French Fry is one of the most common dishes you can find all across the world under different names. It was originated in Belgium. It is usually served as a side dish with different fast foods. French fries are thin strips potatoes which are deeply fried. They are called fries to differentiate them from the thickly cut strips called chips. They have crispy exterior, soft interior and lovely golden brown color and are a good choice for snacks time. Homemade French fries taste better, are cheaper, and also they are very easier to make. So, let’s see how can you make some good french fries at home without incurring too much expenses. Read on.
Complexity Level: Basic
Time Required: 20-25 minutes
Resources Required:
- 4-6 large baking potatoes
- Oil for deep frying
- Salt and Pepper
- 1-2 cups of ice
- Water
Instructions:
1. Cut the potatoes in strips: Your first step would be to wash the potatoes and then remove the potato skin. Now, cut the potatoes in strips with a knife. Keep the thickness and width of slices from 1/3 inch to 1/2 inch.
2. Soak potatoes in cold water: Put the potato slices in bowl of ice cold water for 25-35 minutes at normal room temperature. Then dry the slices. Drain all the water and dry the slices with tissue paper.
3. Fry the slices: Once all the slices get dried, fry them in oil. Put some oil in frying pan and heat it. Then, put the dried potato slices in the pan and fry them until they are golden brown in color and soft enough to eat. If you want you can fry the slices in small batches. Itâs not necessary to fry them all at once.
4. Drain the excessive oil: Now that your slices are of golden brown color and softened enough, take them out of frying pan and place them on tissue papers. It will help in draining off the excessive oil from fried potatoes.
5. Sprinkle salt and pepper and serve: Now sprinkle salt and pepper on the fried slices and serve the hot French fries with tomato sauce or any other sauce of your choice. You can use other spices on the fries as per your liking.
Frequently Asked Questions:
1. Why potato slices are soaked in cold water?
Potato slices are soaked in cold water because it helps in removing excess starch from potatoes so that the potatoes slices do not stick together while frying.
2. Why French fries are called as french fries when it’s not a french dish?
Yes, French fries is not a French dish. But they are called as french fries because of the way they are cut. French fries are cut in long strips which is the French style of cutting vegetables.
Quick Tips:
- Russet potatoes are very good choice for making the longest fries.
- Fry the potatoes twice to make it crispier. Firstly, fry them until they are golden on 340 degree oil and then let them cool at room temperature and then fry them again at 375 degree before serving.
Things To Watch Out For:
- Oil which has been used too many times or oil that is too hot will burn fries.
- French fries can contain large amount of fat due to frying. It may lead to obesity and other problems.
- Deeply fried foods are very high in saturated fats and it can increase cholesterol level in your body.
