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Pommes de Terre Pont-Neuf
Created by Chef Juliette
Pommes de terre Pont-Neuf prove that cut size is technique: stout half-inch rods meet one steady bath of fat and emerge crisp at the corners, tender and creamy through the middle.
Pommes de terre Pont-Neuf (half-inch fried potato rods) teach the first law of fried potatoes: the cut is the cooking time. Make every rod the same stout size and the surface can turn crisp while the center remains creamy. Thin ends and thick middles cannot finish together, however grand the pot.
The classical entry assumed a deep professional fryer held at steady heat and a commis trimming potatoes for a whole service. Here, 1 3/4 pounds of potatoes go into a heavy home pot in two modest batches, with a thermometer doing the watching. The vast vat and brigade quantity were scaffolding, so they go. The square cut and single uninterrupted fry are the dish, so they stay. One cook, one stove, one evening.
When Pont-Neuf are right, the corners are deep gold and rigid, while a broken rod shows a soft ivory center with no chalkiness. Measure the first few cuts and dry them completely before they meet the fat. That careful half-inch rod is the one step that decides everything.
Ingredients
russet potatoes
Quantity
4 medium-large (about 1 3/4 lb / 800 g)
peeled
refined peanut oil or other neutral high-heat frying oil
Quantity
2 qt (1.9 L / about 1.75 kg)
for deep-frying
fine sea salt
Quantity
1 tsp (5 ml / 6 g), plus more to taste
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| russet potatoespeeled | 4 medium-large (about 1 3/4 lb / 800 g) |
| refined peanut oil or other neutral high-heat frying oilfor deep-frying | 2 qt (1.9 L / about 1.75 kg) |
| fine sea salt | 1 tsp (5 ml / 6 g), plus more to taste |
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