Ah, the potato. At first glance it is a lowly root vegetable, but don’t let it fool you: It is capable of great tastiness. Take, for example, mashed potatoes, garlic smashed potatoes, oven roasted potatoes, cream of potato soup, baked potatoes, home fries, and french fries. The long list of things that can be done with a mere potato point to its importance in our ancestors’ diets as a staple during the winter.

In celebration of the potato, I have mastered the perfect homemade french fry. These are more like “steak fries” than other varieties, and  they start in oil on the stove top and finish in the oven. Here’s how:

INGREDIENTS

Potatoes

Oil (canola, sunflower, vegetable)

Salt and pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS

Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees. Slice the potatoes once lengthwise. Place each half cut side-down on the cutting board, and slice several times lengthwise into half-inch strips. Pour one-half-inch oil into a tall walled pan, like a Dutch oven or other pot, and heat on medium. In batches, place the potatoes in the oil and let them brown lightly. After a few minutes, use a metal spatula to loosen the potatoes from the bottom of the pan and let them brown slightly on another side. Put each browned batch on a baking tray. When all the potatoes are browned, put them in the oven to cook through for about 10-15 minutes.