French Fries

So the French Fries turned out perfectly!  I had to go out and buy an oil thermometer and a splatter gaurd, but it's always good to get more stuff for the kitchen (it's also an excuse to go to the mall :).

4 large russet potatoes. cut into 1/4 by 1/4-inch thick batons and peeled or unpeeled based on your liking
2 quarts peanut oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper

If you have a mandolin slicer, awesome, but if not don't worry about it; it's not difficult to chop up the potatoes.
Rinse cut potatoes in a large bowl with cold running water until clear.  Leave water in the bowl when finished and stick it the fridge for 30 minutes.
In a large pot, add the peanut oil and the oil thermometer.  I was happy to find that the find that the frying process wasn't as difficult as I first thought it was going to be.  If you have a deep fryer to use instead, great!
Heat oil over medium heat to 325 degrees. 
Drain water from the potatoes and dry them with a clean towel.  Increase the heat to medium-high and add the fries using tongs so that you don't get splashed with hot oil.  Stir occasionally for 6 to 8 minutes until potatoes are soft.  Remove with large slotted spoon and set on paper towels to drain.  Let rest for 10 minutes or up to 2 hours. 
When you are ready to serve the fries, reheat the oil to 350 degrees.  Put fries in the oil again for about 1 minute or until they are golden brown.  Put them in a paper towel lined dish, season with salt and pepper and serve.

I am looking forward to finding fun seasonings to use when I do this in the future, as well as trying different kinds of potatoes!

Onion and Garlic Hamburgers

This recipe is one of the first that I perfected for an easy yummy dinner. As you can see there are just the basics here for making a good burger. The part that makes this awesome is what's IN the burger. :)

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 















1 lb ground beef 90/10
1/2 sweet yellow onion (shredded)
5 cloves garlic (minced)
1 tbsp worshestersire sauce
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
5 saltine crackers (crumbled)
salt and pepper to taste

Shred the onion using a grater in a bowl that will be large enough to hold all of the ingredients. Mince the garlic into the bowl then add the ground beef. Add the rest of the ingredients and combine gently. I do this part by hand and then make the patties. Make 4 patties out of the mixture and press the center of the patties down a bit more than the edges. This prevents the middle of the burger from rising up too much.

Cook the burgers to your liking, on a BBQ or in a skillet coated in extra virgin olive oil. With your hamburger buns, add them to the BBQ (not directly to flames) for about 4 minutes to toast or in a 375 degree oven for 5-7 minutes.

Get together your favorite ingredients to pile your hamburger with. I personally love to use an extra sharp cheddar cheese and add the slices to the burgers during the last minute or two of cooking. In these pictures I had a superb heirloom tomato for these too. SO GOOD!

Don't forget your vino and enjoy your dinner. :)

P.S. I am making this for dinner tonight, but I am going to try my hand at making homemade french fries to have with these delicious hamburgers. Wish me luck!