Jalapeño and Onion Frites

This morning I woke up with an unusual clarity about what to make for breakfast; frites with jalapeños and onions. Some call them hashbrowns or homefries, but the French call them frites. I’m going to stick with that so they sound fancier. My husband and I have tried to make breakfast potatoes a number of times and can never quite get them right. We had no problem grilling potatoes with jalapeño and onion in foil, but for some reason the frying angle is a bit tougher.

After many a trial and error, we’ve figured out that it’s very important to dry out the pieces of potato before trying to fry them. So, this morning, it was like I already knew what to do. All I could think of was how to get the frites to turn out like our very favorite ones at Lulu in Charlotte, NC. I couldn’t post about their delicious French food, because it’s outside the realm of ‘cheap food‘ but they have the absolute best breakfast frites known to man, I’m sure of it. So, with Lulu on my mind, I set out for a nice knock-off. Here’s how to do it:

SERVES 2

INGREDIENTS

3 small/medium white potatoes (about 1 per person)

1 small yellow onion – coarsely chopped

1 fresh jalapeño – diced

1 tsp ground cayenne pepper

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp seasoned salt (Old Bay or blackening season will work)

2 Tbsp of flour (I used whole wheat flour)

2 C. peanut oil

DIRECTIONS

1. Place a cookie sheet in the oven at 375, or tray in the toaster oven. Preheat oven with sheet inside.

2. Dice the potatoes with the skin on and place on paper towels. Pat dry.

3. Move the potatoes to the cookie sheet and bake for 5-8 minutes until dry to the touch. You may want to move them around every few minutes so they don’t stick to the tray, but don’t use oil or cooking spray, as this defeats the purpose of this step by trapping in the moisture.

4. While the potatoes are in the oven, preheat the oil in a small pot on medium-high heat.

5. Remove the potatoes from the oven and place into a medium-sized bowl. Sprinkle with flour, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, and onion powder and toss to coat.

6. Test the oil with one small piece of potato. When it’s bubbling steadily, it is ready, however if the oil is smoking, it’s too hot and you should let it cool slightly.

7. Add the potatoes and let fry for 4-6 minutes until there is a slight color/texture change, but not fully cooked.

8. Then add the diced jalapeño and onion. Fry for an additional 4-6 minutes until golden brown.

9. Remove everything from the oil with a slotted spoon or similar, and place on a new bed of paper towels. Sprinkle with seasoned salt and serve your jalapeño and onion frites immediately.