frites

I need a recipe for great seasoned frites that will hold up for food to go.

[Pete]

The best frites, or fries for that matter, for standing up to togo situations are the thinnest shoestring potatoes that you can possibly make. That way there will not be a lot of moisture in the potatoes to make the crispy outside turn soggy. As for seasoning, the skies the limit. I have fried in curry oil, or made a dry bbq rub to sprinkle on them, or toss them with a little garlic oil

[Nicko]

While were on the subject of frites I am curious about something. For classical frites is it necessary to blanch the cut potatoes for a short amount of time before frying them?

Nicko,

In my "opinion" (and I say that emphatically, because I've rarely met pommes frites I haven't liked, and every chef prepares them differently), my recommended method:

The allure of pommes frites is that they’re fried twice, giving them a crispier exterior and creamier interior. After being peeled, cut, soaked for a minimum of eight hours and rinsed, the potatoes are "partial fried" at a low temperature, between 275-325 degrees for four to seven minutes. They then have to sit for at least 30 minutes. When an order is placed, the fries are "shock-fried."

Have you been to Denver? "Le Central" is a small French cafe that serves a juicy steak and pommes frites that is truly memorable. A glass of a good red, and mmmmmm!

Julie

[Pete]

All types of fries, expect for potato chips and shoestrings, should be blanched before the final frying. This can be done in either water (an okay method) or in the frying oil at a lower temp. around 285-300 degrees (my prefered method). The reason for this is to cook the potato so that it releases much of its water. If you don't first blanch your fries the moisture and steam build up underneath the crisp exterior and make your fries soggy in a matter of seconds. Many home cooks complain that they can never make fries as crispy as in restaurants. Anyone can though if you follow this initial step.

[This message has been edited by Pete (edited August 09, 2000).]

[Nicko]

Yeah Pete and Julie, that is exactly what I thought. When I was at Les Nomades we did a classic steak with frites and that was how I was taught. We had a tiny fryer that we fried the thinkly sliced potatoes in at about 285 degrees for a few minutes. Later when the order came in we fried them again at a much higher temp for a short time. Salt and pepper and you were set.

As far as the glass of red I agree but I prefer a good beer with my steak and frites. I have never been to Le Central, but there is a great bistro in Chicago "Le Bouchon" which also serves a truly memorable steak and frites.

------------------
Thanks,

Nicko
nicko@cheftalk.com

[cookM]

At one of places I work at, we serve some kind of fried potato. Mostly french fries, but the chef has found that sometimes the fries just don't work!! Apparently, it has to do with the sugar content of the potatoes.
Has anyone else heard this?

[Ruthy]

The true russet potatoes (Idahos) always make good fries provided they are old enough. Yukon gold make decent fries too but I would never try to fry waxy potatoes. For fries to go try the waffle cut. They stay crisp even when cold and will certainly make an impression.

[lynne]

The major problem with fries or frites to go is the styrofoam container! Try wrapping them in a twist of butchers paper as they do at the Belgian Frites stands in the Grand Plaza, or fish and chips from an English street corner, wrapped in paper--travels much better!

Regardless of any primary oil-blanching, followed by a second deep-frying, at a much higher temperature, Larousse states "The best fat to use in deep-frying is ox (beef) kidney fat (suet), clarified and purified with scrupulous care."

I have another source's findings yet it's misplaced. that source stated horse fat is by far the best for pommes frites! Can anyone uncover the source of this historic fact?

Originally posted by ChefJulie:
Nicko,

In my "opinion" (and I say that emphatically, because I've rarely met pommes frites I haven't liked, and every chef prepares them differently), my recommended method:

The allure of pommes frites is that they’re fried twice, giving them a crispier exterior and creamier interior. After being peeled, cut, soaked for a minimum of eight hours and rinsed, the potatoes are "partial fried" at a low temperature, between 275-325 degrees for four to seven minutes. They then have to sit for at least 30 minutes. When an order is placed, the fries are "shock-fried."

Have you been to Denver? "Le Central" is a small French cafe that serves a juicy steak and pommes frites that is truly memorable. A glass of a good red, and mmmmmm!

Julie

There are celebrity chefs that advise never to soak potatoes in water. The only reason I can see for soaking potatoes in water is to prevent them, for a time, from discoloring. I give the potatoes their first frying immediately after they are cut. Whether or not I give them a second frying in hotter oil, they are great, if I do say so.

I love me some fries. It's my understanding that the ideal frites are perfectly cooked on the inside, and crisp on the outside. This means that when you touch them (the outside) they aren't oily, and when you bite into them (the inside) they aren't a sodden greasymess. Have you ever had a blob of hot mashed potaoes right out of the steam table land on your hand? Hot isn't it? And it stays hot for a while. Potatoes of all stripes seem to cool down slowly, which makes me think that they also heat up slowly, which is why you cant just drop those allumettes into hot fat and wait. The outside will be scorched and the inside raw. You cook the spuds at a lower temp just to cook them through. I supose water would work to blanch them, but then teyd have to be dried off, and you still might be risking unnecessary/annoying splattering during service. Once they're blanched, you then cook them briefly at a higher temp to gelatinize the starch and lightly brown the exterior. Salt just before service (I'd include some salt separately for to-go items). Other than that, the particular fat used, variety of potato, cut, etc. will be a matter of personal taste (though I've heard that the fat surrounding horse kidneys is the medium par excellence for evryone's favorite Big Mac accoutrement) and final application.