Recipe: The Best Home Fries
Cornstarch is the key to crispness in this adaptation of my friend Andrea's home fries. I devised a sweet-and-salty spice rub with smoked paprika and a touch of cayenne to give the dish an extra kick.
For the Potatoes
2 pounds red-skinned potatoes
Corn oil for frying
For the Spice Rub
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons smoked paprika
1 tablespoon dried oregano leaves
1 tablespoon dried thyme leaves
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
¼ cup cornstarch
1. Scrub the potatoes and cut them into 3/4-inch dice.
2. Put enough corn oil in a 9-inch cast-iron skillet to reach 2 inches up the sides of the pan, and heat the oil until it registers 375 degrees on an instant-read thermometer or until a potato cube dropped in the oil floats immediately to the surface and begins to sizzle.
3. While the oil is heating up, whisk together the brown sugar, smoked paprika, oregano leaves, thyme leaves, salt, pepper, cayenne and cornstarch. Toss the potatoes in this mixture.
4. Working with 1 cup at a time, shake the excess spice mixture off the potatoes and fry them in the hot oil until they are brown and crisp and cooked through, about 3 minutes. Drain on paper towels and serve hot.
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