Jim's Steak and Matchstick Potatoes

I was just trying to have a great weekend meal with Jim in mind.  It was a disaster in my mind, but he loved it.  Ok, here is the menu, steak, matchstick potatoes and salad.  (Have to get a green vegetable into him.)  I had fillets in the freezer, defrosted and coated with some EVOO and Penzeys Chicago steak seasoning.  Jim cooks on grille.  Perfect.  Mixed spring greens with Penzeys Buttermilk Dressing.  Perfect. 

So why do I feel it was a disaster, the matchstick potatoes!  I have two mandolins.  One is a cheap plastic one that I bought a long time ago and use all the time.  The other is a very expensive chef quality mandolin that I have never had any success with.

Perusing Barefoot in Paris, I see Matchstick Potatoes.  Back in VA at a charity event I bought a deep fat fryer.  It has never come out of its packing until tonight.  Seems like a match made in heaven. 

I get the fryer out, unpack all the cardboard and wash and dry the parts.  I even read the direction, which is almost a first.  I get out the professional mandolin and try to cut the thin matchstick (1/8 “thick) per the Barefoot Contessa’s instructions.  I cannot move the potato through the mandolin.  I try the cheap one, same results.  Jim is in the shower, I wait for him.  He huffed and puffed and got most of the potato through the professional mandolin.  The problem was we had to cut the potato in quarters and instead of long strings of potato they were short and ugly.  We also had problems going within a ½” of the end, so I was trying to cut matchstick size by hand and he ran out of energy so we ended up cutting regular size fries and I cut in half.  Bottom line, I had to double fry like regular fries and the really thin real matchsticks were over cooked. 

Now I have to clean up this deep fat fryer that is still hot, probably tomorrow.  Better to just cut regular fries and double fry, which I had to do anyway.  I should try this over and over until I perfect it, but I think my friend Bryce has a better idea.  Light the grille.  Put the oven on warm.  Run to your local Mac Donald.  Put fries in oven and throw the steaks on the grille.  Plate and serve.