As I continue on my mission to document every possible manifestation of the incredible potato, the time has come to get to grips with American French Fries. This mighty side dish has become a staple for the world’s biggest fast-food chains, resulting in the stick-like batons of crispiness becoming synonymous with fried chicken and hamburgers throughout the globe! So, taking cooking notes from its British counterpart, let’s once again fire up the deep fat fryer and knock up a plate of American Style French Fries.
American Style French Fries
Equipment
- 1 Colander
- 1 Teatowel
- 1 Deep Fat Fryer (or cooking pot and kitchen thermometer)
Ingredients
- 750g (1½lb) White Potatoes
- 2g (1 pinch) Salt
- Sunflower Oil
Instructions
- Fire up the deep fat fryer, or heat a cooking pot, filled roughly half-way with Sunflower Oil to 110℃ (236℉)
- Peel 750g of White Potatoes, and chop them into long thin fries, around 1cm wide, and the length of the potato
- Once chopped to the desired size, give the spuds a good old rinse in a colander, then dry off with a clean teatowel
- When the oil is sitting comfortably at 110℃, throw in enough potatoes so that they have space to float around, (If the basket is too full, they won't cook properly) and fry for exactly 10 minutes
- After 10 minutes, give the half-cooked fries a big shake, and transfer to a baking tray to cool. Meanwhile, you can continue to part cook any further batches of french Fries you require
- Once cool, place your big tray of fries in the freezer, and leave them there until they become solid. If the pang of hunger is too much, you can skip this step, however, they will not be quite as crispy
- When hungry, crank the deep fat fryer to 190℃ (375℉), then when it has fully heated throw in a batch of frozen French Fries, making sure not to overcrowd the basket. Cook for 3-4 minutes until golden brown
- Season with a little salt, and serve
Nutrition
Some Sage Advice for Cooking the Perfect French Fries
The Potatoes
In order to make the best possible American Style French Fries, spud enthusiasts should grab a bag of big old white potatoes. If you have the luxury of selecting a variety of tuber, go for Maris Pipers, King Edwards, or Yukon Golds.
Oil
As legend has it, the best results will come from deep frying in Beef fat. However, for most of us, this is a little impractical, and for non-meat-eating folk, not possible. So, let’s stick with a good solid vegetable oil that will not impede on the flavour, like sunflower or rapeseed oil.
American French Fries at Altitude
For those good folks who spend their lives up in the clouds, the difference in atmospheric pressure at altitude will directly affect cooking temperature. As a result, french fry artificers should reduce their oil temperature by around 2℃ per 500 metres, or, for the Americans, 2℉ per 1000 feet.
Cooking from Frozen
As it turns out, you will get crispier results when cooking from frozen, which means you can prepare a huge batch in anticipation for a lazy afternoon or a hangover. I generally tend to freeze them first on a baking tray as to maintain the classic French Fries shape. Then, once frozen I will transfer them to a big ziplock bag.
Equipment
If your home consumption of glorious French Fries is only an occasional affair, then its perfectly acceptable to work with what you already have lying around the kitchen. However, should you like to gorge on a regular basis, then you should consider investing in a device designed for the job. Something with a large temperature range on the dial like this Cuisinart contraption will perform admirably.
Potato-Based Alternatives to French Fries
For many, having a deep frying device at home just isn’t practical, so how about having a go at one of our other potato-based recipes. For starters, these Garlic Roast Potatoes have what it takes to ruffle a few feathers in the spud realm, and will happily cook in both the oven, or the new-fangled air fryer. Speaking of which, how about cutting these Air Fryer Chips a little thinner and adjusting the cook time accordingly.
Leave a Reply