Skinsy fries are good with skinsy wine, but I drank chilled red with these. Sometimes, the itch in a wine benefits from temperature alteration and the afternoon long-shadowed heat coupled against a mouthful of hot fries and demanding ketchup acids, made it perfect. The rose in the salt helps soften things, too.
I think I got the idea for the ketchup from an old Gourmet Traveller issue that I went on to manipulate then taint with spices and smoke – the good things. You’d do well to make a double batch of it, storing it in the refrigerator for later slathering when fries aren’t an option. Sometimes, I don’t even make them myself and order them in instead, just for the sauce and wine alone.
for the rose salt
30 g fleur de sel, a small handful of edible dried rose petals
For the rose salt, put the fleur de sel and petals into a small bowl. Rub the two between your fingertips, working to release the delicate essence of the roses, until the mixture is lightly fragrant. You’ll want to retain some whole petals throughout, so don’t work them in too harsh. Set aside for use. The excess can be sealed and stored in a glass jar for about a month – keep it in a dark place.
for the quince ketchup
100 g quince paste, 30 ml balsamic vinegar, a tablespoon of water, ¼ teaspoon ground paprika, a pinch of ground cumin, a teaspoon of salt, ½ teaspoon of liquid smoke, optional
For the ketchup, put all the ingredients into a blender and blend to a paste. I usually like to let the motor run for less than a minute, aiming to retain some residual coarseness and darkness from the quince but how smooth you want to take it is entirely up to you. The more the motor works, the more homogenous the ketchup gets and the lighter it will be, so keep that in mind, too.
for the fries
2 large russet potatoes (scrubbed well), vegetable oil, (enough for frying)
To make the fries, set a bowl of cold water near to the space where you’ll be working. With a sharp knife, cut the potatoes into fatter than match sticks, tossing them into the water as you go. You’re aiming for shoestring size with about a ¼-inch (.6-cm) width but I always eyeball this part and do it rough instead.
Fill a large heavy-bottomed pot with at least 4-inches (10-cm) of oil, making sure that plenty of room for movement remains at the top as the oil will bubble up rapidly during frying. Attach a deep-fry or candy thermometer and bring to 350 F (180 C) over medium heat. Meanwhile, drain the fries then rinse them again, drying thoroughly on a clean kitchen towel and patting off any residual water. Set a wire cooling rack over a lined baking sheet.
Once the oil is at temperature, fry in small batches until the potatoes are golden brown and crisp, about 5 minutes. You may need to adjust the heat and position of the pan as you work, aiming to keep the temperature as consistent as possible. Remove the fries with a mesh skimmer or slotted spoon and set onto the rack to drain off the excess oil. Toss in as much rose salt as desired then serve soon after with the quince ketchup.
#Flowering #Fries #Quince #Ketchup #Butter #Brioche
