Pommes Paille – crispy potato straws
These crispy potato straws are the garnish I made for the Beef Tataki recipe that I also published today. I’m writing the recipe separately because it’s worthy of being a recipe by itself rather than buried in the tataki recipe! Called pommes paille in France, which translates to ‘potato straws’, they resemble golden, crispy strands of straw piled high on your plate. There’s nothing like a mound of them with a juicy steak or steak tartare, or simply a large of bowl of them for snacking! Unlike regular french fries, potato straws are great served hot or at room temperature, and they are crisp all the way through rather than just on the outside. Think – potato crisps. In fact, they are homemade french fry crisps which were always my favourite as a kid!
What you need for Crispy Potato Straws (Pommes Paille)
Potato – Starchy or all-rounder potatoes. Australia: Sebago potatoes (the dirt brushed ones) are ideal, US: Russet, UK: Maris Piper. Just not waxy ones (they won’t go as crispy and don’t fry up as evenly golden). Oil – Vegetable oil, canola or any other natural flavoured oil. You only need about 2 cm / 0.8″ of oil. Salt flakes or table salt – Because the potato straws are so fine, I find that salt flakes stick better because they are lighter than the coarser grain cooking salt (kosher salt) that I use for everyday cooking. I crush the flakes up between my fingers before sprinkling them on. Fleur de sel also works because it has a similar delicateness to salt flakes, though it’s more expensive so I typically reserve it for more worthy purposes! If you don’t have salt flakes, use table salt.
How to make Crispy Potato Straws (Pommes Paille)
As long as you’ve got a julienne mandolin, it’s relatively quick to make – a fraction of the time of traditional French fries. There’s no soaking or pre-boiling or twice frying. Just julienne the potato, rinse off excess starch then they only take 90 seconds to fry up to crispy golden perfection!
If you don’t have a julienne mandolin, show off your knife skills! Finely slice the potato into rounds, stack, then finely slice. Scatter potato slowly across the surface (don’t dump in one place). Add enough so the potato is in a single layer, this will keep them more straight (too many = tangled and curly and will take longer to cook). Pause if the oil starts bubbling too energetically then keep adding more potato. ⚠️ Warning: The oil will bubble up when you add the potato so add slowly, then add more as it subsides (it bubbles up the most when the first lot of potato goes in).
How to serve Crisp Potato Straws (Pommes Paille)
But really, the best way to eat them is in a giant bowl to munch on by the fistful! Excellent for snacking or for pre dinner drinks (I speak from experience here!). – Nagi x
Beef tataki (accompanying recipe) Steak or tuna tartare (coming one day!) Similar dishes like carpaccio and other crudos where you want a delicate crispy garnish to finish the dish
Beef tataki (accompanying recipe) Steak or tuna tartare (coming one day!) Similar dishes like carpaccio and other crudos where you want a delicate crispy garnish to finish the dish
Watch how to make it
Life of Dozer
Last weekend – bounding his way through his senior years! Very used to his life jacket now. Less stress for me, means I don’t have to worry even if he swims way off shore.
