Do you make French fries at home? They're a rare treat around here, but when that crispy yet tender texture is just right, they truly are one of the best foods imaginable. I learned something, though, about great fries at that potato seminar I attended a couple weeks ago. The real key to great fries is in the potato itself, and in something that happens to it before you even buy it...
The key to great French fries, explained chef Gary Danko, is the temperature that the potato has been stored at before cooking. See, for good French fries, the potato should be starchy. The starch is what gives you that tender, soft interior. But the colder you store potatoes, the more the starches will convert into sugars. And when the potato is stored below 40F, the starch will convert into sugar rapidly.
I learned that the best French fry places control the process of potato sourcing from field to store. Restaurants who depend on fries, like Five Guys and other burger joints, have whole teams of people who control the temperature and starch of their potato stock before they arrive in the stores.
What's the takeaway for the home cook? If you're hoping to make French fries (or any sort of fried potato dish) at home, then ask your grocer if he knows how the potatoes were stored. Better yet, buy your potatoes at the farmers' market, since the grower should have a good idea of where the spuds were kept. In a heated shed? Outside in freezing temperatures?
And then, of course, don't refrigerate your potatoes, since that will certainly push them below 40 degrees.
Do you ever make fries at home? Any other good tips for getting a good result?
Related: Recipe: Beer-Battered Cajun Fries
(Image: Nealey Dozier)
Potato Chip History - Invention of Potato Chips Fascinating facts about the invention of the Potato Chips by George Crum in 1853. How McDonald's makes their fries: Video reveals secrets behind the ... How McDonald's makes their fries: Video reveals secrets behind the popular potato strips at the fast food joint French fries - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia French fries (American English, with "French" often capitalized), or chips, fries, or French-fried potatoes are batons of deep-fried potato. North Americans refer to ... French Fry Diary Everything you wanted to know about French fries, and more - potato chips, recipes, onion rings, fast food, and good food - all aspects of the potato and fried food ... Baked Sweet Potato Fries Recipe : Paula Deen : Recipes : Food Network These were good but I didn't get the crispiness I would have liked; I did make a lot of mistakes like overcrowded them and maybe added too much oil (as some mentioned ... Sweet Potato French Fry Recipe - Fitness, Health & Well-Being ... Sweet Potato French Fry Recipe Get Fit Challenge: Snack on Sweet Potato Fries Double-Fried French Fries Recipe : Guy Fieri : Recipes : Food Network Peel potatoes on the sides, leaving the ends with the skin on. Cut the potatoes into 1/3-inch slices and then slice into 1/3-inch sticks. Fill a large bowl with water ... The Secret History of French Fries - $TIM: I Want Money, Yeah ... "Little fry, who made thee?" In the beginning was the potato. How it found its way from the South American highlands into those little sacks of McDonald's fries is a ... T's Sweet Potato Fries Recipe - Allrecipes.com These fries are a healthy alternative to the old standard French fries. The Italian seasoning and lemon pepper add an interesting twist to this vegetable. McCain French Fries, Potatoes French Fries, Masala Fries, Potato ... McCain French Fries deliver superior quality French Fries with that are crispier and made by using fresh potatoes. These hot and crunchy battered French Fries are ...
No comments:
Post a Comment