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Homemade Shoestring Potato Sticks

Homemade Shoestring Potato Sticks

Do you remember eating those crispy shoestring potato sticks that came in a cardboard can from the grocery store?? OMG they were do good! Thin, crispy strings of potatoes with just enough salt, like if potato chips and french fries had a baby.

It’s super to easy to make them at home, all you need is a few simple ingredients and supplies.

  • Fat – These are FRIED. There’s no way around it. You’ll never get the crispy texture you’re looking for when you bake them and anyone who tells you different are liars (I’m not joking). If you’re still freaked out at the idea of deep fat frying, stop. Fats aren’t the enemy, they never were – but the QUALITY of your fats matter. For best results, I recommend using lard from organic pasture/woodland hogs. For more information on fats click HERE.
  • Dutch Oven – Any time we deep fry, we use our Cast Iron Dutch Oven. You can also use any heavy bottomed pot or electric fryer. For your safety, do not fill your pot over 1/3 full with fat for frying to avoid a dangerous boil over. Having a dedicated pot for frying is ideal, you can fry several different times in the same oil before it becomes too dirty. We just keep our oil in our Cast Iron Dutch Oven and keep reusing it until it looks visibly dirty and fried foods start getting too brown before they are done.
  • Thermometer – When you are deep frying it’s so important to closely monitor the temperature of your fat. You do not want the temperature to get too hot because it can make it less healthy, as a general rule for deep frying don’t let your fat exceed 350 degrees. It’s also important to know what the temperature your fat is to ensure your adding your food at the right time for best cooking results. We have THIS candy/frying thermometer.
  • Potatoes – Today we used a mix of Yukon Gold and Red Skinned, but any variety of potato will work. Always buy organic potatoes since they are heavily pesticide laden. Or better yet grow your own, they are so fun to harvest!
  • Mandoline – There’s not way around it. You gotta grab one of these awesome (and cheap) mandolines. They take all the work out of making shoestring potatoes (and potato chips). You’ll get consistent cuts of potatoes that will ensure even cooking.  And by cheap, at the time I’m posting this it’s only $15.99. Yes it’s plastic but we’ve been using ours for over a year and LOVE it. This isn’t a kitchen gadget you’ll use all the time so don’t spend a bunch on it, your hard earned money is better spent on grass fed fats and organic potatoes!
  • Sea Salt – Potatoes are nothing without Salt and I always recommend using Sea Salt instead of table salt. It’s one of the easiest healthy swaps in your kitchen.

You’ll want to get your fat heating in your Cast Iron Dutch Oven first. Remember don’t fill your pot over 1/3 of the way full. If you are using an electric deep fryer you’ll want to follow the manufactures instructions. Don’t forget to put your thermometer in your pot to monitor the temperature of you fat! While your fat is heating up get your  potatoes cut using your mandoline – you’ll want to turn the big knob to put up the julienne cutting blades and adjust the lower knob to adjust the thickness of the cut. If you don’t have a mandoline you can also cut your potatoes into very thin sticks.

How to make Homemade Shoestring Potato Sticks - Health Starts in the Kitchen How to make Homemade Shoestring Potato Sticks - Health Starts in the Kitchen

Once your potatoes are cut and your fat reaches 340-350 it’s time to get frying! You’ll want to add your potatoes SLOWLY in small batches, stirring them to avoid bubbling up. Don’t over fill your fryer you want your potatoes to have lots of room to cook, it’s better to cook less potatoes at a time in more batches.

How to make Homemade Shoestring Potato Sticks - Health Starts in the Kitchen

Pay attention to your fryer, don’t leave the kitchen and don’t get preoccupied. The temperature of your oil will drop when you add your potatoes and then start coming back up as they fry. Be mindful of the setting on your stove to make sure your oil doesn’t exceed 350 degrees.

Your shoestring potato sticks are done when they are floating, barely sizzling and starting to brown. Scoop them out with a metal slotted spoon or fryer basket, allow them to drain on a paper towel lined plate and season generously with Sea Salt.

Don’t these (below) look totally amazing??

Homemade Shoestring Potato Sticks

 

Would you dip these into ketchup or ranch?? Or eat them plain??

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