Everyone loves fried potatoes, but not everyone manages to fry them so that the crust turns out golden and crispy, and the potatoes themselves do not burn. There are three reasons for potatoes burning in a frying pan - lack of oil on individual pieces, uneven size of pieces and various foreign impurities. Some slices may remain without oil because the heated oil is absorbed very well into the potatoes. Typically, we put the chopped potatoes in a frying pan with hot oil. It is immediately absorbed into the bottom layer of potatoes, and after stirring, the top potatoes end up in an almost dry frying pan, instantly burning. Thin pieces will fry faster than thick ones, so they will also burn. In addition, leftover food that is poorly cleaned from the pan, or pieces of onion, can burn if you put them in the potatoes too early.
How to fry potatoes without burning them? First you need to learn how to choose the right potatoes. To do this, take one tuber and cut it. It should be firm and moist, and the moisture should be runny—no sticky, gooey jelly. Potatoes should not have any foreign odors - the smell should be neutral. Good potatoes smell like black soil, or nothing at all.
So. The potatoes need to be washed and peeled, cut into slices of approximately equal thickness and placed in a spacious bowl. Add a little cold sunflower oil to the potatoes, add salt and pepper and mix well. Make sure that the potatoes are evenly coated with oil. Now pour some oil into a clean frying pan and heat it up, then place the potatoes in the frying pan. Fry it over medium heat until done, stirring occasionally. There is no need to stir often—two or three times is enough. After frying the bottom slices until golden brown, carefully stir the potatoes so that they are on top. The onions are poured into the pan when the potatoes are almost ready. Bring the onion to readiness over low heat with the lid closed. If you want the potatoes to remain slightly crispy and not fall apart, there is no need to cover them with a lid.
Surely there is no person who would be indifferent to potatoes fried until golden brown
. Despite the fact that this dish is quite simple to prepare, not everyone knows how to prepare it correctly and tasty.
There are quite a lot of options for fried potatoes, but the rules for preparing them are the same. Let's find out!
Choosing a frying pan
You can fry potatoes either in a deep fryer or in a frying pan. Here it is as convenient for you. But it’s worth noting that potatoes turn out much tastier in a frying pan, “just like in childhood.”
The choice of frying pan needs to be taken quite seriously. If your eye falls on an aluminum thin-walled frying pan, immediately discard this idea. You won’t get anything good, much less tasty potatoes. Choose a cast iron or aluminum frying pan with a thick bottom, then the dish will turn out the most delicious and healthy. Make a choice in favor of wide pans so that you can comfortably mix everything in it.
The choice of oil is one of the main guarantees of tasty potatoes.
The main enemy of delicious fried potatoes is smoky oil, which interrupts their divine taste. The issue of choosing oil for frying should be taken quite seriously. Do not spare money and do not buy unrefined oil - it will ruin the taste of the dish. Stick to refined sunflower oil and the taste of your dish will be at the highest level.
Many people do not give their preference to oil, but fry potatoes in lard. And although this option is quite high in calories, it also has every right to exist. The taste of potatoes in lard is also very harmonious and tasty.
One of the most win-win options, which is suitable for both economic reasons and calorie content, is a combination of vegetable and butter. The proportions, of course, depend on the portion and individual wishes, but on average, per kilogram of potatoes you will need about 125 ml of vegetable oil and 50 ml of butter. Then the taste of your potatoes will be as tender and rich as possible at the same time.
What oil is best for frying?
It is traditionally believed that vegetable oil is the best for cooking. Since there are few ingredients in the dish, the taste of the finished product will largely depend on the oil.
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The most suitable options:
- vegetable – refined or unrefined;
- olive;
- pork fat;
- melted
Nutritionists believe that refined oil releases fewer harmful substances during frying, and it does not change the taste of the dish.
When heated, butter produces flakes that burn. As a result, the root vegetable becomes soggy, the slices do not come out whole, but the dish acquires a more delicate taste. Many people cook with a mixture of refined vegetable oil and butter.
To make fried potatoes tastier, vegetable oil is flavored with seasonings such as garlic, which is then removed.
Fried potatoes with golden crust
The first thing you need to do in order to get perfectly fried potatoes is to rid them of excess starch. Pour cold water over the chopped potatoes and leave for 20 minutes. After the time has passed, drain the water and rinse it again. Dry the slices slightly on a paper towel.
One of the most important rules that you need to follow in order for the potatoes to turn out as tasty as possible: you need to place the potatoes exclusively in a hot frying pan and in hot oil. This is very important, since in cold oil it will not fry immediately, but will quickly stick and will not be as tasty.
Once the oil in the pan is completely hot, add the chopped card, turn the heat to medium and leave to fry. You shouldn’t constantly stir and look at it every second, let it fry on its own. Then, turn the potatoes over and leave to fry for the same period of time. Repeat the procedure several times.
It is definitely impossible to say how long it takes to fry potatoes, because it all depends on the portion, the type of cut and the container in which they are cooked, but in total it is approximately 20 minutes.
Remember, in order for the potatoes to be truly fried and crispy, you should never fry them without covering them with a lid. By covering the pan with a lid, you will no longer get fried, but well-stewed potatoes. Add spices and salt only at the end of cooking. You can even sprinkle it with garlic - it will turn out very tasty!
Potatoes with meat in a frying pan
The peculiarity of this recipe is the fact that it is not raw meat that is added to the potatoes, but already prepared meat.
So, first you need to deal with the meat. If desired, it can be boiled or baked in the oven, depending on your preference.
For preparation you will also need:
- 5 potato tubers;
- medium bulb;
- head of garlic;
- 350-400 g of pre-cooked meat;
- spices to taste.
Heat the oil in a frying pan, add chopped potatoes to it, fry for 3 minutes, turn over and fry for another 3-5 minutes over high heat. Add chopped onion and reduce heat slightly. Stirring constantly, fry for another 15 minutes.
2 minutes before the end of cooking, add garlic and cooked meat cut into small pieces to the potatoes. If you want the potatoes to be slightly stewed, you can add another half cup of water. Season your potatoes with spices and mix again. A hearty and tasty lunch is ready and ready to serve!
Fried potatoes with mushrooms
To prepare a medium portion of potatoes with mushrooms you will need:
- 0.5 kg of tubers;
- 0.3 kg of mushrooms (any you like);
- head of garlic;
- medium bulb;
- greenery;
- salt;
- pepper.
Cut the peeled potatoes into strips, rinse again and place on a paper towel to dry. Meanwhile, peel the garlic and onion, chop finely and fry in vegetable oil. Also fry finely chopped mushrooms separately.
Place the potatoes in a well-heated frying pan and fry until almost completely cooked. 2-3 minutes before the end of cooking, add mushrooms, fried garlic and onions, finely chopped herbs, salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly and remove from heat. You can serve it on the table!
Dry the pieces
After soaking the potatoes, place them in a colander to drain all the moisture. And then place on a paper or cloth towel. The material will absorb excess moisture, which interferes with the formation of an appetizing crust.
In addition, water can “shoot” off hot oil. Because of this, everything around will be greasy - the stove, the walls, the floor, your clothes. Besides, you can get burned.
Fried potatoes with onions
To prepare this dish you will need:
- 1 kg of potatoes;
- 5 tbsp. l. vegetable oil;
- 2 medium onions;
- garlic clove;
- herbs and spices.
A kilogram of potatoes must be washed well and boiled in their skins. Then it should be peeled and cut into cubes. Next, in heated vegetable oil, you need to fry the chopped onion and garlic until golden brown. After this, you need to fry the chopped potatoes in the second part of the oil.
During frying, it must be salted and peppered. As soon as the potato cubes are browned on all sides, add fried onions and garlic. All together should be kept on the fire for a couple more minutes.
When serving, potatoes can be sprinkled with dried herbs. It is recommended to serve hot.
Fried potatoes with lard
This recipe has been popular since ancient times. This dish is quite simple to prepare, and the taste exceeds all expectations.
Required ingredients:
- 0.5 kg of potatoes;
- 100 g lard with meat layer;
- medium bulb;
- 1/2 medium apple;
- spices.
Cut the onion into thin slices, the lard into small strips, and the apple into very thin strips.
Heat the frying pan well, add a little vegetable oil and add lard. As soon as the meat layers in the lard turn white, add the potatoes. After frying it a little on one side, turn it over and fry for another couple of minutes.
Then, add chopped onion and apple to the potatoes and fry for another 15 minutes. At the end of cooking, sprinkle everything with spices and salt. The apple will give the dish a special taste and aroma. Try it - you won't regret it!
Sauce that brings out the flavor of fried potatoes
By and large, few people are surprised by fried potatoes these days. Despite the fact that this dish is very tasty and everyone loves it without exception, there is no sophistication in it and no special abilities are required to prepare it. But, if you serve fried potatoes with a sauce that harmonizes with this dish, you can pleasantly surprise even the most avid gourmets.
Here is a recipe for a sauce that will go perfectly with any of the above options for fried potatoes.
So, the ingredients:
- 3 onions;
- small celery root;
- 1 tbsp. l. tomato sauce;
- 2 tbsp. l. olive oil;
- 2 tbsp. l. lemon juice;
- any dry wine - 3 tbsp. l.;
- 1 tsp. liquid honey;
- red pepper;
- salt.
The celery root and 3 onions must be peeled, cut into very small cubes and placed in a thick-bottomed pan. Then, dilute tomato sauce, lemon juice and honey in 0.1 liters of water, and pour celery and onions with this mixture. Pour the wine in there.
It is necessary to simmer the ingredients for about half an hour over low heat, stirring constantly. After the specified time has passed, the mixture must be seasoned with spices, stirred and removed from the stove. As soon as the prepared sauce has cooled, it should be poured into a gravy boat and can be safely served with potatoes.
Theoretically, there is nothing difficult about frying potatoes in a frying pan, but in practice the potatoes stick to the frying pan, their cubes stick together or crumble, and it is often impossible to make a crispy crust.
In order for fried potatoes to retain their shape, taste and have a golden crust, it is first of all important to choose and prepare the potatoes correctly. First you need to decide on a suitable variety.
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Potato selection
All varieties of potatoes are different in composition and this should be taken into account when frying. When preparing dishes from this vegetable, take into account starch content, sugar content and dry matter:
- Potatoes with a high dry matter content (at least 20%), a low content of reducing sugar (no more than 0.5%) and starch (no more than 15%) are suitable for frying - then the potatoes will not crumble and stick together;
- The best varieties are: Leader, Nadezhda, Kolobok, Bryansky early, Zhukovsky early, Impala, Felox;
- Tubers should be elastic, fresh, without damage.
Less moisture
Wash the potatoes, dry them with a napkin and start peeling them with dry, clean hands. Do not soak the tubers in water before slicing. Soggy potatoes with too much moisture will stick to the pan. Dry juicy potatoes with paper towels before placing in hot oil.
For frying, choose a “dry” variety with a small amount of starch. Potatoes with red (Ryabinushka, Red Scarlet varieties) or yellow (Nevsky, Udacha varieties) skin are suitable.
Choose varieties with low starch content
Due to high humidity, it is not recommended to fry new potatoes. “Milk” tubers turn out delicious when boiled with butter and fresh herbs.
Preparing for frying
The next important step is preparing the potatoes for cooking:
- The tubers are washed and cleared of skin, eyes, etc.;
- The potatoes are cut into pieces of the desired size (for uniform cooking it is important that the pieces are approximately the same size);
- The potatoes are washed several more times to drain off excess starch (you can soak them in water, but vitamins come out along with the starch);
- Place the potato wedges on a dry towel and blot with a napkin. The potatoes should be dry, but do not leave them to dry naturally (they will quickly turn black).
Identical slices
Cut the peeled potatoes into slices of any shape. Large bars look good with fried meat and fish fillets. The circles can be served with salads and fish dishes. The straw goes well with the cutlets.
Follow the rule: the slices should be approximately the same size. This is necessary so that the potatoes are fried evenly. Otherwise, large slices will remain raw when small pieces begin to burn.
Cut into equal sized slices
Note. If starch appears on the pieces after cutting, rinse them under running water and pat dry with a paper towel.
Frying potatoes
After the dried potato slices are ready for frying, select a cast iron frying pan with a thick bottom and do the following:
- Pour oil into the frying pan and let it get very hot;
- Pour the potatoes into one layer, spreading them evenly with a spatula;
- Shake the pan occasionally to distribute the oil throughout the potato pieces. The heat should be medium;
- The potatoes are fried without covering with a lid - this is the only way to get a crispy crust;
- Turn over for the first time when the slices are already browned on the bottom. Then repeat several more times as necessary to fry all the potatoes evenly;
- Salt the fried potatoes at the very end (otherwise they will start to crumble);
- Excess oil is drained by dumping the potatoes into a colander;
- Before serving, the dish can be sprinkled with fresh herbs or chopped garlic.
Don’t think that everyone already knows the answer to this question perfectly. Many people do not know how to properly fry potatoes, and time after time they end up with something shapeless and loose. But this dish, if prepared well, is liked by the overwhelming majority of adults and children. It can be an excellent side dish or a stand-alone lunch or dinner.
You will need:
- Potato;
- Vegetable oil;
- Salt to taste.
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Now it’s hard to imagine, but potatoes appeared in our latitudes relatively recently. At first it was received with hostility, but very soon this vegetable became indispensable on our tables. It is prepared in a variety of ways. But while any of us can cook it, not everyone can fry potatoes deliciously.
It burns, sticks to the pan, remains raw in the middle, or falls apart into an incomprehensible mess. So the question of how to fry potatoes with a crust that is completely soft, but not shapeless, remains relevant.
Video: how to fry potatoes correctly
Now you know how to fry potatoes correctly. On your table there will always be crispy potatoes with a crust that adults and children love. Bon appetit!
- Author: Svetlana Grishkina
Good afternoon My name is Svetlana. This site has become for me not only an additional source of income, but also an opportunity to share with you my knowledge in housekeeping. Rate this article: (7 votes, average: 4.1 out of 5)
Why do potatoes burn?
There are exactly three reasons why potatoes burn. These are the lack of oil on some potato pieces, foreign impurities and uneven size of the pieces.
Potato pieces may appear without oil because the hot oil is well absorbed into the potatoes. When you fry potatoes according to a traditional recipe, you place the chopped potatoes in a frying pan where heated oil is already splashing around. The oil is instantly absorbed into those pieces that fell first. It's not enough for the last pieces. After the first stirring, the pieces without oil will end up on the hot surface at the bottom. There they will, of course, burn.
Foreign impurities in the sense of burning can be not only leftover food in the frying pan, but also, for example, pieces of onion if you place them in the potatoes too early.
Potato pieces of different sizes cook at different speeds, which causes the thinnest ones to burn.
Variety matters
Just five years ago, potatoes were sold on the market in two or three varieties. So there wasn't much choice. But it also had a universal purpose. It could be boiled, stewed, fried, and used for salads.
Today the assortment is amazing. On the one hand, this is very good. After all, for each dish you can choose a special variety. For example, Bellarosa boils very quickly, so it is more suitable for mashed potatoes and stewed potatoes. But for frying, it is better to choose the varieties “Anosta”, “Lady Claire”, “Nadezhda” or “Saturn”. All of them can be found on the Russian market without any problems. But don’t be too lazy to ask the seller for advice. Especially if you buy at the market.
This is interesting!
It is believed that white potatoes are more suitable for boiling or stewing, and yellow or pink ones are more suitable for frying.
