ChefTalk.com › ChefTalk Cooking Forums › Cooking Discussions › Food & Cooking › why frozen stuff fries so well?
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

why frozen stuff fries so well?

post #1 of 7
12/30/02 at 8:08pm
Thread Starter 
Tonight i was bored so i thought i'd try to experiment with a few types of potatoes and techniques for making french fries. I was hoping to be able to make them like a fast food place. I also just got a nice mandolin so i was excited about that too. Anyway, I used russets and white potatoes. I cut them and then boiled them till cooked but still firm. Then i cooked some that were at room temperature and i also froze some. The frozen ones were sooo good and the room temp ones were not great. Why is that? They were a bit greasy because the temp. dropped too far, but that will be easy to fix next time. thanks

Ron
Reply

Featured Stories on ChefTalk.com

Follow ChefTalk on Pinterest!
The Making of a Chef Innovator, without the Pomp
A clinical look at how a restaurant runs
post #2 of 7
12/31/02 at 5:40am
Great experiment! You lived up to your name :D

Okay, question time: did you do the room temp/freezing thing with BOTH kinds of potatoes? That is, did you do room temp russets, frozen russets, room temp whites, frozen whites? Which of the frozen were so good? My one guess is that the frozen ones were drier -- freezing dries things out, if they are exposed to the cold air.

There's a big difference in water content and starchiness between russets and white potatoes. Russets are relatively dry, and the flesh becomes flaky when properly cooked; white potatoes have more water content, and are more "waxy" in texture. That matters when you're making fries.

I've never thought of boiling the potatoes first -- usually the first cooking ("blanching") is done in oil. But I did something like that the other night with yuca -- boiled the wedges until almost done, then drained them well and fried them -- and they were GREAT.

Keep experimenting. It's what makes cooking so cool ;)
"Notorious stickler" -- The New York Times, January 4, 2004
Reply
post #3 of 7
1/1/03 at 7:22pm
Suzanne, though most of us were taught to blanch our fries in oil, I believe that most industrial made fries are indeed blanched in water first. It really doesn't matter that much which way you do it. The most important thing is to get those potatoes cooked first without developing any kind of crust that will hold the moisture in. As for why the frozen ones came out better, I think I would agree with you that they were drier and thus ended up more crispy, IMHO.
From Man's sweat and God's love, beer came into the World-Saint Arnoldus
http://www.onceachef.com/
Reply
post #4 of 7
1/2/03 at 7:06am
Really, in water? Boy, there's always something to learn. :D Thanks!!
"Notorious stickler" -- The New York Times, January 4, 2004
Reply
post #5 of 7
1/2/03 at 11:37am
Thread Starter 
Yes, i used both russets and whites when they were frozen. I like the white potatoes better, plus i kept having trouble with over cooking the russets, the whites are easier to use and they taste better.
Reply
post #6 of 7
1/2/03 at 9:25pm
I allways thought that for some reason frozen potatoes cooked the way Cookinschool described was because of the ice crystal
formation on the surface allowing some air (as opposed to covered with water)to balance the hot oil/water interaction and allow an even sear.Good question,now I'll be thinking about it:confused:
bill
Reply
post #7 of 7
1/6/03 at 4:13am

Great thread!

This is why I love cooking so much. It's actually a science. :bounce: :bounce: :bounce:
Laughter is the medicine of life
Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
  Back to Forum: Food & Cooking

Featured Stories on ChefTalk.com

Follow ChefTalk on Pinterest!
The Making of a Chef Innovator, without the Pomp
A clinical look at how a restaurant runs
ChefTalk.com › ChefTalk Cooking Forums › Cooking Discussions › Food & Cooking › why frozen stuff fries so well?