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Food Talk - french fries! (Mmmm!!)So what better place to try to find a "recipe" to make french fries than the Canadian forum?!
I'm trying to make some home fries but particularly, the type of home fries you would find at "La Belle Province" or "P'tit Quebec" joints. That's the best i can think of as i don't recall seeing them anywhere near where i live.
I'm talking, greasy, brown french fries yet somewhat soft on the inside. And that taste...!! I'm sure most of you know exactly what i'm talking about!
I've made home fries before but they just come out as regular french fries, nothing close to what i'm looking for. Anyone has success in making similar fries, or know how to? Could it be the type of potato, or the oil maybe?
Someone please help in my quest to my perfect fries! |
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 Bender2000Bite My Shiny Metal Ass
Premium Member
join:2002-05-06
J7W 8E4 |
well, I believe you need a) very used oil and b) you need to fry them at least twice. I think the brown colour is from the fact the oil is not new. You will have to do a lot of artery clogging deep frying for that kind of perfection  |
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 KardinalDei Gratina Regina
Mod
join:2001-02-04
N of 49th |
to OverrRyde
I find here are a couple of factors and variables in play when it comes to making good french fries:
They type of potato is important, so don't try russet as they are good baked but don't fry well. Red skin potatoes can be interesting, but a basic Yukon gold will never steer you wrong.
The oil has to be hot but not smoking, and cooking twice at high heat will cook the outside without the inside the first time and then brown the outside and cook the inside on the second trip to the oil. Let them sit and cool for several minutes before putting them back in.
I'm not a big fan of dirty old oil as I find that makes the potatoes taste more oily rather than better, but that's a question of personal preference. Different types of oil (corn, canola, grapeseed, etc) will yield different results; I use 100% corn rather than something labeled "vegetable oil" for fish & chip nights. |
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 donoreo
Premium Member
join:2002-05-30
North York, ON
1 recommendation |
to OverrRyde
I remember peanut oil used to make decent fries but no one uses it anymore since nut allergies exploded. |
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 eksterHi there
Premium Member
join:2010-07-16
Sainte-Anne-De-Bellevue, QC |
to OverrRyde
To get them mushy on the inside but crispy on the outside, you got to soak the potatoes for some time in cold water before frying (depending on the person, it goes from a few hours to a day and I never bothered to go that far myself, so experiment, I guess.) |
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to Bender2000
said by Bender2000:well, I believe you need a) very used oil and b) you need to fry them at least twice.
I think the brown colour is from the fact the oil is not new. You will have to do a lot of artery clogging deep frying for that kind of perfection Ha! yes, arteries beware! I don't actually eat that many fried foods anymore, and we do make bagged fries, we over bake them. But i always like myself a good ol' batch of greaser fries! So so far we have: - Use old oil (which i think i might have heard before) - double fry - Yukon potatoes - water soaking Sounds like we have a start! Interested in the soaking part, i wonder if just soaked in water or salted water. I remember reading a recipe for potatoes some time ago that actually called to soaked the potato in sugared water actually. |
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mr weather
Premium Member
join:2002-02-27
Mississauga, ON |
to donoreo
said by donoreo:I remember peanut oil used to make decent fries but no one uses it anymore since nut allergies exploded. Which is unfortunate because the temperature at which the oil would be used for frying would effectively denature/destroy any of the potential allergen proteins. For years Rotten Ronnies used beef tallow in their fry oil and it made for the best tasting french fries of all the fast food joints (with Harvey's being a close second back when they used fresh potatoes for their fries). |
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to donoreo
said by donoreo:I remember peanut oil used to make decent fries but no one uses it anymore since nut allergies exploded. Five Guys uses 100% peanut oil (and it makes some damn good fries). |
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to Bender2000
said by Bender2000:well, I believe you need a) very used oil and b) you need to fry them at least twice.
I think the brown colour is from the fact the oil is not new. You will have to do a lot of artery clogging deep frying for that kind of perfection I worked in a casse croute growing up, We par fried in a deep fryer then allowed them to cool and then fried again to order. the second fryer always had new oil, the first fryer had the hand me down oil. We used vegetable shortening cut 4:1 with lard |
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 LazMan
Premium Member
join:2003-03-26
Beverly Hills, CA |
to OverrRyde
I used to own a fish and chips shop... Although sold it like 15 years ago.
You're getting the right advice here - pick the right potatoes. Russets are actually pretty good for fries - they are starchy and crisp up nicely.
Peel and cut the potatoes, and rinse them well... A little lemon juice in the water will keep them from turning black. Hold them in very cold water with a bit of lemon juice, until you're ready to cook.
Frying is a two step process...
Drain the fries, and pat them with paper towel, get as much water off as you can...
Blanch the fries - You want to cook the fries through, but not really brown them up first; Lift them when they are soft, and just starting to turn colour - should take around 5-6 minutes, depending on the temp of the oil... IIRC we used to blanch at 320-325.
Drain the fries while you crank the fryer upto 375 or so... Once the oil's at temp, 3-4 mins will crisp them up, and give them a nice colour. Drain, and be sure to salt them while they are still hot.
Oil's a factor - canola's what most restaurants use, beef tallow is the least healthy, but the most tasty... Corn oil smokes at a fairly low temp, so not really good for deep frying, from what I remember. At home, I use canola for everything fried; mostly for convenience. |
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KardinalDei Gratina Regina
Mod
join:2001-02-04
N of 49th |
said by LazMan:Corn oil smokes at a fairly low temp, so not really good for deep frying, from what I remember. At home, I use canola for everything fried; mostly for convenience. Doh! I was thinking canola and wrote corn -- it was probably a "....SQUIRREL!!" moment. I agree 100%. |
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to LazMan
said by LazMan:Oil's a factor - canola's what most restaurants use, beef tallow is the least healthy, but the most tasty... Corn oil smokes at a fairly low temp, so not really good for deep frying, from what I remember. At home, I use canola for everything fried; mostly for convenience. we used to do breakfast on weekends, and the "dirty" fryer was also used to cook the bacon, it was a known thing that our fries were at their best on the weekend |
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to LazMan
said by LazMan:I used to own a fish and chips shop... Although sold it like 15 years ago.
You're getting the right advice here - pick the right potatoes. Russets are actually pretty good for fries - they are starchy and crisp up nicely.
Peel and cut the potatoes, and rinse them well... A little lemon juice in the water will keep them from turning black. Hold them in very cold water with a bit of lemon juice, until you're ready to cook.
Frying is a two step process...
Drain the fries, and pat them with paper towel, get as much water off as you can...
Blanch the fries - You want to cook the fries through, but not really brown them up first; Lift them when they are soft, and just starting to turn colour - should take around 5-6 minutes, depending on the temp of the oil... IIRC we used to blanch at 320-325.
Drain the fries while you crank the fryer upto 375 or so... Once the oil's at temp, 3-4 mins will crisp them up, and give them a nice colour. Drain, and be sure to salt them while they are still hot.
Oil's a factor - canola's what most restaurants use, beef tallow is the least healthy, but the most tasty... Corn oil smokes at a fairly low temp, so not really good for deep frying, from what I remember. At home, I use canola for everything fried; mostly for convenience. This seams like a complete how-to! That's great! About blanching: i'm not much of a cook but i think (if i understand) blanching is putting the item into a bath of cold/iced water to stop the cooking, correct? So do you mean fry first run at 320-325, blanche, then 2nd fry? or am i missing the boat completely!? Thanks! |
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said by OverrRyde:said by LazMan:I used to own a fish and chips shop... Although sold it like 15 years ago.
You're getting the right advice here - pick the right potatoes. Russets are actually pretty good for fries - they are starchy and crisp up nicely.
Peel and cut the potatoes, and rinse them well... A little lemon juice in the water will keep them from turning black. Hold them in very cold water with a bit of lemon juice, until you're ready to cook.
Frying is a two step process...
Drain the fries, and pat them with paper towel, get as much water off as you can...
Blanch the fries - You want to cook the fries through, but not really brown them up first; Lift them when they are soft, and just starting to turn colour - should take around 5-6 minutes, depending on the temp of the oil... IIRC we used to blanch at 320-325.
Drain the fries while you crank the fryer upto 375 or so... Once the oil's at temp, 3-4 mins will crisp them up, and give them a nice colour. Drain, and be sure to salt them while they are still hot.
Oil's a factor - canola's what most restaurants use, beef tallow is the least healthy, but the most tasty... Corn oil smokes at a fairly low temp, so not really good for deep frying, from what I remember. At home, I use canola for everything fried; mostly for convenience. This seams like a complete how-to! That's great! About blanching: i'm not much of a cook but i think (if i understand) blanching is putting the item into a bath of cold/iced water to stop the cooking, correct? So do you mean fry first run at 320-325, blanche, then 2nd fry? or am i missing the boat completely!? Thanks! soak first then fry. |
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LazMan
Premium Member
join:2003-03-26
Beverly Hills, CA |
to OverrRyde
You're welcome, and I have the sudden urge to make fries tonight - haven't cooked any at home in forever...  In this context; blanching is the first cook in the lower temp oil... You soak the potatoes in cold water after cutting them, then cook at lower temp, then cook at higher temp... No other steps. |
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 elwoodbluesElwood Blues
Premium Member
join:2006-08-30
Somewhere in |
to mr weather
said by mr weather:For years Rotten Ronnies used beef tallow in their fry oil and it made for the best tasting french fries of all the fast food joints (with Harvey's being a close second back when they used fresh potatoes for their fries). A certain ethnic group got very upset about that. |
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said by elwoodblues:said by mr weather:For years Rotten Ronnies used beef tallow in their fry oil and it made for the best tasting french fries of all the fast food joints (with Harvey's being a close second back when they used fresh potatoes for their fries). A certain ethnic group got very upset about that. rotten ronnies still makes a pretty good frozen fry |
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Bender2000Bite My Shiny Metal Ass
Premium Member
join:2002-05-06
J7W 8E4 |
to telco_mtl
said by telco_mtl:said by Bender2000:well, I believe you need a) very used oil and b) you need to fry them at least twice.
I think the brown colour is from the fact the oil is not new. You will have to do a lot of artery clogging deep frying for that kind of perfection I worked in a casse croute growing up, We par fried in a deep fryer then allowed them to cool and then fried again to order. the second fryer always had new oil, the first fryer had the hand me down oil. We used vegetable shortening cut 4:1 with lard I really wasn't 100% sure, but I've seen the oil in places like Lafleurs and La Belle Province, and their oil is not new. I personally doubt very much that you would get the particular shade of brown that you get with fries like that with new oil. I would expect new oil to produce "golden coloured" fries. |
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to OverrRyde
Dunno if you'll like em, but here's my recipe for fries at home. I use a tall, narrow pot on the stove, not a deep fryer. Something like this is good, but I don't use a basket since it requires an extra half inch of oil. » www.amazon.com/Excelstee ··· 030T1KRKI use Mazola Corn Oil heated to 325 F. I use one of these to check the temperature. » www.amazon.ca/niceEshop- ··· 0D78VVUKI use any potato I can buy cheapest, preferably thin skinned new potatoes. I scrub them with a stainless steel scouring pad under a cold tap. I cut them in half then proceed to slice the halves into 3/8" wedges. At this point I don't wash them but put them directly into a plastic bowl in the microwave and cook on high for 3 minutes. At the same time I turn on the stove element under the oil and it reaches optimum cooking temp at the same time microwave is done. I use metal salad tongs to remove the fries a few at a time and place them into the hot oil. Be careful how many you put in at once or the pot will boil over. Reduce heat from HIGH to around number 7 or 8 while they cook. Then fry for about 5 to 8 minutes until the desired crispness and brownness is achieved. I fish them out with a Chinese style spider skimmer and if you don't want them to be too greasy drop them into a bowl lined with paper towels. Not quite as greasy as Valentines or La Belle Province, but it's the best damned fries I've ever tasted. After use, I place a tight cover on the oil pot and leave it sit at room temperature on an unused burner on the stove for reuse until next time. Stored this way, the oil is usable for up to two or three months before you have to replace it. I do NOT use the same oil for cooking anything BUT french fries and as it ages the fries go more golden more quickly. |
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mr weather
Premium Member
join:2002-02-27
Mississauga, ON |
to telco_mtl
said by telco_mtl:[otten ronnies still makes a pretty good frozen fry The key to their fries is you have to eat them hot. If they've sat around for a while they go soft and taste like crap. |
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 yoyomhz
join:2003-02-15
Beverly Hills, CA |
to OverrRyde
Bought French fries have about fifteen chemical additives - three preservatives. Why do they preserve the hell out of those fries when 99% of people eat them within five minutes? But 99% of people wouldn't know how to make a sandwich for themselves if they had to, and definitely couldn't make french fries. Sodium acid pyrophosphate—This ingredient is apparently used to maintain the color of the fries. Dimethylpolysiloxane—used as an anti-foaming agent, this industrial chemical is typically used in caulking and sealants and comes with a list of safety concerns TBHQ is a petroleum-based, butane-like (yes, that’s lighter fluid!) ingredient used as a preservative. It has been linked to asthma, skin conditions, hormone disruption, and in long-term animal studies to cancer and damage to DNA. monosodium glutamate (MSG). potential nerve- and brain-toxin » www.care2.com/greenlivin ··· ies.html |
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to Bender2000
said by Bender2000:said by telco_mtl:said by Bender2000:well, I believe you need a) very used oil and b) you need to fry them at least twice.
I think the brown colour is from the fact the oil is not new. You will have to do a lot of artery clogging deep frying for that kind of perfection I worked in a casse croute growing up, We par fried in a deep fryer then allowed them to cool and then fried again to order. the second fryer always had new oil, the first fryer had the hand me down oil. We used vegetable shortening cut 4:1 with lard I really wasn't 100% sure, but I've seen the oil in places like Lafleurs and La Belle Province, and their oil is not new. I personally doubt very much that you would get the particular shade of brown that you get with fries like that with new oil. I would expect new oil to produce "golden coloured" fries. thats what i was saying, the dirty oil was for the first cook of the frys. second fryer had the clean oil with the lard |
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to lugnut
said by lugnut :Dunno if you'll like em, but here's my recipe for fries at home. Seams interesting! I will definitely try it out along with other suggestion on here! Now if i can only find a source for Kingsey cheese curds in the GTA/Hamilton area! |
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next time i go to my cousins in burlington ill bring you some said by OverrRyde:said by lugnut :Dunno if you'll like em, but here's my recipe for fries at home. Seams interesting! I will definitely try it out along with other suggestion on here! Now if i can only find a source for Kingsey cheese curds in the GTA/Hamilton area! |
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 AppleGuy
Premium Member
join:2013-09-08
Kitchener, ON |
to OverrRyde
As the first poster mentioned, you need to cook fries twice. You "blanche" them, then let them sit out for half the day, or longer, have them in the fridge or something. Then fry them up again. |
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elwoodbluesElwood Blues
Premium Member
join:2006-08-30
Somewhere in |
to yoyomhz
I don't get it either, they're cut , packaged (and/or flash frozen ) and stay that way till they're thrown into the deep fryer.
You should compare that against the 'brand name" frozen fries sold at the grocery store. |
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 FaxCap
join:2002-05-25
Surrey, BC |
to OverrRyde
I also have a pot with a basket for fries but I was given one of these T-Fal Actifry things. Sat in the cupboard for a year before I decided to give it a try. It actually makes damn good fried with about 2-3 tablespoons of oil. FaxCap |
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said by FaxCap:I also have a pot with a basket for fries but I was given one of these T-Fal Actifry things.
Sat in the cupboard for a year before I decided to give it a try. It actually makes damn
good fried with about 2-3 tablespoons of oil.
FaxCap Yup, have one of those too! And as you, sat in the basement pantry for a year before i gave it try! And yes, fries are way better fried than in the oven! Will try try to make a batch of super greasy fries anyways! |
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Bender2000Bite My Shiny Metal Ass
Premium Member
join:2002-05-06
J7W 8E4 |
to FaxCap
I have an actifry machine (got it with airmiles!) and it does fries really well. Also does chicken wings pretty damn good too! just don't add oil for chicken wings. By the time they are cooked, you'll already have a 1/2 cup of chicken fat floating in there  |
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Iron mike to OverrRyde
Anon
2014-Sep-23 2:13 pm
to OverrRyde
Good advice here about the blanching and re-frying process but there is a huge misconception about the browning of the frees cause by old oil. Although there might be some colouring (and indeed some flavor) contributed from old oil, the colour mainly comes from the burning of the sugars (starches) in the potatoes. The sugar content of a given variety of potatoes can vary through out the season, which is why you don't always get dark fries or light fries. It has very little to do with the oil.
You can just as easily get crispy, dark-golden brown fries (with soggy centers if you blanch and re-fry) with brand new oil, just like you would with old, dirty oil.
Now, there certainly might be a difference in taste when you use old oil (for better or worse) but that's not what we're talking about here.
TIP: Soak your raw fries overnight in cold water with sugar added to it. We would use a 5 gallon pail filled with fries and water with about a cup of sugar in it. Drain and dry thoroughly before the first fry. Allow them to cool completely and then re-fry until golden or dark brown. |
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