| Home made french fries
Posted: 4/18/2008 1:39:14 AM | Hello all. I am having a bit of a problem. I like french fries. I enjoy them with hamburgers that I make or with fish or heck, even just a snack while watchin a movie with some friends. I dont like going out and buying them, so I have been trying to make them at home. What I have been doing is taking a bunch of potato's (depending on how many people are there) washing/peeling, then cutting them into half circle slices. Throwing some seasoning on them and popping them in the oven. Now my problem is, how long do they need to stay in there to crispen up. I like them to be kind of crispy, not to much, but not mush. I have tried a couple times now, but not getting very far, as I dont want to leave them in for to long to be hard/burnt.
Any assistance would be most appreciated.  | |
|
| Home made french fries
Posted: 4/18/2008 1:57:46 AM | It depends on how thick you cut them. The thinner, the quicker. That's why McD's fries are so thin. Fast food!
Rub some oil on the outer surfaces to help with heat transfer and add some flavor before you add spices. That will help them cook faster too. | |
|
| Home made french fries
Posted: 4/18/2008 2:17:53 AM | When I make french fries or "chips" as we call them here, I always deep fry them in vegetable oil on a high heat. I cut them reasonably thin [but not as thin as McDonalds] and wrap them in a tea towell to dry them before cooking em.
Never been a big fan of oven cooked chips. | |
|
| Home made french fries
Posted: 4/18/2008 2:57:39 AM | Here's something I've been doing since I've been in Prague. I boil them first, and then fry them. It's takes a lot less oil to crispen them up, etc. If you don't want something resembling home fries (the stuff you eat with breakfast or in a skillet) then you just boil them less, cut and then fry. I find the end result, is tastier and not as oily but quite crispy and makes good eating. mmmm lekker! 
Oh, I use sunflower oil to fry them...it's lighter and healthier...if that was your reason for baking them. I've never done that but it doesn't sound too appealing. Sorry. | |
|
| Home made french fries
Posted: 4/18/2008 4:01:30 AM | | always use red potatoes and deep fry in oil they have the best flavor | |
|
| Home made french fries
Posted: 4/18/2008 5:25:30 AM | | After slicing the potatoes, soak in cold water for 30-45 minutes then place in a towel and refrigerate for about 30 minutes. When ready to cook, toss the potatoes with a little oil and whatever seasonings you want before baking at 400F until crispy and golden brown. | |
|
| Home made french fries
Posted: 4/18/2008 5:46:52 AM |
I boil them first, and then fry them. It's takes a lot less oil to crispen them up, etc
Interesting, here if you deep fry fries aka chips I do and others use the 2 or 3 step process some what similar to you,as to cook fries half way in oil, remove from oil for 5 or 10 min and then put back in oil to finish off. Makes for a good crispy chip. I like using peanut or sunflower oil at 375 F. | |
|
| Home made french fries
Posted: 4/18/2008 6:01:35 AM | OP, the trick to "baking" french fries is single layers. If you pile the
potato slices up they end up getting steamed. Single layering is okay
for one person however, if you are feeding a few people, then the job
can get a little tedious.
For starters, drop your potato slices into a plastic bag, sprinkle some
oil over them, add some seasoning and bake. If your oven is large
enough, spread the potatoes on two baking sheets in single layers
and bake. Remember to spray your baking sheets with oil. | |
|
| Home made french fries
Posted: 4/18/2008 7:59:50 AM | I love home made fries, too! And have often had them come out less than crisp...
One poster noted to soak them in water, and this is the SECRET to crisp fries!!!
I just recently watched an episode of "Take Home Chef" and he explained that soaking the taters removes the starch...making them crispier! :O)
Mmmm...with cheese and bacon...yummy! | |
|
| Home made french fries
Posted: 4/18/2008 8:12:27 AM | Deep-fried "chips" are the best. I cook them once a week or so, so I have a deep-fry saucepan in which I permantly keep the oil (mazola corn oil is fine). Dry the potatoes after you peel them (but there is no need to dry the fries once they're cut). Slice the potatoes into fries, ideally about a quarter-inch square. Put the potatoes in a bowl, and cover it with the damp paper towel you used to dry the spuds (this keeps the chips from turning colour and affecting the final taste.
There are two keys to good fries after this. First, the oil should be just the right temperature. Too hot and it will boil over and the fies will brown up before they're properly cooked. Too cold and the fries will eventually cook but will be soggy. So, turn the heat to medium, pop in one fry, and when it's nicely sizzling, put the rest in.
The second key is to make sure to expose the fries to the air from time to time (this will also stop them sticking together or to the bottom of the pan). Using a long-handled spoon with draining holes in it, stir the fries, and from time to time lift spoonfuls out into the air above the oil. This has the same effect as the "twice-frying" mentioned above. Do this a few times and the chips should turn out golden brown and crispy.
The last thing I do is put the cooked fries back into the bowl, now double-lined with paper towels, and shake the bowel vigorously to get rid of the excess oil. Hey presto: delicious, dry, not soggy, crispy golden brown fries. I call them my "Nobel fries" because if there was an award, I would win it.  | |
|
| Home made french fries
Posted: 4/18/2008 10:01:49 AM | Jim is correct. His method is the correct one for making true French Fries.
Normally you parcook (partially cook) the fries, do it in oil at lower temperature first, say about 300F. After they have been allowed to drain and rest for a few minutes you can return them to the fryer at about 375F or you can finish them in the oven if you like. This way you will get the proper texture for real french fries.
If you want something more akin to roasted potatoes, try taking white or yelloe potatoes and slice them lengthwise into somewhat thick planks or wedges. Drizzle a baking sheet with olive oil or toss the potatoes with oil and then put them on a baking sheet. Season with Salt and Pepper, sprinkle with dried or fresh herbs of your choice (rosemary works well), and finally drizzle with some white wine. Bake at 400F for 15 or 20 min or until they are just starting to get lightly brown on the edges. Take one out and break it apart with a fork to make sure it's done if you aren't sure.
These you can also make ahead of time and then when you are ready to serve them, put some olive oil in a saute pan and get it hot, toss in the potatoes and maybe a little more white wine. You will probably need to reseason them with salt and pepper as well. Then just saute them til they are hot and serve. They go great with just about anything and have a great flavor. | |
|
| Home made french fries
Posted: 4/18/2008 10:12:09 AM | ...Hey Drewkm...what you are doing is more along the line of "roasting" your potatoes...and they can be very good that way..I generally just chunk up some potatoes...toss them in a 9x9 baking pan..and add 3-4 tablespoons of olive oil...they season to your taste...I use rosemary..garlic powder or salt, some seasoning salt..just root through your cupboard and keep tossing in flavours you like. Then pop them in a hot oven 375-425 for about 45 minutes...tossing them from time to time...get them browned a bit..and you'll have great roasted flavour.
...But Fries are a bit different...you should probably cut them in ribbons..like a regular fry....and then you wash them in water...get the starch off the outside. McDonalds uses some sugar in the water to add color when they fry. Then you put them in a nice hot pan of oil for about 3 minutes....and only 3 minutes...(oil temp about 350-375) Then pull the potatoes out and let them rest and cool for about an hour (make a bunch of batches...and bag them and freeze them after this step). Then dunk them back in the oil (again about 375 degrees..and don't put too many in at one time it will cool the oil too much) for as long as it takes to get good color on them. This is the way you can get a good "crisp" French fry... | |
|
| Home made french fries
Posted: 4/18/2008 10:38:10 AM | I usually non stick spray a baking sheet, preheat to about 375, and cut russets into like half inch slices (long, thin and half inch by half inch)..then add sea salt, pepper, paprika and olive oil and mix in a bowl and lay them on the sheet in one layer...if they're thin enough they don't have to be individually turned over.
Garlic salt is a great idea...have to use that next time...
I usually bake them for about 30-40 mins or so, but I watch em so they don't over cook.
Should I throw them in water first before hand for baking too? Or is that just for deep frying? I'd really love the crispness without the deep frying to keep it healthier...I tend to still like Ore Ida better and that stuff's just totally not good for ya. | |
|
| Home made french fries
Posted: 4/18/2008 11:37:55 AM | Just Jim does it the way I does it LOL ! And since I'm a quebecer we like them with gravy and kurd or mozzerella cheese melted on top salt and pepper and voila a Poutine!!! Enjoy those fries...chips...patates! | |
|
| Home made french fries
Posted: 4/18/2008 1:13:49 PM | I do not own a deep fryer and hate frying on the stovetop because I don't have a vent. Here is a method for baking crispy fries/potatoes. Take a cookie sheet or tray and throw it into you oven at full bore for about ten minutes, or while you prep. The soaking of potatoes is a good idea, or briefly cook them in hot/not boiling water (I think it's called blanching) Pour a bit of oil and seasoning on the potatoes, and pull the pan out of the oven. Put a little oil right on the pan, it should sizzle and even smoke a bit, which is ok. Pour the potatoes out across the hot pan and throw back into the oven at 425 F. Cooking time depends on the size of the fries, but just look at them. I'd say 15-20 minutes for smaller fries and up to 45 minutes for bigger chunks. The hot pan makes the potatoes much more crispy and also prevents sticking.
Enjoy!! | |
|
| Home made french fries
Posted: 4/18/2008 6:50:30 PM | If you want to continue to try to oven bake them use 1 t season salt 1T cornstarch, toss them in that, then toss them in 2-3 T oil, then spread out on a pan. thick fries @ 400, thin at 450
of course deep frying is still the best but its involved and can be a mess to work with. even sticks to the walls nearby. yuk! arguement enough to stick with oven fries. trial n error -- you'll get them right and in the long run they'll be healthier | |
|
| Home made french fries
Posted: 4/19/2008 9:12:51 AM |
Should I throw them in water first before hand for baking too? Or is that just for deep frying? I'd really love the crispness without the deep frying to keep it healthier...I tend to still like Ore Ida better and that stuff's just totally not good for ya
Ore Ida is a good spud product as there quality is pretty good for the frozen ones.
Not sure what cold water actually does for spuds other than keeping them from discoloring and remove some of the starch but I will try it, I do know that the more water in the fries the more reaction if you cook them in oil and it is extremely important to dry em.
Another way I found in cooking fries in removing some of the water from the fresh ,un cooked cut fries is to put them in a colander with sea salt spread on top to remove the water,you be surprised in the amount of water which is released and rinse with tap water to remove excess salt and pat dry. I fry or bake and there is no need to season with salt as it has permeated in the spud. | |
|
| Home made french fries
Posted: 4/19/2008 1:12:40 PM | | Cut, soak in water to remove starch then microwave (quicker and easier than boiling or baking)...then fry. | |
|
| Home made french fries
Posted: 4/19/2008 1:36:49 PM | Washington, Mar 6 : Here's some good news for potato chip lovers - a new study has found that soaking potatoes in water before frying them can reduce levels of acrylamide, a naturally occurring chemical that is thought to be harmful to health.
Acrylamide occurs when starch rich foods are cooked at high temperatures and is also said to cause cancer in animals.
Now, research led by Dr Rachel Burch from Leatherhead Food International has found that simply soaking the potatoes before frying can dramatically reduce acrylamide formation, therefore also lowering the risk it may pose.
"There has been much research done by the food industry looking at reducing acrylamide in products but less so on foods cooked at home and we wanted to explore ways of reducing the level of acrylamide in home cooking," she said.
The study found that washing raw French fries, soaking them for 30 mins and soaking them for 2 hours reduced the formation of acrylamide by up to 23pct, 38pct and 48pct respectively.
However, this is only if they are fried to a lighter colour and not a deep, dark brown. | |
|
| Home made french fries
Posted: 5/3/2008 4:30:55 PM | | I just wash them and use an apple corer to cut the whole thing in one press. I brush on some olive oil and various spices. Put 'em on a cookie sheet and bake at 350 for about 40 minutes. If you like crispy fries then the cutter idea won't work as it cuts more like cottage fries. I have used clean 1/4 inch screening to cut them but it's a real hassle. | |
|
| Home made french fries
Posted: 5/7/2008 8:05:28 PM | Hmm I like to microwave the potatoe after cutting it
then you could either roast or deep fry it.
why microwave.. just less messy as you can use a smaller bowl a few times to lessen the impact of the washing up.
also i dont bother peeling them most times as the skin can be quite tasty cooked (do wash the spuds well though dirt taste bad). | |
|
| Home made french fries
Posted: 5/7/2008 11:11:37 PM | ok, here it comes
first of all, they have nothing to do with France since they originate from Belgium... if you want the story behind this, just check wikipedia on the subject
1. peel the potatoes
2. cut them in stripes (frenching) max .3 to .4 inches thick
3. wash'm in cold water so the starch comes off
4. dry them in a kitchen towel
5. deep fry them at 300 degrees till you can squeeze them so they break
6. let them cool down completely (half an hour minimum)
7. fry them again at 375 degrees till they start singing (takes some experience to hear it) or just take one out, drop it on a paper towel and taste them... you'll figure out how you like them after a while
8. serve them in a dish covered with paper towel so the grease comes off a little... don't eat them right away, it takes 2 to 3 minutes to dry
this is the only way to make real fries...
the don'ts:
- no microwaving, no ovens... only deep frying will give the best results
- no seasoning! fries don't need seasoning unless you want to make something else
and above all, use the right potatoes, they have special ones for fries in belgium but I found out that russet gives the best result
and if you were wondering, I'm Belgian and used to make fries at least weekly! | |
|
| Home made french fries
Posted: 5/8/2008 6:20:01 AM | Fry them in extra virgin olive oil.
When they are almost done stir in some Italian basil pesto .
very nice. | |
|
| Home made french fries
Posted: 5/8/2008 12:23:12 PM | Roasted Potato Fries
I make these 3 times per week for a child who can mainly eat potatoes for health reasons. Everyone who comes to the house loves them, and they are as healthy as I can get them because it’s the staple of one child's diet. Don't skimp on the ingredients! There are only 3, if you use lesser quality ingredients, you will notice the difference.
Ingredients:
Organic Potatoes - any kind but Russets are great, preferably locally grown
Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Iodized Natural Sea Salt (sea salt has much more flavor than regular salt)
Tools:
Mandolin or fry press (you can get these at any cooking supply store, such as Bed Bath & Beyond) for cutting. This saves a LOT of time, and these tools can be used to also cut yams, beets and other veggies quickly.
Large baking sheet pan
Large mixing bowl
Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees. (higher heat can create carcinogens in the oil)
Scrub well or peel potatoes. Cut each potato in half.
Use mandolin or fry slicer to make French fry cut slices into the bowl.
Put the baking sheet into the oven to preheat for about 40 seconds. (This makes them less likely to stick to the pan.)
Pour a generous amount of olive oil over the slices (about 1/2 to 3/4 cup for 7 to 10 potaoes.)
With clean hands, toss the potatoes thoroughly with the oil. (Rub the remaining oil into your hands and arms, and then rinse lightly for the best skin treatment ever!)
Spread in one closely packed layer onto the hot baking pan (potatoes should sizzle.)
Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until edges of fries are lightly browning.
Sprinkle pan generously with sea salt.
This method makes roasted potatoes that are technically not fries. This actually wastes less oil, since re-heating oil can cause cancer-causing chemicals to develop.
To help the environment, put the potato peels into a compost bin. The worms love them!
I have heard that refrigeration also causes some kind of change in chemistry and taste to potatoes that is not good, so we always make these fresh.
I haven't rinsed or soaked the potatoes first before. I will now try that!
This recipe works for any root vegetable. You can make an entire dinner this way, by cutting up other similarly hard vegetables and tossing them in the olive oil with the potatoes, such as carrots, and sweet potatoes or yams.
On a separate baking pan, you can spread any in-season, locally grown vegetable, cut into serving size pieces, including tomatoes, onions, garlic, peppers (all three colors), and eggplant, tossed in olive oil, and bake them at the same time, but remove this pan sooner as the softer vegetables take less time to cook--usually 10 to 20 minutes.
This makes the vegetables perfectly for a side dish of roasted vegetables, and this is also a good beginning to a roasted vegetable soup.
Roasting the vegetables brings out their flavors well before making them into soup.
Enjoy! | |
|
| Home made french fries
Posted: 5/8/2008 1:36:34 PM | This is how I make mine.
2 potatoes per serving (usually I make two servings if it's all I plan to make)
An unmeasured amount of Sunflower Oil
Pinch or two of Kosher Salt
As much black pepper as desired
Pre-heat oven to 450
Slice potatoes into discs, nice and thick. I haven't measured but probably somewhere around 1/4 inch thick. Toss with sunflower oil, kosher salt and black pepper.
Cook for 25 minutes.
I choose to leave the skins on as it provides flavor, and I don't have to toss anything into the garbage. I use sunflower oil mainly for it's high smoke point, and health benefits. I cut them thick so I don't run out of sheet space (for best cooking they need as much contact with the sheet) and that they are sort of like baked potatoes inside. I cut them into discs as it seems the easiest method of ensuring they are somewhat uniform in thickness. I tried wedges before, but it was too much trouble.
I wash the potatoes to remove any surface dirt, but I haven't considered rinsing or letting them soak before cooking, but I might try that. | |
|
Home
login 
