 5@5 is a daily, food-related list from chefs, writers, political pundits, musicians, actors, and all manner of opinionated people from around the globe. Editor's Note: Raised in Versailles, France, Dominique Crenn is now the executive chef of Michelin-starred Atelier Crenn in San Francisco. French fries (or frites, as the French will say) are loved by many, including the queen herself, Julia Child, who once said, “Potatoes are strange animals.” The French fry has a long history in the human diet. When I think of them, I recall my mother's crisp, perfectly salted, skin-on frites - never greasy, and made each Sunday with the Brittany-grown potato in my childhood home. Because I grew up with what were surely the best and truest frites in the world, I tend to have very strong opinions on this matter, as admittedly, I have on many food matters. There will be no ordering of French fries anywhere unless I have done my homework. And just because an ingredient, like the potato, is “common” or humble does not mean that it should not be respected and cooked well. The French claim the invention of the French Fry during the French Revolution, a tale of Parisian cooks frying the modest tuber under the Pont Neuf bridge. Belgians claim creation around the same time when frying the potato became necessary during a very difficult winter of frozen rivers; allegedly, out of a lack of fish, many potato preparations were born. Here’s what I think, above all: I love the French fry, regardless of its origins. (But remember the name.) 1. How to make a perfect French fry, à la my mother Peel the potato and wash it in cold water to eliminate the starch. Cut the potato into batons. First, blanch the potato at 325°F for 5 minutes, then let the potato rest and cool. Next, fry the potato at 375°F in a good frying oil, ideally blended oil, which will give the potato (that is now becoming a fry) a nice crispy texture. Season your fry with sea salt. Eat. 2. Frites et chocolat - think fries and a chocolate shake For chocolate dip: Melt the chocolate and 2 oz of butter over a double boiler. Take off heat and add 2 egg yolks to the rest of the goat butter and stir into the melted chocolate. Whip the 2 egg whites with a pinch of sea salt and fold into the chocolate mixture. Dip sweet and savory fries into chocolate. Eat. 3. Another fun way to dress up Madame Frite For cashew dip: In a mixer, blend the toasted cashews, water, garlic and sherry vinegar until smooth. Strain the mixture and add the herbs, salt and pepper. Dip fries in cashew dip. Eat. 4. Not fried fries Peel the potato and wash it in cold water to eliminate the starch. Cut the potato into small wedges or however you imagine a fry to be shaped. Add olive oil, piment d’Espelette and cumin to the cut potatoes and mix well. Organize the seasoned potatoes on a baking sheet and bake them at 425°F for 30 minutes. Let the seasoned potatoes rest for 10 minutes and bake them again at 425°F for 10 more minutes.* *A note from the Crenn kitchen: The reason I rest the fries is so that they cool, because once they do, and are reintroduced to heat, you can achieve a much crispier fry. 5. French Fries à la Crenn - A modern way to cook potato Once again, peel the potato and wash it in cold water to eliminate the starch. Cut the potato into batons. In a vacuum bag, put the potato batons to brine with water and sea salt. Seal the bag and refrigerate it for about 15 minutes. Drain the potato and put it in another vacuum bag with duck fat. Seal it and cook it in a circulating water bath at 185°F for 1 hour. Then let cool. Deep-fry the potato at 375°F in duck fat until golden brown. Eat.
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I have a version of fries and a vanilla shake – but savory. It's oven-roasted french fries and a savory vanilla sauce. Delicious!
http://outoftheordinaryfood.com/2011/10/14/savory-vanilla-sauce-roasted-french-fries/
Step 1. Get a bag of Ore Ida frozen fries. 2. Microwave fries until hot. 3. Immediately deep fry in lard (375) until crisp (5 min or less). 3 Eat. Don't knock it till you try it.
I'm a bit puzzled. A potato is solid starch, just about. What's this about washing it to get rid of the starch?
Aren't people fat enough without telling them to deep fry stuff in duck oil? Yuck.
Dip sweet and savory fries into chocolate. Eat. Then throw up. Repeat.
Pommes Frites Americano
Cut potatoes into thin batons.
Deep fry in liposuction fat.
Add salt until your DOCTOR has a heart attack.
Enjoy!
The French actually call French fries "Pommes Frites" – fried potatoes. Who would have thunk.
Pomme is the french word for apple. Potato's are actually called Pomme de Terre, loosely translated to "Apples of the Earth".
Talking to yourself again?
Je ne parle pas anglais.....
C'est très bien. Je ne parle pas français
First description of Mom's fries says "UNPEELED" than below in the recipe a'la Mom – "PEELED"
Which is correct? (I like skins on – more healthy, more flavor)
Yes, no great French fry recipe includes the direction, "peel the potatoes."
That sous vide recipe sounds absolutely delicious.
One word: poutine.
Is that the thing with fries, cheese curds (whatever the heck that is) and brown gravy? KFC offers something like that and add fried chicken to it. They're both nast.
then you have not been to Quebec .... La Banquise Poutine is beyond good... Anything at KFC/Burger King etc is terrible, so I am not suprise their Poutine is bad ... also you need the right cheese. The rest of Canada uses canadian cheddar, so I doubt Americans use the traditional poutine cheese that gives Poutine that taste. I might sound like a poutine snob, but it truly needs to be done right for it to be a real poutine
Of course, not to be outdone by La Belle Province, Newfoundlanders have created a number of rival concoctions involving the substitution or addition of poultry stuffing (with summer savory), weiners, and/or ground beef. Suffered a gallbladder attack after having one with just gravy and stuffing. Consider yourself warned.
The key to great french fries is the amount of grease (cooking oil) they contain. Thus, thin cut and double frying are essential–and please make them crispy.
Does the author not say "skin-on" in the article??? "I recall my mother's crisp, perfectly salted, skin-on frites – never greasy, and made each Sunday with the Brittany-grown potato in my childhood home." Then the directions say to "peel the potato". WTF???
Bacon fat, for the win.
Bacon fat, FTW.
Or if you just want to be lazy and go for the fast-food version, Smashburger has the best fast-food fries I've ever tasted. Their rosemary and olive oil fries are the only fast food fries I can eat without dousing them in ketchup.
Yeah, I'll have fries with that. [end of story]
Dominique sure is beautiful;)
haha that was all I got from the article too, she's hawt!
Have to disagree about peeling the potatoes, "rinsing off the starch," THEN cutting into batons. This results in only a fraction of the final surface area of each fry being rinsed. Slice into batons, THEN rinse. Also, pat dry with paper towels before that first fry, or you will have a mess on your hands. Home deep fryers don't have the capacity of resto equipment; so you really need dry ingredients to prevent a boil over.
Yummy!
Man... Some "cooks" in this world... Are just heart attack creationists.
Some people can't seem to wrap their heads around the word "moderation" or the phrase "self-control." Do you think that, just because it's published or advertized that everyone will lose their minds and gorge on the featured item? Only people with those tendencies think that way.
fries and chocolate?! ......... must try!
The first time I witnessed my grandson dip a McD's french fry into his chocolate shake, I almost lost my lunch. I forbid him from ever doing that in front of me again. Later that day, I apologized and asked him to warn me next time so I could look away. I can't imagine mixing potatoes & chocolate, one of my favorite treats these days is salted dark chocolate.
Nothing like Wendy's fries dipped in their chocolate frosty. Mouth-gasm.
Add bacon and beer and you're in heaven!!
how about sweet potato fries? It's a healthier take on French Fries!
Sweet potatoes are often regarded as a healthier alternative but the potato and the sweet potato are seemingly very similar when you study their molecular profile and nutrition value.
I HATE sweet potatoes. Orange trash.
Mmmm. Outback's sweet potato french fries are delicious. I ask for no honey glaze, cuz I like 'em crispy.
There was no mention of slicing the potatoe into sticks. Do we fry the potatoe whole?
Yes, peel the potato and cut them into 1/4 x 1/4 strips of equal length.
In the directions it says cut the potato into batons....batons is French for stick
#5 sounds awesome and total work time is probably 5 to 10 minutes, the rest is just letting the circulator do its job. And the results are probably incredible.
That #5 method is horrible sounding. Two hours of preparation for french fries? Oh, come on. Even I have more of a life than that!
Patience is a virtue. :) the recipe is quite time consuming but it is worth it.
No you don't. Stop lying to yourself
I'm really glad most people haven't figured out the joys and ease of sous vide and have that attitude, it makes those of us with sous vide set ups shine all the more when we show perfect 2 hr steaks, 48 hr ribs, 1 hr scallops and now apparently 2 hr french fries... now Dominique (beautiful name, you share it with my daughter) my question is: where do I find duck fat in enough quantity to do this? I've made duck confit (sous vide, of course... is there any other way?) but that required only 3 tsps of the stuff.
I'd eat that!
And the fries, right?
Sooooo Yummy! mmMMmmMMmmMMmm the fries look decent too