Just about everyone loves good French Fries. At the same time there is nothing worse than bad fries. The secret to great fries is simple:
YOU HAVE TO COOK THEM TWICE.
I will never forget my first trip to France when I was in high school. The first night in Paris we had dinner at a small bistro. I ordered “steak frites” and had an epiphany. The French Fries were better than McDonalds. Both at that French bistro and McDonalds they go through the extra step of cooking their fries twice.
What they do at McDonalds is they have their potato supplier pre-cooked the fries by blanching them in oil and then freezing them. At your local store they then flash fry the potatoes at high heat to crisp them up.
Growing up my mother made fries and she always struggled to get them crispy. She tried different oils and different potatoes but could never get them consistently crispy. No one told her the secret.
I am amazed at how often French Fries are soggy at restaurants. There is nothing worse than a soggy/oily fry. And there is no reason for it.
People love a good homemade fry. To the inexperienced cook making a good fry is a challenge. Again the French have the answer…Mise En Place. Precook your fries in advance and then flash fry them for second cooking and serve. Voila!
My neighbor and I host an annual Oktoberfest where we serve grilled Brats and coordinate with the rest of our neighbors to bring side dishes. One year I had some extra potatoes so I brought out my fry station and made fries. Using two baskets I would pre-cook one set potatoes in basket one and then let it cool. I would use basket two to do the second cooking. The fries were a big hit and a bit of work. The next year I tried to get away with not making the fries much to the disappointment of the crowd. From then on French fries have become a tradition.
Watch the video of my propane burner and large pot
French fries are easy for McDonalds and me as we have a fry stations and have been making them for years. Not every supper club host has the luxury of a fry station. If you ever do make fries remember the key:
YOU HAVE TO COOK THEM TWICE.
Check out the recipe
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