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FRENCH FRIES

SERVES 6–8

When my mom was in a rush—juggling kids, shopping, cleaning the house—her standby quick meal was scrambled eggs and French Fries. And she never used fast-food fries.

3 Idaho potatoes, peeled, cut into French-fry-sized batons

Canola, peanut, or safflower oil, for deep-frying

Kosher salt, sea salt, and cracked black pepper

Place the potato batons in a large bowl of cold water, in the sink. Rinse very thoroughly under slow-running cold water, until all the starch is removed, about 20 minutes or until the water runs clear. Dry the potatoes thoroughly between kitchen towels. Prefry in 250°F oil until tender but with no color. Drain well and hold in the refrigerator, uncovered, for up to 4 hours.

Just before serving, deep-fry the potatoes again, this time at a higher temperature of 375°F, until golden brown. Drain on absorbent paper and season with sea salt and pepper.

For Pickled French Fries: Make the brine in the recipe for Souvlaki (page 74). After the first, low-temperature frying of the potatoes, immerse the potatoes in the brine and refrigerate overnight. Dry thoroughly and fry at the higher temperature.

POACHED GOAT AVGOLEMONO

KATSIKI AVGOLEMONO

SERVES 4 TO 6 FAMILY-STYLE, OR MORE AS PART OF A LARGER SPREAD

After you make this recipe, there will be leftover braising liquid, essentially a light goat stock—a wonderful by-product. I suggest you cool and freeze it. It will greatly enrich almost any other braise in this book. I like to serve this over orzo.

2 tablespoons blended oil (90 percent canola, 10 percent extra-virgin olive)

5 cloves garlic, roughly chopped

½ Spanish or sweet onion, finely chopped

½ bulb fennel, finely chopped

2 stalks celery, finely chopped

1 cup white wine

1 goat leg, on the bone, cut crosswise into 4 pieces (plus, if you like, the neck)

4 quarts water

4 fresh bay leaves or 8 dried leaves

1 large sprig sage

1 small bunch dill

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 teaspoon fennel seeds

2 star anise pods

5 cardamom pods

Kosher salt and cracked black pepper

3 large eggs, at room temperature, separated

4 tablespoons lemon juice

cup small, picked sprigs dill

Kosher salt and cracked black pepper

Warm a large, heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium heat and add the blended oil. Add all the vegetables and sweat until tender, without coloring at all. Deglaze the pan with the white wine and let it reduce completely away. Add the goat and the water, then add the herbs and spices. (If you have a bag or sachet for bouquet garni, wrap up the herbs and spices so they’ll be easy to remove later.) Season with 2 tablespoons of kosher salt and a generous grinding of pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and partially cover the pot. Skim off the scum once or twice at the beginning. Keep at a simmer until the meat is almost falling off the bones, about 2 to 2½ hours.

Transfer the goat pieces and any vegetables that remain (most will have melted away) to a platter. Pour a few tablespoons of liquid over the goat and keep warm. Strain the braising liquid to get half a cup. (Reserve the leftover liquid for another braising project.)

Make the Avgolemono: Get everything together so you can work quickly. Add the egg yolks to the half cup of braising liquid and quickly whisk to incorporate. Place the egg whites in a food processor and turn it on. When the whites begin to froth, after about 20 seconds, add the lemon juice, keeping the motor running all the time. When the whites are very frothy and thick, another 25 to 35 seconds, add the dill and process for 10 to 15 seconds more, while you season liberally with kosher salt and pepper. Pour in the egg yolk mixture and immediately turn the machine off. Spoon the Avgolemono over the goat, drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil, and serve at once, or the foam will quickly start to deflate.

BRAISED GOAT

SIGOVRASMENO KATSIKI

SERVES 4 TO 6 FAMILY-STYLE, OR MORE OVER POTATOES, RICE, OR ORZO

I think that goat is going to