Food Daydream #2 Crab Garlic Fries : Splurgin'

A friend of mine posted to Facebook that she went to the Gilroy Garlic Festival and added a photo of the most glorious thing I've ever seen: Crab Garlic Fries. I was immediately intrigued, grossed out, and salivating. I had to know. So I jumped onto Google and hunted around. It turned out that the Haight Street Fair had these babies waiting to be devoured, so I told the Irishman my plan and we hopped on a bus. (Somehow most of our outings begin like this...)

It turns out this delicacy is quite well-known in the Bay Area at local street fairs, city fairs, baseball games and pretty much all concerts that have a brain. And my GOD, LOOK AT IT!

*angels sing*

What we are looking at is beer battered garlic fries with a spicy aioli topped with fresh crab. That, my friends, is happiness in a bowl (or a trough).

The one's we had at the street fair were not beer battered, but none the less, fantastic and ready to be made at home. So once again, I will not disappoint: I've brought you a recipe.

Now don't fret, these don't have to be deep fried. The baked fries are *fine* I suppose, but why would you do that to yourself? This is a splurge meal. Eat salad the next three days. I believe in you.

Are you ready for this?!

Ingredients

2 quarts vegetable oil

2 1/4 pounds russet potatoes, cut lengthwise into french fry shapes.

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley

1 lb of fresh, cooked crabmeat

For Aioli

1/2 cup of mayonnaise

2 tbsp lemon juice (the rest cut into wedges for the crab meat)

1 tbsp hot sauce (Sriracha is a winner)


Instructions

1. Fill a large bowl with water and soak potatoes for at least 30 minutes up to 24 hours. This stops the potatoes from oxidizing and removes excess starch.

2. Heat a heavy stock pot (or deep fryer) filled with oil to 325 degrees F.

3. Remove potatoes from the water, and dry thoroughly with paper towels.

4. Working in batches, add two handfuls of potatoes to oil at a time.

5. Deep fry until golden brown, shake off excess oil and drop into a large metal bowl for seasoning.

6. When all french fries are golden and delicious, add the garlic, parsley, salt and pepper to the bowl and toss until well coated. Keep seasoning until you like the taste (I am a salt fiend).

7. Mix mayonnaise, lemon juice, and hot sauce together in a small bowl. Taste and season accordingly.

8. Pile a plate or bowl high with garlic fries, add as much aoli to the garlic fries as you'd like, and spoon fresh crab meat on top. Set a lemon wedge on the side and sprinkle with fresh pepper.

9. Dig in! Savor that insane blend of flavors! The cool crab meat, the spicy garlic and the hot aioli is truly magical.

10. Schedule your next workout.

11. Look up a recipe for a simple salad for dinner.

All my love,
L.B.