#1005 - Old Bay French Fries

(by Shirley McNevich)

2-3 lbs. good quality baking potatoes
1 cup flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. garlic salt
a few dashes of pepper
water
canola oil
Old Bay seasoning

Line cookie sheets with paper towels--set aside. Wash and peel potatoes, then slice them into french fry wedges and place in a large bowl--run cold water into the bowl until all french fries are covered--set aside. Add 1/2" canola oil to a cast iron skillet--turn heat to medium and heat oil until hot enough to fry. In a separate bowl add flour, salt, paprika, garlic salt, pepper--stir. Add water a little at a time--stir after each addition and keep adding water/stirring until batter is the consistency of pancake batter. Use tongs to pick up one potato wedge at a time, dip it in the batter then drop it in the hot oil. Repeat with more potato wedges and try to keep them from touching one another--turn french fries to brown both sides. As french fries are browned and done to your liking, place them on the paper towel lined cookie sheets--put them close together but not on top of each other. Before frying the next batch, sprinkle the hot french fries with Old Bay Seasoning. Continue with all french fries and make sure all have been sprinkled with Old Bay. If you're afraid they will get too cold while finishing the frying, preheat oven to 150 degrees--dump finished french fries in a lightly greased metal cake pan. Put the cake pan with finished french fries in the oven to keep them warm while you fry the rest.