William was in town this weekend, so I was hoping to try a new recipe while he was here, but instead, we just enjoyed the opportunity to spend time with each other and I did not cook until he left. Kinda funny I guess 🙂
Anyway… after dropping him off at the airport, it was kinda late and I was not up to cooking anything too fancy, so I decided to try a recipe for a side dish/appetizer. I found a recipe for sweet potato fries on the Food Network’s website. It gave me the opportunity to use the deep fryer we got as a wedding gift. I cannot believe we have not used it until know. I took it out before William left, and he says “I didn’t know we had a deep fryer.” (Some gifts arrived while he was in Denver, so I probably told him, but it has been a while). So, the recipe was pretty simple and the fries came out pretty good. I may have cooked them a bit too long, but I wanted them to be a little crispy. The seasoning was pretty good also, but I may experiment with others as well. The recipe is below.
Sweet Potato Fries (Courtesy of Emeril Legasse)
Ingredients
- 2 large sweet potatoes (about 3 pounds, total)
- 2 quarts vegetable
oil - 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Pinch cayenne
- Pinch cinnamon
Directions
Boil sweet potatoes in water to cover for 10 minutes. Remove and allow to cool. Peel potatoes and cut into 1/4 by 1/4-inch thick batons.
Meanwhile in a 5-quart pot or Dutch oven fitted with a candy or deep-frying thermometer, (or in an electric deep fryer), heat oil over medium-low heat until the thermometer registers 300 degrees F. Make sure you have at least 3 inches of space between the top of the oil and the top of the pan, as fries will bubble up when they are added.
Increase the heat to medium-high and add fries, a handful at a time, to the hot oil. Fry, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are soft and limp and just begin to brown, about 3 to 4 minutes. Using a skimmer or slotted spoon, carefully remove fries from the oil and set aside to drain on paper towels. Let rest for at least 10 minutes or up to 2 hours.
When ready to serve the fries, reheat the oil to 350?F. Transfer the blanched potatoes to the hot oil and fry again, stirring frequently until browned and puffed, about 1 minute. Transfer to paper lined platter and allow to drain for a minute.
Combine the brown sugar, salt, cayenne and cinnamon in a large bowl. Add the fries and toss to coat. Serve immediately.
