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Photo: Mark Shaw
Whip up a batch of golden-brown, crispy fries in your own kitchen — no deep-fryer necessary!

Making your own fries is as important as making your own burgers: everything tastes better homemade. Now unless you have a deep-fryer, these are going to be on the “rustic” side. I personally like them better that way — you get variation in the color and texture throughout each fry that makes it a much more intimate fry-consuming experience than eating totally uniform ones.

Patience and dry potatoes are the keys here: if your potatoes aren’t completely dry they’ll sputter in the oil, making a mess out of your stovetop and creating uneven temperatures in the pot. Hence, the nifty trick with the dishtowel.

Here’s what you’ll need:

  • A large, deep pot
  • 2-3 potatoes per batch of fries
  • One or two clean dishtowels
  • A sturdy wooden spoon with a long handle
  • Enough peanut oil to cover potatoes by 3 inches
  • Coarse salt for sprinkling