THE new way of making fries
 

One of my Xmas gifts was a book by Ferrandi, staple of French gastronomie.

While checking recipes, something unusual caught my eye: they make fries by blanching potatoes in water.

The way I normally proceed is by cooking the fries in two oil baths, one "low temperature" at 140°C (284°F) and one at 180°C (356°F).

So I tried that new water method, and that was amazing. 10/10 would do again.

• cut the potatoes in 1-1.5 cm (0.4-0.6 inch) wide fries
• put them in cold water and set to a boil
• get rid of floating impurities
• dry fries on paper towel
• cook in 180°C oil until golden brown

That reminds me of rinsing the starch off your shredded hash browns. You rinse, dry, and fry. Much crisper.

The 'frietmakerij' that we go to very often for our saturday lunch after doing our shopping at the market makes his fries this way and they are just amazing! The fries are handcut, then boiled (no idea how long) then set aside to cool. They then go in the deep fryer once an order comes in. I think that they chuck them directly into boiling/simmering water though. From what I understand the cooling step before actually frying them is important as well.

I love them just with mayo, but they have some delicious toppings (boerenfrites is my favorite - fries topped with meatballs, gravy and mustard mayo. Second favorite would be fritesnacho - fries with cheese sauce, grated cheese, guacamole, tomato, sour cheese and peppers)

It is 745 in the morning and I would house those right now

I am tucking this into my bag of tricks to try next batch !

Crazy what little things can do right?


What kind of monster are you? Fries should be dipped in sauce one by one, not drowned in it :bad:

Being back in France, I have to admit I dearly miss getting frikandellen speciaal, kipcorn and kipvingers...

Oh, but the owner knows us very well and puts the gravy/meatballs and mayo in separate cups!! :biggrin: Then we dip to our heart's content once back at home.

Sounds great ! And in the spirit of great potatoes, let me add 2 things. First off, try frying them in either duck or goose fat. Even frying the regular way, the crispiness is incredible. And second, if you want to cook the best mashed potatoes you ever ate, try sous vide. You put all the ingredients together in a vacuum seal bag and cook them in a hot water bath. Because the water never touches the potatoes, you're not washing away a lot of flavor.

what my secret recipe is in a book now??

just joking, that is how I first learnt how some restaurants do it. Generally the top restaurants would soak the fries in cold water first, then fry at 100 degrees, then fry at 140 and a final fry.

At home it makes sense to soak and boil at the same time.

Then fry - it creates a soft inner and crunchy outer.

How long do they stay in the the water: 1) until it comes to a boil, 2) as long as it takes to skim the impurities, or 3) is it a timed thing?

Comes down to personal preference, something like 10 min boil and then fry for 5 mins, I haven't made fries in years now but I think 8 mins and 6 was what I used.. Just try it and see which timing comes out best..