The garlic cheese fries are not only my favorite sinful munch, they hold special memory to me. It’s all started in Hawaii when my husband and I were still dating. A stroll at a beach was romantic indeed. But even with romance, that doesn’t satiate the feeling of hunger. Hunger for food. It wasn’t exactly dinner time yet, but tummy was growling and we walked by this place that sold garlic cheese fries. I never had a garlic cheese fries before and I was immediately bought to the idea of eating garlic cheese fries as snacks (not the healthiest I know, but I was on vacation and eating healthy wasn’t on my list that day!)
But, there was a problem! we thought it was going to be just a quick stroll and we didn’t carry our wallets. My husband only carried few changes in his pocket and definitely not enough for the garlic cheese fries. I was disappointed! VERY disappointed as a matter of fact! My husband asked the guy if he could make us some garlic fries with whatever money we had. I was about to get ready to run away and bury my face somewhere into a ground like an ostrich when he asked that question. I mean….geez…who would do that!! but I heard “oh sure…” I was like “seriously?… wow”. So that day I learned two things from my husband “All you have to do is ask. The worst thing that could happen is a “No” and “You start with a zero and if the guy say “no”, I still have a zero (nothing to lose right?)” So, thank to him for asking that question, I was able to experience the garlic cheese fries for the very first time and it was down right impressive! Super delicious. The garlic and the cheese cling to the fries. So garlickly, so cheesy, everything about this garlic cheese fries felt so right!!!
So, this garlic cheese fries recipe is my effort to recreate that wonderful experience. The key in making the fries crispy is absolutely no longer a secret this day, like how I shared it on my Ultimate French Fries post. Frying the fries twice with the right temperature (it worths investing in a deep-fry thermometer). Another important thing to make the garlic and cheese clings to your fries are to make sure you have a garlic paste (use a garlic press if you have one) mix with the cheese and some butter. There you go…garlic cheese fries.
GARLIC CHEESE FRIES
Ingredients
- 3 lbs Idaho or large Yukon gold potatoes- scrubbed (be sure to use either one of these two)
- 2 quarts canola or peanut oil
- 6 cloves garlic (very finely minced, use garlic press if you have one)
- ½ cup finely chopped parsley leaves
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese
- 1 stick of butter
- Peanut oil for deep-frying
Instructions
- Peeled the garlics and minced them very finely or use a garlic press and they will turn into paste. Melt the butter in a small pan. Add in the garlic and saute until fragrant but not burnt. Tip into a large bowl and mix in the parsley leaves and parmesan cheese. Stir to mix. Set aside
- Cut the potatoes (with the skin on or off) into uniform fries by hand or with a mandoline
- Rinse the fries in warm water (to get rid of extra starch that makes the potatoes soggy), drain, and dry. In an electric deep-fryer or a large stockpot, heat oil until a deep-frying thermometer registers 325 F
- Using a slotted spoon or frying basket, carefully lower about 2 cups of the fries at a time into the oil. Fry for 4 to 5 minutes, until they begin to color. Remove the fries from the oil, and drain on paper towels. Let cool at least 10 minutes. The fries can be prepared to this point several hours ahead of time and kept at room temperature.
- Raise the oil temperature to 365F. Lower the fries, 2 cups at a time, into the oil for 1 to 2 minutes, until deep golden brown. Drain on paper towels very briefly and put the hot fries into the large bowl you have the garlic mixture in earlier and toss to mix everything. The garlic mixture and cheese will cling to your fries and serve immediately
Notes
