Soufflée Potatoes Soufflée potatoes are a kind
of hybrid French fry-chip in which the potato
slices puff up into delicate brown balloons.
They are made by cutting potato slices around
3 mm (^1 / 8 in) thick, and deep-frying them at a
moderate temperature, 350ºF/175ºC, until
their surfaces become leathery and just begin
to brown. The slices are cooled, then fried a
second time at a high temperature, around
380ºF/195ºC. Now when the interior moisture
is heated to the boil and vaporized, the
stiffened surfaces resist the pressure, and the
vapor pushes the two surfaces apart, leaving a
hollow center.
Sweet Potatoes
The sweet potato is the true storage root of
Ipomoea batatas, a member of the morning
glory family. It is native to northern South
America, and may have reached Polynesia in
prehistoric times. Columbus brought the