Steak Frites

Steak Frites with Asian-Style Stir Fried Green Beans

Rib Eye Steak

How to cook the perfect Rib Eye Steak 

in 8 minutes

Lemon Salt + Rosemary French Fries

A few notes:

• This recipe requires a mandoline — the fine shape of the julienned potato allows them to fry up first time around (as opposed to thick-cut fries, which require a double fry) — and calls for deep frying.
• When deep frying, be very careful. Use a pot with high sides to be safe, and make sure the oil is not filled as far as half-way up the sides — two or three inches should do.
• Fry in small batches: If you add too many potatoes to the hot oil, the oil will bubble over the side of the pan and creep along your stove top, creating a huge mess and posing a serious danger to you and anyone crawling around your floor. Too many potatoes at one time, too, will bring the temperature of the oil down, which will cause the potatoes to take longer to cook also making them soggy in the process.

April Bloomfield’s Rosemary Straw Potatoes with Lemon Salt
Source: Cooking with Jamie

for the lemon salt:
zest of one lemon
4 tablespoons sea salt (I used 3)

sunflower oil (I used a mix of canola and vegetable oil)
1 3/4 lb. potatoes, peeled and julienned* (I used Yukon Gold, and I didn’t peel)
a few sprigs of rosemary

* The potatoes can be julienned in advance — about an hour or so — before they start turning slightly brown. A little brown is OK, but too much brown is probably not a good idea. Storing the potatoes in water will prevent browning, but you also must dry the potatoes very well before you start frying, which is kind of a pain.

1. Make the lemon salt: In a mortar and pestle, bash together the lemon zest and salt until salt is flavored, colored, and fine. Place in a dish. Use whatever you need right away or allow it to dry out for a couple of hours before storing it. (I made my lemon salt a day in advance and stored it in the mortar wrapped in plastic wrap.)

2. Heat 2 to 3 inches of oil in a sturdy, high-sided pan; bring to deep-frying temperature (350°F; to avoid oil catching fire, be sure to maintain its temperature at 350°F). Jamie’s tip: place a potato in the cold oil before you turn the burner on. When the potato rises to the top of the oil and begins to turn golden brown, the oil is ready. Remove the potato piece and start frying in small batches.

3. Pat the julienne strips dry with some paper towels to remove any excess starch. Making sure you’ve got a slotted spoon or spider (which is like a flat colander with a handle) and a big pile of paper towels to one side (I did not use paper towels, but instead transfered the finished fries to a large aluminum bowl, which allows for easy tossing), carefully place some of your potatoes into the pan of oil (don’t overcrowd it) for a couple of minutes (1 to 2) until golden brown and crisp. Cook potatoes in batches until they are all used up. Add the rosemary for the last 30 seconds. (Note: It’s hard to judge when the last 30 seconds will be, but the rosemary can be in the oil for as few as 10 seconds. I basically added the rosemary in at the last few seconds of each batch). Remove the potatoes and rosemary to the paper towels (or a large bowl) to soak up any excess oil; dust with your lemon salt. Serve immediately, perhaps alongside a blue cheese burger as they are at the Spotted Pig.

Asian-Style Stir Fried Green Beans

Ingredients:

• 1 bag frozen green beans, thawed and drained (Obviously, fresh would be better. But if you’re short on time, the frozen stuff is great.)
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 1/2 tbsp sesame oil

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, mix soy sauce, 1/2 tbsp garlic, pepper flakes, and brown sugar. Stir until sugar is dissolved and mixture is uniform.
2. Add drained/dried green beans, and toss to coat in sauce
3. Heat sesame oil in a pan/wok on medium-high heat. When tiny bubbles start to form in the oil, add remaining minced garlic and cook until fragrant.
4. Pour green beans/sauce into the heated, oiled pan. Using a spatula, spread green beans out in a more or less even layer in the pan. Cover, and let cook for about 3-5 minutes.
5. Stir/toss green beans to avoid burning, then cover and cook for another 3-5 minutes, until your green beans get soft and you start seeing browned bits at the tips.
6. Enjoy immediately, over a bowl of rice.