Soggy skillet potatoes..what am I doing wrong?

[Liily]

Hi all,

I am new to the forum. I am 23 years old and i have been cooking for about two years now so i am fairly new to cooking. I have so many questions and concerns but right i would like to know what i am doing wrong....

Everytime i cook thinly sliced potatoes on a skillet with some oil they alway come out soggy. I would love to know how to make them crispy.

Thank you.

 

[niquejim]

Don't put too many in at one time. They will steam, not fry if you crowd the skillet

 

[Liily]

No wonder! Thank you so much

 

[Zhizara]

You may also need a little higher temp.

 

[GB]

Tell us exactly what you are doing and we will have a better idea on what the issue is. Both suggestions so far could be right.

 

[alaskas.sweetcaroline]

Depending on what size skillet I'm using I will 1/2 and 1/2 olive oil/butter, turn heat on to about medium (electric stove) between 6 and 7, put potatoes in when hot, cover till about 1/2 of the way done (few minutes when thin) and then remove cover, turn up heat to mid-high and turn only a few times (as to not make them fall apart) when crispy to my liking. I've found that when I do this it helps to make sure the potato is able to finish cooking towards the end when I'm crisping them.

 

[Bolas De Fraile]

My wife cooks these a lot Croatian style, she cuts the pots thin puts a layer in the oiled skillet sprinkles it with vegeta (a dry chicken stock powder) repeats a few times puts the lid on and cooks on a low heat for about 30 mins, then takes the lid off increases the heat and turns them a few times till some are very crisp and some are soft and gooeeeeee. The type of pot is very important Desiree or Roosters both red pots work the best, like with french fries new pot dont work.

 

[Sir_Loin_of_Beef]

In my opinion, not having actually watched you cooking, I'd have to say that you are either overcrowding the pan and/or not heating the oil enough. Oh, and I'd skip the butter altogether. A mixture of olive oil and butter is great for adding flavour while sautéing, but for frying potatoes you need an oil that can take the heat, like canola or peanut oil, and you need to get it really hot, like close to the smoking point, before you add the potatoes. Oh, and you need to add the potatoes a few at a time because every time you add them, the temperature of the oil drops.

 

[Liily]

Tell us exactly what you are doing and we will have a better idea on what the issue is. Both suggestions so far could be right.

I preheat the skillet on med heat while i cut the potatoes. When the pan is hot i add canola oil then I immediately add the potaotoes. I tend to cover the entire pan in a single layer. I wait for them to brown then i turn them over and wait for those to brown. I use a fork to flip them over and sometimes i turn them a couple of times so they end up having a few punctures from the fork. Could that be the one of the reasons why?

 

[Andy M.]

Stoves differ but I'd do three things. First, go with a notch or two higher heat. Second, let the oil get good and hot before adding the potatoes. Third, make sure the potatoes are dry before adding them to the oil.

 

[justplainbill]

Use pre-cooked (par boiled ~ 15 minutes) refrigerated potatoes . Fry uncovered with minced onions at medium to medium high heat with adequate shortening , turning often enough to avoid burning.