Deep Fried/Chips: Re: deep frying french fries

Subject: Re: deep frying french fries
Newsgroups: rec.food.cooking
From: Vox Humana (vhumana at hotmail.com)
Date: Tue, 06 Jan 2004 02:28:54 GMT
--------
elaine (sass at ca.inter.net) wrote:
> I got a deep fryer last year for Christmas - T FAL. I've always used
> vegetable oil and still the fries come out soggy and not at all as I
> remember from my childhood days. Should I be using lard instead? - I have
> the temperature up as far as it can go and wait 'til the light goes off -
> this is indeed a bummer............but you guys have all the answers.
>
> Elaine

It helps if you blanch the fries first and then fry them again. Put them in the basket and fry for a few minutes, then remove. Let the oil return to the proper temperature (375F) and return the fries to the oil. Remember not to fry too many at a time.

Here is a link that explains the process in detail:
http://mvproduce.com/ffries.html [archive.org]
From: The Wolf (elvispmpsd at compuserve.net)
Date: Tue, 06 Jan 2004 03:16:27 GMT
--------
elaine opined:
> I got a deep fryer last year for Christmas - T FAL. I've always used
> vegetable oil and still the fries come out soggy and not at all as I
> remember from my childhood days.

It's a two step process.

French Fries

4 russet potatoes, peeled
2 to 3 quarts canola, vegetable or peanut oil
Coarse salt or sea salt

1. Cut the potatoes into french-fry batons by hand or with one of the french-fry cutting devices available in cooking equipment stores.
2. Begin to heat the oil.
3. Meantime, soak the potatoes in cold water to remove the starch and dry very thoroughly in paper towels.
4. When the oil reaches 320 degrees place the potatoes in the basket and cook for 8 to 10 minutes. The potatoes will just be starting to color slightly. They will be cooked through but not crisp. Remove the basket and hang it on the pot's hook.
5. Raise the oil to 375 to 380 degrees and return the potatoes to cook another 3 to 4 minutes until thoroughly brown and as crisp as you like them (while still tender inside). Toss with salt and serve.

Eight minutes at 320 degrees and 3-4 minutes at 380 degrees in the RotoFryer.
From: Brian Macke (macke at strangelove.net)
Date: Mon, 05 Jan 2004 21:22:06 -0600
--------
elaine wrote:

> I got a deep fryer last year for Christmas - T FAL. I've always used
> vegetable oil and still the fries come out soggy and not at all as I
> remember from my childhood days.

Probably overcrowing the fryer. Try chopping up a single small potato and fry that first.

Also make sure you're using starchy potatoes. Burbank Russets are ideal - general Russets are adequate. Waxy potatoes are... moribund fries. Don't try that at home.

> Should I be using lard instead?

Ehh... not necessarily. veggie oil is adequate, as is Crisco. Depends on the mouth feel of the final product. I've noticed that the fries taste more "American" when I fry in liquid vegetable oil. I get something incredibly similar to what I had in Benelux when I use Crisco.

> I have the temperature up as far as it can go and wait 'til the light
> goes off - this is indeed a bummer.

You need to blanch prior to hot frying, unless your fries are 5mm square or thinner. The problem is that the outsides will get brown before the insides are cooked at high temps. Lower temps will cook the inside but not brown the outsides.

Try this:

1. Cut up a small, peeled Russet potato - no more than 350g in weight. The pieces should be about 1cm x 1cm x 3.5cm. If working with imperial, well, I think that's about 6oz and .5in x .5in x 1.5in. I'm bad with Imperial in the kitchen these days.

Don't soak the fries in water - cut them up and drop them into the hot oil. It's just better this way.

2. Fry them in 150C/325F oil until the fries turn opaque white. Take them out of the oil and let them drip back to room temp.

3. Put them in a freezer safe container and freeze them overnight. You might want to shake them up a little bit to make sure they're not suck into one big mess

4. The next day bring that same oil to 175C/375F. If they've got one of those baskets that hang above the oil, put the fries in that and let them thaw slightly over the hot oil.

5. Fry the fries until they turn a light golden brown.

6. Take them out, shake them, and put them on to a rack. Paper towels should be avoided.

7. Dash them with salt and enjoy!

> but you guys have all the answers.

I hope so, but I'm still a newbie. :)