Homemade fries are one of the breakfast items I can't live without. Sure, my homemade breakfast potatoes are pretty good, but they're rarely great. It's almost as if the chefs at my favorite restaurants have top-secret methods for creating the best breakfast potatoes while I'm racking my brains at home trying to recreate them.
My favorite breakfast potatoes are the restaurant-style ones: cut into irregular chunks, seasoned to perfection, and baked until crispy and golden brown with peppers and onions. I always do my best to make my chef friends proud by whipping up a new batch at home, and I've learned a few helpful tips from them along the way, the most important of which is using a cast iron skillet.
The Benefits of Using Cast Iron
The cast iron skillet is the ally of your breakfast potato exploits. No kitchen is complete without one. In the case of home fries, it allows cooks to avoid the mess of frying potatoes in a pile of oil, which is often how restaurants make their potatoes so delicious.
For homemade French fries, a hot cast iron skillet and a little neutral-tasting oil are your best friends. The potatoes won't stick to the pan and they'll be extra golden and exceptionally crispy.
How to Make the Best Breakfast Potatoes
In addition to an extremely hot cast iron skillet, you'll also need a non-waxy potato like a Russet or Yukon Gold. According to my close friend who has worked in kitchens for years, potatoes should be quartered and then cut into smaller cubes. Use a coarse chopper for this step, as precision is not necessary.
“That’s the beauty of breakfast potatoes,” my friend says, “they’re supposed to be quick to make and have a nice play of textures.”
Next, soak the potatoes in cold water for 15 to 30 minutes to extract some of the starch. Drain the potatoes thoroughly, then season them with a touch of turmeric for color, as well as ground cumin, salt, and black pepper. My friend says this seasoning mix produces the most appreciable results.
Heat the skillet, coat it with a neutral-tasting oil like canola or avocado oil, and toss in the potatoes, spreading them out in an even layer. Cook the potatoes until the edges start to crisp and brown, then add the chopped onions and peppers.
Continue to cook the potatoes, stirring occasionally, until all sides are browned. If you try to stir the potatoes but they stick to the pan, be patient. The potatoes will release from the pan once they are browned.
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Upgrade Your Breakfast Potatoes
To take your breakfast potatoes to the next level, top them with grated cheese while they’re still in the skillet. Transfer the skillet to a 375°F oven and watch your potatoes enter a whole new realm of deliciousness. After 10 minutes, or when the cheese is completely melted, remove the skillet from the oven and serve.
If you want to experiment with seasonings, my friend recommends cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes and fresh herbs like thyme. This will add a little heat to the homemade fries and a wonderful herbal aroma.
I prefer to add hot sauce to the mix when I'm really craving a spicy kick, but after discovering Trader Joe's Cuban Style Seasoning Mix, I've taken a much brighter, citrusy approach to seasoning my potatoes, with wonderful results.
