I have this rule, and maybe you do too: I will only eat a french fry if it is really worth it. Lackluster taters from the drive-thru window are not worth my time. Bags of fries do not get a second glance as I maneuver my cart through the grocery store’s freezer aisle. Limp deli fries encroaching on my lunch-hour sandwich? No thanks. But show me a basket piled high with hand-cut, freshly fried, intensely seasoned garlic Parmesan fries and I feel weak in the knees.
I used to think there was a top-secret formula for salty, savory garlic Parmesan fries only distributed to restaurant chefs (and there might be), but I’m here to show you that with a handful of good-quality ingredients and a few strategic steps you too can serve restaurant-quality garlic Parmesan fries from the comfort of your own home.
The key to homemade, baked garlic Parmesan fries is a simple two-step cooking process. After slicing your potatoes to size, blanch them in salted water for a few minutes to start the cooking process. Par-cooking the fries is an essential step that should not be skipped; it is how oven-baked fries get a crisp crust with a light, fluffy interior. A quick dip in an ice bath stops the cooking process.
FULL RECIPE ON THE NEXT PAGE >>