CRISPY POTATO STRIPS AND PARSLEY SALAD WITH GARLIC CREAM

Serves: 4

■ 1/2 cup (125 ml) heavy cream

■ 1 tsp (5 ml) finely minced garlic

■ 2 large russet potatoes, scrubbed

■ Olive oil, for deep frying

■ 2 cups (500 ml/60 g) fresh parsley leaves

■ Red wine vinegar

■ Fleur de sel

1. Prepare a fire for medium heat and set a grate over it. Pull out a large deep cast-iron pot.

2. Combine the cream with the garlic in a very small saucepan and cook over medium heat until reduced by half. Pour the mixture into a bowl and let cool.

3. Trim the potatoes into bricks (see note), cut them crosswise in half, then slice them lengthwise into very thin strips. They should be about 1/8 inch (3 mm) thick, 3/4 inch (2 cm) wide and 2-3 inches (5-7 cm) long. Reserve them in a bowl of cold water if you are slicing them ahead of time, but drain and thoroughly blot them dry on a dish towel before they go into the hot oil.

4. Pour oil into the deep castiron pot to fill it no more than halfway up the sides and attach a frying thermometer to the side. Set the pot on the grate (or if cooking indoors, set it on the stovetop over medium heat).

Line a sheet pan with paper towels and set it nearby to drain the cooked potatoes.

5. When the oil is hot enough to hiss and bubble around a strip of potato (about 350 F/180 C), carefully add a large handful of the potatoes and fry until they are golden and crisp, about 2 minutes.

6. Be careful not to let the oil get too hot, or they will burn very quickly. If they clump together, move them apart with a long-handled spider or skimmer. As the potatoes are done, use the spider to transfer them to the paper towels to drain.

7. Meanwhile, add the parsley to the garlic cream and toss to coat.

8. When the potatoes are done, sprinkle them with vinegar to taste, then gently layer them on a platter or individual plates with the dressed parsley. Gently toss the layers together with your hands. Sprinkle with fleur de sel and serve immediately.

Note: To trim the potatoes into bricks, set a potato on its side on a flat work surface and slice off the ends. Then slice off the four sides completely flat to form a brick. Pare off any remaining skin. Cut the brick crosswise in half and slice each half lengthwise into 2 symmetrical bricks to get 4 bricks from each potato.