A couple of weeks ago, Merrill and I made the life-altering decision to order the Breslin's "thrice-cooked" potato chips (fries, in American English). They are, in my view, the ideal fry. They have a surface that crackles when you bite into it, yet is quite chewy. They are sweet yet plenty salty. They smell of pork fat yet are not leaden. And they come with cumin mayo, so what else could you possibly want? Well, a ginger beer -- that's what I like to order with them. I had to try them at home. This version is adapted from Waitrose.com, who adapted it from Heston Blumenthal, the chef at The Fat Duck in England. Instead of frying in lard, I went for a modified version, adding 2 slices of pancetta to a quart of peanut oil. Next time, I'd go all out and fry them in the delicious leaf lard from Flying Pigs Farm, and I'd invite my friends over and have them each bring a dish so I could focus on making the most labor intensive but delicious fries on the planet.

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