Pommes Frites with Two Dipping Sauces

Ingredients:
2-3 lb russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch wide, 3 inch long pieces
canola oil

frites sauce #1
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons capers
2 tablespoons parsley
2 anchovies

frites sauce #2
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
freshly ground black pepper


Directions:
frites sauce #1: pulse all ingredients in a blender until fairly smooth.
frites sauce #2: whisk all ingredients together.

For the frites:
Soak the cut up potato in cold water for 10-15 minutes. Drain and pat dry. Meanwhile, bring a heavy, tall sided pan of oil up to 300. Add the fries in a fry basket if possible) and cook for about 6 minutes. They should look pale but when broken in half, they should look nearly cooked inside.



Drain and allow to cool completely. Heat the oil again, this time to 350. Cook fries about 3 minutes or until golden and crisp. Drain and serve immediately.

My thoughts:

Making your own fries at home can seem daunting but if you are willing to sacrifice some cooking oil and time, it is really quite easy. As you all know, I loathe ketchup so I normally eat my fries plain or dipped in some other sort of sauce-cocktail or tartar if eating some kind of seafood etc. So I've always been intrigued by the variety of sauces (normally mayo-based) that Belgian frites shops offer. I came up with two simple sauces that not only are extremely tasty but are made of ingredients I always have on hand. And they keep just fine in the refrigerator for a few days, so you can make them ahead of time if the thought of frying and making sauce simultaneously is too daunting.