Pink Fries

Name: Pink Fries
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 70 min
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Cuisine: AMERICAN
Ingredients: 1 small beet, peeled; 1 cup (8 oz./250 g) sour cream; 4 tsp. ranch seasoning; 1/4 cup (2 fl. oz./60 ml) mayonnaise; 1 tsp. buttermilk; 2 red onions, finely diced; 1 1/2 cups (12 fl. oz./375 ml) apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar; 1/2 cup (4 fl. oz./125 ml) water; 2 tsp. sugar; 1 tsp. kosher salt; Vegetable oil, for frying; 2 1-lb. (16 oz./500 g) bags French fries; 2 1/2 cups (10 oz./315 g) grated Parmesan cheese; Pink edible flowers (optional); Cracked pink peppercorns (optional)

To complement P!nk’s performance at BottleRock — a three-day food and music festival in the heart of Napa Valley — the Williams Sonoma Test Kitchen chefs served guests and performers these Parmesan fries topped with a bright pink ranch dressing, pickled red onions and edible flowers. Depending on how you saucy you like your fries, you might have some extra beet-ranch dressing left over; this is a great dressing to toss with greens and it can be stored covered in the fridge for up to 3 days. Any extra pickled red onion relish will also keep in the fridge for up to a month and can be used to add a burst of flavor to burgers, sandwiches, nachos or hot dogs.

Prep Time 40 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Servings 4 to 6

Ingredients

For the beet-died ranch dressing:

1 small beet, peeled
1 cup (8 oz./250 g) sour cream
4 tsp. ranch seasoning
1/4 cup (2 fl. oz./60 ml) mayonnaise
1 tsp. buttermilk

For the pickled onion relish:

2 red onions, finely diced
1 1/2 cups (12 fl. oz./375 ml) apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar
1/2 cup (4 fl. oz./125 ml) water
2 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. kosher salt

For the fries:

Vegetable oil, for frying
2 1-lb. (16 oz./500 g) bags French fries
2 1/2 cups (10 oz./315 g) grated Parmesan cheese
Pink edible flowers (optional)
Cracked pink peppercorns (optional)

Directions

To make the beet-ranch dressing, put the beet in a small saucepan, cover with water and bring to a boil. Cook for 20 minutes and drain, reserving 1/4 cup of the cooking water. Transfer the beet to a food processor, add the reserved cooking water and process until smooth.

In a medium bowl, combine the sour cream, ranch seasoning, mayonnaise, buttermilk and 1 tablespoon of the beet puree. Taste and add more of the beet puree as desired.

To make the pickled onion relish, place the diced onions in a heatproof jar or bowl. In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the vinegar, water, sugar and salt. Bring to a simmer and cook for 1 minute. Pour the vinegar mixture over the diced onions, submerging them completely in the liquid. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 2 weeks.

To make the fries, in a 4-quart (4-l) deep pan over medium-high heat, pour in oil to a depth of 2 inches (5 cm), making sure the oil does not come more than halfway up the sides of the pan. Heat the oil to 375°F (190°C) on a deep-frying thermometer.

Working in batches, add the French fries to the oil and fry, stirring occasionally with a skimmer or slotted spoon, until golden and crispy (2 to 3 minutes). Using the skimmer, transfer the fries to the paper towel-lined baking sheet and immediately season with salt.

Toss the fries with the Parmesan cheese and divide them evenly among 4 to 6 small plates or bowls. Top the fries with spoonfuls of the beet-ranch dressing and pickled onion relish, and garnish with edible flours and cracked pink peppercorns, if using. Serve immediately.

Williams Sonoma Test Kitchen