Perfect fries?

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PierreRodrigue

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I'm wondering if anyone might have a technique to making home made fries. Fully cooked through, crispy outside, not greasy or soggy. I would say recipe, but unless the potatoes are coated, it has to be technique, right?
 
Do you fry yours twice? I haven't done it, but my understanding is the trick is to fry them once at a lower temperature to cook the potato through, then again at a higher temp to crisp and brown them.
 
Do you fry yours twice? I haven't done it, but my understanding is the trick is to fry them once at a lower temperature to cook the potato through, then again at a higher temp to crisp and brown them.

+1

Pour oil in a deep fryer or heavy saucepan to reach halfway up the sides of the pan. Heat to 325 degrees F. Peel and cut the potatoes, putting the cut potatoes in a bowl of ice water to release some of the starch and to keep them from turning brown.

Dry the potatoes thoroughly, to keep the oil from splattering. Fry the potatoes in batches so the pan isn't crowded and the oil temperature does not plummet. Cook for 3 minutes until they are soft but not browned. Remove the potatoes and drain on brown paper bags.

Bring oil temperature up to 375 degrees F. Return the partly fried potatoes to the oil in batches and cook a second time for 4 minutes until golden and crispy. Drain on fresh brown paper bags. Salt and serve immediately.
 
Biggest trick is to cook them 2x

I'll assume our using a home deep fryer or pot with a thermometer.

Picking the right potato is also helps, I think the russets potato works best IMHO

Sold state cooking oil, IE oils that are sold at room temp. Use crisco or lard.

Don't let them soak in water, but you can rinse them if you want

Ok so oil at 350 add only enough fries as to not cool the oil off more the 25* when the oil hits 350 again or about 1/2 a minute take the potato out and let he rest on something that will let them drain ( wire rack or basket is best but paper towels work),your only blanching them at this point. Now once there all blanched fry them again in batches.
 
Whilst I have not done this myself, I have seen this procedure outlined by reputable sources!
 
First blanch quickly, this will get the starch to the outside of the fry.
Then cool down in the freezer so it dries, fry once at lower temp.

Let it pour off, then chill down

And then higher temp until crispy.



You can watch Heston Blumenthals "The perfect fry" if you want an even more complicated and more perfect fry.
 
+1

Pour oil in a deep fryer or heavy saucepan to reach halfway up the sides of the pan. Heat to 325 degrees F. Peel and cut the potatoes, putting the cut potatoes in a bowl of ice water to release some of the starch and to keep them from turning brown.

Dry the potatoes thoroughly, to keep the oil from splattering. Fry the potatoes in batches so the pan isn't crowded and the oil temperature does not plummet. Cook for 3 minutes until they are soft but not browned. Remove the potatoes and drain on brown paper bags.

Bring oil temperature up to 375 degrees F. Return the partly fried potatoes to the oil in batches and cook a second time for 4 minutes until golden and crispy. Drain on fresh brown paper bags. Salt and serve immediately.

Beat me to it.
I don't like to let them sit in water as it washes some of the starch out, but if your cuting enough that they will turn color ice water is a good wy to go.
 
I make fake "fries" all the time as a side dish with a sirloin steak or hamburger using the following recipe from my father.

You might think that writing this first bit down, something so simple and obvious, isn’t worth the effort. But it’s as easy to do it wrong as right and they are not only very good but foolproof once you get it.

Ingredients

- as many russet potatoes as you need
- olive oil
- butter
- salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
2. Using as many potatoes as you need (maybe 1 ½ mid-sized russets per person as a normal side dish), peel them and slice into “jumbo” fries, about ½ inch square and the length of the potatoes. Note: The large size makes them easier to handle in the cooking process (smaller and they tend to break up) and allows you to crisp the outside while leaving the inside soft. When cutting them out of the potato, just throw away any trimmings that are too small to cook properly.
3. Thoroughly rinse the fries in a colander. Now rinse them again. Now rinse them again and pour the damp potatoes onto a clean cotton towel to dry a bit. If they are not properly rinsed, they will stick to each other and to the cooking pan with a mess the result.
4. These fries must be cooked in a single layer in a pan or they will steam, not become crisp. In one or more Pyrex or other pans sufficient to hold the potatoes in one layer, enough oil (Canola is tasteless and fine) to just cover the bottom plus a couple of tablespoons of butter. Place the pan in the oven just long enough to melt the butter.
5. Now place the fries in the pan and gently stir them around to coat with the oil/butter mixture without breaking them up. Arrange in a single layer and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
6. Roast for a total of about 45 minutes to an hour or until properly browned all to your liking. Shake the pan after the first few minutes of cooking to make sure they don’t stick to the bottom/sides or each other. About 2/3 of the way through the projected cooking time, remove from the oven and gently turn over each fry with tongs to crisp on the other side and avoid breaking them. Replace in the oven and cook until done. Serve immediately.

Comment

If you get screwed up on timing the meal, you can delay the potatoes by stopping after you turn them over then not putting them back in the oven until you have about fifteen minutes to go with the other elements (and fifteen minutes on the potatoes too). I’ve done it many times and it’s not a problem. They do have to be served immediately after coming out of the oven to be best.
 
Good advice. The only other thing I do at home is I have some metal grates I put over a tray with paper towels. When I am done frying them in my pan I toss them on the grate to let the oil drip off. I use a Joseph and Joseph scoop colander to get them out of the oil, but a Spider strainer etc would do the same thing.
 
From Modernist Cuisine: "The Perfect Fry"
Cut potatoes into batons and rinse them to get rid of surface starch. Vacuum-seals them in a plastic bag, in one even layer, with water. Heat the bag to 212 degrees for 15 minutes, steaming the batons. Then hit the bag with ultrasound to cavitate the water—45 minutes on each side. Reheat the bag in an oven to 212 degrees for five minutes, and put the hot fries on a rack in a vacuum chamber, and then blanche them in 338-degree oil for three minutes. When they’re cool, deep fry the potatoes in oil at 375 degrees until they’re crisp, about three more minutes, and then drain them on paper towels. Total preparation time: two hours.

Or you could just blanch in 325 oil and finish in 375. Your choice :doublethumbsup:
 
pressure fryer makes the best fries, but I have never tried a home model
 
I make fake "fries" all the time as a side dish with a sirloin steak or hamburger using the following recipe from my father.

You might think that writing this first bit down, something so simple and obvious, isn’t worth the effort. But it’s as easy to do it wrong as right and they are not only very good but foolproof once you get it.

Ingredients

- as many russet potatoes as you need
- olive oil
- butter
- salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
2. Using as many potatoes as you need (maybe 1 ½ mid-sized russets per person as a normal side dish), peel them and slice into “jumbo” fries, about ½ inch square and the length of the potatoes. Note: The large size makes them easier to handle in the cooking process (smaller and they tend to break up) and allows you to crisp the outside while leaving the inside soft. When cutting them out of the potato, just throw away any trimmings that are too small to cook properly.
3. Thoroughly rinse the fries in a colander. Now rinse them again. Now rinse them again and pour the damp potatoes onto a clean cotton towel to dry a bit. If they are not properly rinsed, they will stick to each other and to the cooking pan with a mess the result.
4. These fries must be cooked in a single layer in a pan or they will steam, not become crisp. In one or more Pyrex or other pans sufficient to hold the potatoes in one layer, enough oil (Canola is tasteless and fine) to just cover the bottom plus a couple of tablespoons of butter. Place the pan in the oven just long enough to melt the butter.
5. Now place the fries in the pan and gently stir them around to coat with the oil/butter mixture without breaking them up. Arrange in a single layer and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
6. Roast for a total of about 45 minutes to an hour or until properly browned all to your liking. Shake the pan after the first few minutes of cooking to make sure they don’t stick to the bottom/sides or each other. About 2/3 of the way through the projected cooking time, remove from the oven and gently turn over each fry with tongs to crisp on the other side and avoid breaking them. Replace in the oven and cook until done. Serve immediately.

Comment

If you get screwed up on timing the meal, you can delay the potatoes by stopping after you turn them over then not putting them back in the oven until you have about fifteen minutes to go with the other elements (and fifteen minutes on the potatoes too). I’ve done it many times and it’s not a problem. They do have to be served immediately after coming out of the oven to be best.

My wife and I do pretty much this sans butter. We like this a lot.
 
This advice is great, but I will just add that I saw a french fry recipe in cook's illustrated for crispy fries that only fry once.

Just an option if you want to try it out.

k.

Cut and paste job here....

Published July 1, 2009. From Cook's Illustrated.

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
When we wanted a french fry recipe with half the oil and no double frying, we tried submerging the potatoes in cold oil before frying them over high heat until browned. With lower-starch potatoes like Yukon Golds, the result was a crisp exterior and a creamy interior.

SERVES 3 TO 4
Flavoring the oil with bacon fat (optional) gives the fries a mild meaty flavor. We prefer peanut oil for frying, but vegetable or canola oil can be substituted. This recipe will not work with sweet potatoes or russets. Serve with dipping sauces (see related recipes), if desired. See "Cutting Potatoes for French Fries," below, for help on cutting even batons.
INGREDIENTS
2 1/2pounds Yukon Gold potatoes (about 6 medium), scrubbed, dried, sides squared off, and cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch by 1/4-inch batons (see note)
6cups peanut oil
1/4cup bacon fat , strained (optional) (see note)
Kosher salt
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Combine potatoes, oil, and bacon fat (if using) in large Dutch oven. Cook over high heat until oil has reached rolling boil, about 5 minutes. Continue to cook, without stirring, until potatoes are limp but exteriors are beginning to firm, about 15 minutes.
2. Using tongs, stir potatoes, gently scraping up any that stick, and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until golden and crisp, 5 to 10 minutes longer. Using skimmer or slotted spoon, transfer fries to thick paper bag or paper towels. Season with salt and serve immediately.
RECIPE TESTING

GIVING FAT THE COLD SHOULDER


Our easier approach to cooking French fries does not preheat the oil and calls for one prolonged frying instead of the quicker double-dip in hot oil used in the classic method. But does the lengthy exposure to oil lead to a greasier fry?

EXPERIMENT
We prepared two batches of fries using Yukon Gold potatoes, our preferred spud for the cold-start method. We cooked one batch the conventional way, heating 3 quarts of peanut oil to 325 degrees and frying 2½ pounds of potatoes until just beginning to color, removing them, increasing the oil temperature to 350 degrees, then returning the potatoes to the pot to fry until golden brown. Total exposure to oil: less than 10 minutes. The second batch we cooked according to our working method, submerging 2½ pounds of spuds in 6 cups of cold oil and cooking over high heat for about 25 minutes, with the oil temperature never rising above 280 degrees. We then sent samples from each batch to an independent lab to analyze the fat content.

RESULTS
Our cold-start spuds contained about one third less fat than spuds deep-fried twice the conventional way: 13 versus 20 percent.

EXPLANATION
Fries absorb oil two ways. As the potatoes cook, they lose moisture near their surface, which is replaced by oil. Then, as they cool after being removed from the hot grease, oil from their exterior gets pulled in. Because our cold-start method cooks the fries more gently, less moisture is lost (but enough so the fries stay crisp) and less oil is absorbed during frying. Plus, this approach exposes the spuds to just one cool-down, versus the two cooling-off periods of the classic method, so less oil gets absorbed after cooking as well.


COLD OIL
13% FAT

DOUBLE FRY
20% FAT
RECIPE TESTING

KEYS TO EASIER CRISP FRENCH FRIES


The classic technique for French fries involves four steps: rinsing the cut potatoes, soaking them in ice water, and then deep-frying—twice—in quarts of hot oil. Our method calls for just one round of frying and a lot less oil.


1. LESS OIL Our fries cook in just 6 cups of oil instead of 2 or 3 quarts.

2. COLD START Beginning with room-temperature oil gives fries time to cook through before their exteriors crisp.

3. ONE FRY Potatoes are fried only once, for about 25 minutes, rather than twice.
TECHNIQUE

CUTTING POTATOES FOR FRENCH FRIES


1. Square off potato by cutting a 1/4-inch-thick slice from each of its 4 long sides.

2. Cut potato lengthwise into 1/4-inch planks.

3. Stack 3 to 4 planks and cut into 1/4-inch batons. Repeat with remaining planks.
 
My wife and I do pretty much this sans butter. We like this a lot.

I sprinkle them with paprika too for a bit more color. Simple, crispy, delicious. Throw them in the oven for 45 minutes, pull them out, and finish for 15 when you are getting close with whatever else you are eating. He has a recipe for the real McCoy too, but this is easy and good I never feel like experimenting.
 
:bigeek::plus1:wow I have only seen pics of Modernist Cuisine. I am glad to know there is someone that has at least read it, own it. Nothing like a over 500$ cookbook.
 
From Modernist Cuisine: "The Perfect Fry"
Cut potatoes into batons and rinse them to get rid of surface starch. Vacuum-seals them in a plastic bag, in one even layer, with water. Heat the bag to 212 degrees for 15 minutes, steaming the batons. Then hit the bag with ultrasound to cavitate the water—45 minutes on each side. Reheat the bag in an oven to 212 degrees for five minutes, and put the hot fries on a rack in a vacuum chamber, and then blanche them in 338-degree oil for three minutes. When they’re cool, deep fry the potatoes in oil at 375 degrees until they’re crisp, about three more minutes, and then drain them on paper towels. Total preparation time: two hours.

Or you could just blanch in 325 oil and finish in 375. Your choice :doublethumbsup:

That's an expensive book:biggrin:
 
[video]http://blogs.kqed.org/essentialpepin/2011/09/10/episode-106-special-spuds/[/video]

Saw these on public tv looks good.
 
For the double fry method, russets seem to be the way to go, how important is the oil/lard choice? Peanut oil, canola, crisco, lard... I imagine there are slight flavor differences, what the most popular?

Thanks for the great tips! Gonna try the oven method as well!
 
I sprinkle them with paprika too for a bit more color. Simple, crispy, delicious. Throw them in the oven for 45 minutes, pull them out, and finish for 15 when you are getting close with whatever else you are eating. He has a recipe for the real McCoy too, but this is easy and good I never feel like experimenting.

I'll have to try the paprika. I've tried it with garlic and dried garlic before but of course they both ended up being burnt with no garlic flavor left by the time the fries were done. Have thought about experimenting by giving the first a 2nd toss in garlic with oil ~10-15 min before they're done. ...or I guess I could always break out the Lawry's :D
 
For the oven version, I don't bother making "sticks" either. I peel, cut the potato in half, then cut the halves into thirds. I like the look on the plate.
 
On how I cut and oil as a home cook. I just use generic vegetable oil. Works fine for me. Other oils like you said probably vary flavor. I used to cut with a knife, then started using mandolins, now I use my Breville Sous Chef. I will probably go back to using a knife when I get my custom:biggrin:
 
That's an expensive book:biggrin:

Haha, I found it online. For me there is no point in buying a cookbook that requires equipment I don't own for 95% of the recipes.
 
Here is how I do mine, if I have the time: http://www.cookingissues.com/2010/04/27/the-quest-for-french-fry-supremacy-part-1/#more-4005

I get rave reviews and they are even good cold, and that's amazing.

Read Parts I and II. I don't do the pectin or anything like that. I do think the salt water blanch is critical. I dry in a combi oven on air only then move to the freezer for more drying. The oil blanch is also critical. Using this method makes awesome poutine! :doublethumbsup:

-AJ
 
You said the "P" word! When I can get my hands on some good fresh curds! Sweet Lord! Dig a hole and burry me now! I'll go happy!
 
Thanks for the link AJ. I have to bookmark that blog.

The oven routine is so easy, but I guess I will have to give this a shot.
 
Haha, I found it online. For me there is no point in buying a cookbook that requires equipment I don't own for 95% of the recipes.
Good to hear. My buddy synthesized tear gas in third quarter organic chemistry. I synthesized cocaine in third quarter organic chemistry got an A. I still think that cook book is too much for me.
 
You said the "P" word! When I can get my hands on some good fresh curds! Sweet Lord! Dig a hole and burry me now! I'll go happy!

Imagine how I feel living in Georgia. I'm nuts about the stuff. Anytime I'm in Quebec I eat it almost every day, any version I can get. Even harder for me is that when I lived in Wisconsin I could get fresh curds just about anywhere, even a gas station. Now it's at least a 2.5 hour drive to get some kind of fresh curds so even making poutine at home is kind of not reasonable.

Sometimes I dream of opening a little diner in GA and call it K-Becks. I have to believe that poutine would be my biggest seller here. I'd just have to come up with something else to call it.

-AJ
 
I have an uncle in Quebec, that had 3 restaurants, and two larger mobile kitchen/trailers. All he did was poutine, burgers and pogos. There is a market, make it better than anyone else, or something no one else makes, and smile!
 
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