Crispy-Fried Potatoes

Ganbian Tudou Tiao (干煸土豆条)

Strips of potato are double fried until ultra-crispy and then stir-fried with garlic, ginger, and chilies in this classic Sichuan dish that resembles modern fries.

It might be surprising to know this is a traditional Sichuan dish. While not as famous as other Sichuan potato dishes, Crispy-Fried Potatoes utilize classic Sichuan cooking techniques. The potatoes are double-fried and then stir-fried in a process common to Crispy-Fried Dishes such as Spicy Chili-Chicken (辣子鸡). Coincidentally, this double frying process is quite commonly used in western cooking to make French fries. This dish is basically just stir-fried French fries with Sichuan flavors.

Fries aren’t the only option for Crispy-Fried Potatoes. There are actually four ways to cut the Potatoes, as listed from largest to smallest: into slices (片), into sticks (条), into wedges (块), or into cubes (丁). Sticks (条), or batons, seem to be the most common and what I’m usually served at restaurants in China. However, while these may be the most common, the potatoes can be cut into other shapes to make slight variations on this dish.

If you are cutting the potatoes into sticks, the thickness is quite important. Think of these more like thick-cut steakhouse fries as opposed to thin fast-food fries. Because the potatoes must undergo multiple stages of frying, it’s best to use a thicker-cut which will become crispy on the surface but remain soft and fluffy inside. Thin cut potatoes will become too crispy, more likely to burn, and will more quickly lose their structural integrity after cooking – in other words, they’ll be either too crispy, burnt, or soggy. However, a slightly thicker cut will turn out perfect every time.

Prep Time: 3 hrs.

Cook Time: 15 min

Total Time: 3 hrs. 15 min

Serving: 2 people

Ingredients

2 – 3 medium-sized Potatoes

1 Tbsp. Salt

2 Tbsp. Corn Starch

Aromatics and Chilies
2-inch block of Ginger
2 cloves of Garlic
10 Dried Red Chilies
2 tsp. Sichuan Pepper

Garnish
2 green stalks of Small Scallion (小葱)
2 tsp. White Sesame Seeds

Peanut Oil

Seasonings
1/2 tsp. Salt
1/2 tsp. MSG
1/2 tsp. Chicken Bouillon
1/2 tsp. White Sugar

Finishing Oil
1 tsp. Scallion Oil

Directions

1.) Peel the Potatoes and place them on a cutting board. Cut the Potatoes lengthwise into 1/2-inch-thick slices and then cut the slices into 1/2-inch-thick batons. Place the sticks immediately into a bowl of water.

(Typically, I cut these slightly thicker than 1/2-inch, but less than 1-inch thick. The batons should be roughly the size of steak fries and not be like thin fast-food fries).

2.) Fill a large pot with about 3 Liters of water and add the Salt. Bring the water to a boil and add the Potatoes, cooking them for about 2 minutes. Remove the Potatoes with a wire strainer and shake off the excess water.

3.) Place the Potatoes in a bowl and add about 2 tablespoons of Corn Starch. Toss until every stick of Potato is lightly coated. Spread out the Potato on a baking sheet and set the tray in a fridge for about 3 hours.

(The purpose of this step is to dry out the surface of the Potatoes. The Cornstarch will greatly help with this, but the key is to separate the pieces evenly on baking sheet so that, as the Potatoes cool, moisture can evaporate).

4.) Peel and slice the Ginger and Garlic, setting them aside in a bowl for the Aromatics and Chilies. To this bowl, add the Dried Red Chilies and Sichuan Pepper.

5.) Prepare a small plate for the Garnishes, by cutting the Scallion into 4-inch-long sticks and setting them on one side of the plate. Add the Sesame Seeds to the other side of the plate.

6.) After the Potatoes have chilled for 3 hours, fill a seasoned wok at least 1/3 full but no more than 1/2 full with Peanut Oil and heat on medium-high.

7.) Cook the Potatoes in 3 – 4 batches, frying each batch for about 2 minutes until the Potatoes are just starting to turn a very light brown. Remove them from the oil and allow them to drain on a wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet.

(The Potatoes should be a VERY light brown at this stage with almost no color on them. The surface should just be starting to crisp up).

8.) Increase the heat to high and once super-hot, add about half of the Potatoes to the oil. Fry the Potatoes again this time for about 45 seconds to 1 minute until beautifully golden brown and the exterior is ultra-crispy. Remove this batch of Potatoes onto a wire wrack and repeat this process with the other batch of Potatoes.

(Slightly thicker batons are better than thin ones for this double-frying process because they will get super-crispy on the surface but remain light and fluffy on the inside. The Potatoes will lose some of this crispiness during the stir-frying process, but if all is done correctly, the Potatoes will remain rather crispy and not become soggy or flaccid during the next step).

9.) Immediately drain the Oil from the wok and then return the wok to heat. Add about 1/4 cup of Peanut Oil and increase the heat to high. Just before the Oil starts to smoke, pull the wok away from heat, add the Aromatics, and stir-fry just a few seconds until fragrant.

10.) Add the Potatoes and return the wok to heat, stir-frying quickly at high heat just long enough to fully coat the fries in the chili-garlic infused Oil.

11.) Pull the wok away from heat, quickly add the Seasonings (Salt, MSG, Chicken Bouillon, and Sugar), and return the wok to heat stir-frying again just a few seconds to combine the flavors.

12.) Splash in a dash of Scallion Oil around the sides of the wok and sprinkle in about half of the Sesame Seeds. Mix once more and the plate the incredible Crispy-Fried Potatoes.

13.) Garnish with Scallion and the remaining Sesame Seeds, before immediately serving.

(I prefer to add the Scallion after the Potatoes have cooked because the residual heat from the Potatoes will cook the Scallion. If you add the Scallion to the wok, there is a chance of either wilting the Scallion or of adding moisture to the Potatoes. Adding moisture will, of course, destroy the crispy exterior of the Potatoes making them a bit soggy. Scallion Oil will already add plenty of aromatic oniony flavor, so the fresh Scallion is really just a decoration).

 

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