No matter how fancy the burger or the steak, the fries are often the most anticipated part of the meal. This goes double for when you eat out at a restaurant as their fries are always so crisp and delectable. Near where I live there is an upscale American fare restaurant that serves truffle fries and ever since the first bite I was in love. I always order them there, but I’ve often thought about making them at home. Well, now that I have I can say this will be my go-to fry recipe from here on out!
There are 2 caveats to making these fries. The first is that the truffle oil you need for the recipe isn’t stocked at every store.
You can order it online easily, but just know that you might not find it with the other oils (or even with the spices) at your nearest supermarket. Trader Joe’s used to stock this oil all year round, but I believe it’s now a seasonal product in most of their stores. You can also use truffle-infused salt to replace the flaky salt if that’s easier for you to find.
The other caution with this recipe is that not everyone loves the taste of truffles. These highly-prized mushrooms can be hard to find in the wild, leading to a whole industry of using pigs or dogs to help root out these low-lying fungi. There are white truffles and black truffles and both have a very earthy, oily, unique taste and scent. To my palette this flavor is umami to the max. But, some people are turned off by the earthiness. I would say only make these fries if you know all parties involved are on board with truffles.
With those warnings to the side, let’s make some truffle fries! The first step is to cut and soak your potatoes in cold water. Then preheat the oven so that they start cooking as soon as they go in.
We’re just using regular vegetable oil and some baking sheets to oven-bake these until they are golden. If you prefer to use a deep fryer then by all means go for it. I love oven fries as that’s what my mom always made when we were growing up. Nothing tastes like them!
Once these are crisped up simply toss them with truffle oil and some seasonings. A little parsley on top finishes these fries off nicely. If you love a “loaded” French fry then these are a must try taste of gourmet restaurant fare right at home.
Oven-baked Truffle Fries
Allergens: Milk
Diet: Vegetarian Gluten-Free
Ingredients
- 3 or 4 Russet potatoes
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup truffle oil
- 1/2 teaspoon flaky sea salt, plus more as needed
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
Preparation
- Preheat oven to 425˚F. Cut potatoes into thick fry slices, leaving skin on. Add potatoes to bowl of cold water and leave for 10 minutes. Drain well before continuing.
- Add 1 tablespoon oil each to 2 baking sheets. Divide potatoes between the two. Use a spatula to flip the fries in the oil so they are coated. Make sure they are in a single layer. Sprinkle half of the table salt over each pan.
- Bake on center rack for 30-40 minutes or until crispy and golden brown. Turn at least once part way through baking.
- Toss fries with truffle oil, parmesan cheese, flaky salt, and pepper in large bowl. Garnish with parsley and add more salt if needed.
Recipe adapted from Chef Billy Parisi.