A SINGLE POTATO

One of the nice things about cooking for one is that it is manageable. This is a perfect example.  Frying potatoes for a dinner party might require too much time in the kitchen away from guests who should see their hostess smiling, not standing over a pot of hot oil with a worried look on her face.  The fact is, frying oil in a Dutch oven on the stove with a candy thermometer demands your utmost attention.  You cannot walk away from this.  But if you’re working with one potato and a few inches of oil, without the added distraction of company, you are less likely to burn down your house.  I also love recipes that can be prepped for cooking and then set aside while you choose and open a bottle of wine and channel surf for a good movie. In the case of this particular potato, I peeled it, cubed it and then let the chunks soak in ice water in the frig while I did something else.  When I started thinking about dinner, I par-boiled the potato chunks. Then the drained cubes rested again in a colander while I did something else.  Finally, when the piece of fish I was cooking for dinner was just about ready to plate, I fried the dried/par-boiled potatoes, salted them and tossed them on my plate.  They were absolutely delicious.  Just be really careful with that hot oil.  If you see it bubbling up the sides of your Dutch oven, TURN OFF THE HEAT pronto.  Have a fire extinguisher (that works) handy.  Have oven mitts handy. If it sounds like I have an irrational few of burning down my house, it’s because I once burned down my garage (that’s another story).  Let’s just say I have a healthy respect for hot oil.  Oh, and if you do have to call the fire department, I will just tell you that firemen are generally really cute guys.