Country Fried Potatoes
This is a favorite at our house, and I make these at least once a week. Onions are optional, but a sweet white onion chopped and fried with the potatoes gives the potatoes a special flavor. My husband's favorite meal is pinto beans, fried potatoes, and cornbread.
This is a favorite at our house, and I make these at least once a week. Onions are optional, but a sweet white onion chopped and fried with the potatoes gives the potatoes a special flavor. My husband's favorite meal is pinto beans, fried potatoes, and cornbread.
- Carbohydrate 30.501325 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 0.1453 g
- Fiber 2.37424993216991 g
- Protein 3.61115 g
- Saturated Fat 0.0393 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (177g)
- Sodium 47.4455 mg
- Sugar 28.1270750678301 g
- Trans Fat 0.0416425 g
- Calories 133 calories
Step-by-step
- Peel, wash, and dice the potatoes in bite sized pieces.
- Put enough oil in the bottom of a medium sized non-stick skillet to cover the bottom of the pan, and be about 1/4 inch deep.
- Heat oil over medium high heat until hot.
- You can check the temperature by dropping a piece of potato into the oil.
- If the piece of potato sizzles, you are ready to add the rest of the potatoes and onions.
- After you add the vegetables to the hot oil, generously salt and pepper them, cover with a splatter screen, if desired, and let them fry for about 10 minutes.
- Gently turn the potatoes over, and let them fry for about another 10 minutes.
- Be careful not to turn the potatoes too often, or they will begin to disolve.
- Continue frying and turning until the potatoes reach desired doneness.
- I like to have a plate lined with a paper towel ready to take them up on.
- This allows the excess oil to drain off of the vegetables.
- Add salt and pepper to taste after removing from the skillet, and serve hot.
How long should raw starches sit in hot oil before the first flip to ensure a proper crust forms without disintegrating? Russet varieties carry high starch concentrations that demand a quarter-inch layer of oil maintained at medium-high heat. Testing the oil temperature with a single diced piece prevents premature crowding that drops thermal energy and leads to soggy results. Leaving the vegetables undisturbed for the first ten minutes allows moisture to evaporate and encourages deep golden browning on the contact surface. Resisting the urge to constantly agitate the pan protects the structural integrity of the potato chunks. Transitioning from raw tubers to freshly sliced ingredients alters the moisture release rate entirely compared to pre-cooked or frozen formats. Fresh produce requires adequate drainage on paper towels immediately upon removal from the skillet to eliminate surface grease. Plant-based frying methods naturally fit vegan and vegetarian diets without altering the fundamental cooking physics involved.
