Ohhhh.....Potatoes, they are great, aren't they? Potatoes are a fairly inexpensive way to add to a meal, or even become the star of the show! Baked, mashed, steamed, riced, roasted, and today they're fried! Any potato is fine to use, and there isn't a set amount of potatoes for this recipe! I just grabbed 1-2 per person depending on what size they are. These are the common cheap russet potatoes. They are easy to slice and have great flavor for most recipes! I do like a good fingerling or Yukon gold too!
First thing first you want to start with a clean potato. So get your scrubber and a little elbow grease and take a few minutes to get all the dirt off the skins of your chosen potatoes. Now, you can choose to peel them, but actually there are a lot of nutrients and fiber in those skins!
Now it's time to grab the cutting board and a good knife! I love using a Santoku style knife. They are not only sharp, but have those little ridges in them to create an air pocket so it's easier for food to release from the knife. But really...any knife will do!
Start by slicing in halves or thirds depending on the size of the potato. Then make strips along the potato. They could become fries at this point, but if you just turn the potatoes and cut in the opposite direction, you have cubes. I was feeling that cubes would be good for this day!
Do your best to make the potatoe cubes around the same size. Now.... the "potato police" will not come knocking at your door, but it just makes it easier to cook them evenly!
Here is the point where controversy comes in! If you want to rid some of the starchiness of the potato, you will want to rinse and dry them. If you choose this method, you can use paper towels, and even a salad spinner comes in handy. I however live on the edge and also was in a hurry! I skipped that step and went ahead and placed the potatoes in a hot cast iron skillet. BE CAREFUL!!!! I forgot how wet the potatoes still were and did splatter some grease on my arm. Totally my fault! Just add them slowly and you'll be fine!
I find that different oils hold different temperature points. In my humble ... not so experienced opinion... plain old vegetable oil works really good for potatoes! But experiment around with whatever oil you want, or even a non stick pan can work for this.....but I'm a cast iron snob these days, so that's what I'm using, lol!
When the potatoes start to brown, just turn them over to get the other side done! Simple as that! It takes a few minutes, so a great time to get started on other components of your meal, if you so desire!
Place potatoes on a paper towel to soak up the grease, but while still hot, add your seasonings. Today I chose to use my husbands favorite all purpose seasoning mix that will remain nameless. I do also use the no-salt type, and french fry seasoning is good too. Maybe you have a special mix of your own! Potatoes are bland, so adding some sort of seasoning really is necessary in my opinion!
Just keep layering potatoes and seasonings until you are done. You can set the oven to the "warm" setting or place inside the microwave to keep warm.
Today we had our potatoes as a side. They were gobbled up with only a few leftovers. Those potatoes will be warmed up with cheese sprinkled over the top for a snack the next day! P.S. Look for the meat dish recipe to come soon!
Let me know how you decided to make your potatoes! Rinse or no rinse? What seasoning did you use? Were there leftovers? What else did you serve with them? We want to know!
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