If you are eating AIP, Nighshade-free, or even Keto / low carb, from time to time you may be craving a crispy, but faux, “french fry” like side dish or snack. These are worth of a snack on their own and taste surprisingly great! They would make a nice addition to a Charcuterie Board as a “dipper” with appropriate dip(s).
EQUIPMENT LIST:
Kitchen scale with gram measurement units.
Glass bowl.
Cast Iron fry pan.
Frying oil.
Tablespoon, half tablespoon and teaspoon measuring spoons.
1/3 cup measuring cup.
Serving tongs.
Sharp Knife
INGREDIENTS:
Organic Coconut Flour (50 grams)
Parmesan Cheese (1/3 cup freshly grated)
Xanthan Gum (3 teaspoons) [Healthline Article, “What is Xanthan Gum” with science-based evidence]
Boiling Water (7 1/2 TBSP)
(Oil for frying and salt to taste after removing from oil)
DIRECTIONS:
Begin with a medium size glass bowl. [See Tip below]
Zero your kitchen scale for the bowl you are using and and measure exactly 50 grams of coconut flour into the bowl. [See Tip below]
Measure the parmesan cheese and xanthan gum into the bowl. [See Tip below]
Mix well to combine. [See Tip below]
Measure and pour over these dry ingredients 7 and a half Tablespoons of boiling water. [See Tip below]
Mix well to incorporate. As you are mixing, allow this to form into dough ball in the bowl.
Cover bowl. Let dough ball rest for 15 minutes.
Roll dough out to a flat, even consistency.
Cut flattened dough into fry shapes.
Pan fry in hot oil over medium heat until crispy, turning as needed.
NOTES:
While these were cooking, they didn’t really smell like anything interesting. THEN, all of a sudden, they started to smell like french fries cooking. Shortly after that, they crisped up and became worthy of eating.
Salted, these tasted most like fast-food style deep-fried hash browns to me. I tried salting the dough, and it didn’t make a difference what so ever in taste. So that’s not necessary. Just salt to taste once you’ve removed them from the oil.
I cut my “faux fries” to the length that fits in my stainless steel tongs when open. So that I could “slide” the next batch into the oil off the tong, turn with the tong, and remove with the tong.
Some of my dough broke while scooping it up with the tongs into the oil (thus the reason for developing the “slide off the tong” method above. I had the idea after tasting the first batch of faux fries to form the bits of broken off dough into a tater-tot (or donut hole) shaped form at fry it. This shape experiment also turned out delicious.
I believe this dough could be used to make a hash-brown like side dish and will try/photograph that in the near future. Based on the flavor I’m also going to trial cutting these into O’Brien Style potatoes and frying them in a pan like potatoes.
TIPS:
Don’t use a plastic mixing bowl. Xanthan gum is super sticky. You will be sorry if you use plastic.
For the same reason as above, you may want to wear gloves if the feeling/sensation of xanthan gum bothers your skin.
Use the full amount of xanthan gum. I was slightly hesitant to use 3 teaspoons, it seemed too much for the dough and I didn’t want it “too gummy” but without the 3 teaspoons you will experience dough breakage and the shape will not hold together.
Use boiling water. Anything less than boiling water and the dough ball doesn’t really stick together.
Cover the dough ball. It helps hold the moisture in for the gum and coconut flour to absorb it correctly to form the dough ball.
Don’t use the dry powdered parmesan cheese. It doesn’t work. You need the freshly grated type.
These are good fried in any oil but the oil may effect the taste. I happened to have strained oil left frying over from Onion Rings which tasted great!
collectedgoodies 
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