Belgian Fries (Pommes Frites)

From Ruth Van Waerebeek’s “Everybody Eats Well in Belgium Cookbook.” There are other good frites recipes on Recipezaar; I’m including Ruth’s for the sake of personal closure — I can’t NOT include her frites in my collection of her traditional Belgian recipes. What makes Ruth’s unique is her call for older, starchy potatoes. As she says: “Never make fries with new potatoes…. It is imperative to use a starchy older potato for making real Belgian fries…. All your efforts will be in vain as the young potatoes have not had time to develop sufficient starch.” She adds: “The size of the fries is a very personal matter. Experiment to find the size you like best.” Adjust the frying time according to the thickness you prefer.