsed potato straws on tea towels and pat them dry completely. If time allows, air dry them for 1 hour or more to ensure they are dry, which reduces oil splattering and helps achieve crispier fries.
- Heat Oil: Pour the vegetable oil into a saucepan ensuring there is at least 10 cm (4 inches) of clearance above the oil surface. Heat the oil over high heat until it reaches 180°C (350°F).
- Fry Potatoes: Slowly scatter the dried potato straws across the surface of the hot oil. Add them gradually as the oil will bubble up. Use chopsticks or similar to stir gently once or twice during frying.
- Fry until Crisp: Fry the potato straws for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes or until they turn light golden and crispy. Remove them using a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. The fries will get more golden as they drain. Repeat frying with remaining potatoes.
- Season: Transfer the fries into a bowl, sprinkle with crushed sea salt flakes, and gently toss to coat evenly.
- Serve: Serve immediately while warm as a snack, garnish (such as with Beef Tataki), or alongside a juicy steak for a delightful crunch.
Notes
- Using a starchy potato like Sebago, Russet, or Maris Piper is essential for a crispy texture.
- Make sure to rinse the potatoes thoroughly to remove excess starch which prevents them from sticking together during frying.
- Drying the potatoes well before frying helps avoid oil splattering and results in crisper fries.
- Slowly add potatoes to the hot oil to avoid dangerous bubbling and overflowing.
- The fries will continue to crisp and darken slightly after removal from the oil as they drain.
- Use neutral vegetable oils with a high smoke point like canola, sunflower, or peanut oil for frying.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Frying
- Cuisine: French
Keywords: potato straws, pommes paille, crispy fries, julienne potatoes, fried potato sticks, homemade fries, side dish
