Fried Raw Potatoes

A skillet of thin-sliced raw potatoes, closer to a covered saute than to a deep-fried chip. The whole method turns on slicing thin enough that steam alone can finish the cooking.

• Slice thickness is the hinge"As thin as wafers" means about 1/16 inch, which is a mandoline or a very steady hand. Thicker slices will brown outside before the centres soften, and the covered pan cannot rescue them.
• Rinse and dryRinsing off surface starch keeps the slices from welding into one mass, but they must be patted thoroughly dry or the fat will spit and the potatoes will steam grey rather than brown.
• Fat substitutionOne tablespoon each of lard and butter is about 1 oz of fat total for six potatoes -- lean by modern habit. Lard can be replaced with any neutral high-smoke-point oil; keep the butter for flavour and colour, and expect to add a little more fat partway through.
• "When this boils"The fat is not truly boiling; the phrase describes the butter's water content foaming and subsiding, leaving the surface hot and shimmering. Add the potatoes at that point, not before.
• Covered, then uncoveredThe lid traps steam and cooks the slices through, but it also condenses moisture back onto them. Cook covered 8-10 minutes over medium heat, then finish uncovered so the surfaces dry and crisp.
• Pan size and turningSix potatoes is more than one 10-inch skillet will brown properly. Work in two batches, or accept a soft, layered result and turn the mass in sections with a wide spatula rather than stirring.
• SeasoningSalt draws water out of raw slices, so season lightly at the start and correct at the end. A quarter teaspoon of salt per batch plus pepper is a reasonable starting point.
• YieldSix medium potatoes serve four as a side dish. They collapse quickly once off the heat, so the instruction to serve very hot is practical rather than decorative.