Wash the russet potatoes.

Place the russet potatoes in a large pot and fill the pot with water, making sure the potatoes are all covered. 

Add 2 tablespoons of salt, 1 tablespoon of whole black pepper, and 2 bay leaves. Bring the pot up to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 25 – 30 minutes. The potatoes should be mostly cooked, but do note it’s important NOT to overcook. It’s better to slightly undercook them here. 

If you have time, let the potatoes cool. If not, go ahead and cut the potatoes into 1” wedges. I usually cut the potatoes in half, then cut each half into 4-5 pieces. The wedges don’t need to be identical in size, some variation is nice and rustic. 

Fill a dutch oven or heavy bottomed pan ⅔ full with oil. Heat on medium high heat. 

Once the oil is hot, reduce the heat to medium and slowly add the potatoes to the hot oil. You will most definitely need to fry the potatoes in batches, so be sure not to overfill the pot. Cook for 3-4 minutes, or until golden brown, then remove them and salt immediately. Repeat with with the remaining potatoes. 

Store the cooked potatoes in a warmed oven at 200F until ready to serve (ideally this is less than 30 minutes).