French Fries
French fries (or chips) are a well-known element of fast food.
- Prep
- 17 min
- Cook
- 41 min
- Total
- 58 min
- Servings
- As written in source
- Difficulty
- Advanced
Timings are approximate — worked out from the method, not measured in a test kitchen.
Ingredients
Quantities are retained as written by the source and do not scale automatically. Tap an ingredient to check it off as you go.
Cooking instructions
Procedure
Peel potatoes, and cut into thin straw-like pieces.
Procedure
Wash potatoes well with water to remove excess starch.
Procedure
Place fries in a saucepan with water, and simmer or parboil on the stove for about 15 minutes.
Procedure
Drain the fries, and dry them well.
Procedure
Deep fry in 175°C vegetable oil, lard, or drippings for 4–5 minutes until light golden and crisp.
Procedure
Remove from oil, and place on plate with paper towels to absorb the leftover cooking oil. Transfer to another plate if necessary.
Procedure
Add salt and shake to ensure all French fries are evenly salted.
Notes, tips, and variations
You can vary the size of the potato slices. Thick wedge shapes are home-style fries or English-style chips, while thinly julienned potatoes make for shoestring potatoes. Cooking times will need to be adjusted accordingly.
Notes, tips, and variations
Try adding other spices after cooking. Minced garlic is popular in California cuisine.
Notes, tips, and variations
Instead of ketchup, serve with mayonnaise, gravy, barbecue sauce, or salt, hummus, and vinegar.
Notes, tips, and variations
For poutine (a French-Canadian treat), toss cooked fries with cheese curds and smother with gravy.
Notes, tips, and variations
Some cook the fries a single time in a generous amount of oil pre-heated to a temperature around 375 °F (190 °C) until they are golden and slightly crisp.
Notes, tips, and variations
The method recommended by most cookbooks and used by many restaurants, is to cook them in two stages: first at around 350 °F (177 °C) until the fries are nearly cooked but limp and pale; after they have been removed from the oil and allowed to cool, they are briefly fried at a higher temperature of around 375 °F (190 °C) until golden and crisp.
Notes, tips, and variations
A method attributed to the celebrated French chef Joël Robuchon for the home cook says to put the sliced potatoes into a saucepan with just enough cold oil in it to cover the potatoes, then to cook them over high heat until golden, stirring occasionally.[1]
Warnings
Do not attempt to extinguish fat fires with water! If the oil becomes too hot, it may catch fire. Do not attempt to extinguish it with water, as this will cause an explosive reaction: oil floats on water, so water will only help the oil move up and get more oxygen. Instead, turn off the stove if possible, try to cover fire with a lid or any other piece of solid, non-flammable material, and use a class B fire extinguisher if the fire is still not under control. If that fails to work, evacuate and call the emergency service.
Photo: Rainer Zenz · CC BY-SA 3.0 · http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/ · Photo source and licence
Wikibooks contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0 · https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/ · Adapted; quantities retained as written. · Original source
Read it through first
Skim all 15 steps before you start — it is the difference between cooking and firefighting.
Scale it
Use the quantities listed in the original recipe. Adjust them manually if making a different batch size.
Storage
Cool completely, then keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days.
Reheating
Reheat gently with a splash of water in a covered pan, rather than blasting it, so nothing dries out.
Nutrition information is not available for this recipe yet.
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