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Potato Ribbons
Wash and peel half a dozen large kidney potatoes, and let them lie in cold water for a few minutes. Cut them into ribbons, round and round, like an apple, and keep the strips as nearly as possible of one width. They must not be too thin or they will break. Fry them in plenty of hot fat until they are lightly browned. Drain them on a wire sieve, and sprinkle a little pepper and salt over them. Serve on a hot dish. Time to fry, eight or ten minutes. Sufficient for three or four persons.
A single-blade version of the potato crisp, cut in one long spiral rather than in rounds. It works with ordinary equipment, but two details in the original need translation.
- Dry them before they meet the fatIn the original the potatoes soak whole, before cutting, so the water is chiefly firming and rinsing the peeled surface; whatever the reason, the ribbons must be patted thoroughly dry on a towel before frying. Wet potato in hot fat spatters and steams the ribbon limp instead of crisping it.
- "Kidney potatoes"An older name for long, oval, fairly waxy varieties. Any large firm potato that gives a long peel works: Yukon Gold, Maris Piper, or a big russet. Avoid small round new potatoes, which yield ribbons too short to be worth the trouble.
- Cutting the ribbonA swivel peeler run round and round the potato gives an even strip; a sharp knife and a steady hand does the same. Aim for the thickness of a thick potato chip, roughly 1/8 inch. Thinner strips break in the fat, as the original warns.
- Fat temperature"Plenty of hot fat" implies enough depth for the ribbons to float; the original gives no temperature, but modern deep-frying practice for this sort of cut is around 350-375F. Cooler and they absorb oil and go leathery; much hotter and they colour before the inside dries out.
- The timing is per batch, not totalThe timing -- The original gives eight to ten minutes without saying whether that is per batch or in total. Frying in small batches keeps the fat from dropping in temperature; crowding the pan is the usual cause of pale, greasy ribbons. Judge by colour rather than the clock.
- DrainingA wire sieve or cooling rack set over a tray is better than paper here, since ribbons resting on paper steam on the underside. Salt immediately while the surface is still hot and slightly oily so it adheres.
- YieldThe original gives six large potatoes as sufficient for three or four as a side dish.