My tater is limp!

[ocnblu]

I cut up a potato tonight into french fries. I patted it dry with paper towels while I heated up some Smart Balance oil (a mix of canola, soybean and olive oils). When the oil shimmered in the pan on medium heat, I threw them in. When they appeared nice and brown, I took them out and drained them on more paper towels. For the first few seconds, they were stiff and crispy, but they quickly got limp. I hate limp fries. Can anyone tell me how to make a homemade french fry that is crispy? Thanks in advance.

[Satty]

Thats why I always bake homemade fries, frying is extremely tricky. Maybe the trick is to soak them in saltwater. I haven't done it in years, but wiping the oil off and letting them cool on a wire rack allowed a little more of the oil to drain off.

[AAS]

I once heard that the frying oil even needs to be "broken in" before it will perform best.

[ocnblu]

You know, come to think of it, Mickey D's drains their fries in the basket after they come out of the oil... no paper towels for them, they get dumped in a metal trough for salting and scooping into the containers.

[schuby87]

I have heard that you have to boil them first.

[usonia]

I've not actually tried this myself yet but I saw it on tv. It looked good.

3 pounds russet potatoes (about 4 large potatoes), peeled, ends and sides squared off, and cut lengthwise into 1/2 inch by 1/2-inch fries

3 quarts peanut oil (or canola oil), plus 1/4 additional cup

1. Place cut fries in large microwaveable bowl, toss with 1/4 cup oil, and cover with plastic wrap. Microwave on high power until potatoes are partially translucent and pliable but still offer some resistance when pierced with tip of paring knife, 6 to 8 minutes, tossing them with rubber spatula halfway through cooking time. Carefully pull back plastic wrap from side farthest from you and drain potatoes into large mesh strainer set over sink. Rinse well under cold running water. Spread potatoes onto kitchen towels and pat dry. Let rest until room temperature, at least 10 minutes and up to 1 hour.

2. In heavy-bottomed Dutch oven, heat oil to 375 degrees.

3. Add all fries to oil and fry until golden brown and crisp, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to fresh paper bag or paper towels to drain. Season fries with salt to taste and serve immediately.

[regfootball]

i guess the temp of the oil is critical. sorry to hear about you going limp, blu.

[Sixty8panther]

I make a killer french fry myself. It's all about KISS. "Keep It Simple Stupid".

1. Don't use some healthy-balanced-diet-BS oil. CORN 100% straight up.

2. Cut the fries as thick as a no.2 pencil for crispy, as fat as a Sharpie for chewy (i like a 50/50 mix)

3. Keep the skin on, but scrub the potatoes under running water to clean

4. the oil has to be really HOT, like 400* hot.

5. Wait for it to heat up, test by throwing in a small crumb or tater chunk, it should bubble up and sizzle

6. For crispy fries take out the fries only after they turn golden brown.

[Croc]

The fries need to be blanched in cold water prior to being fried. This removes a lot of the starch so that too much oil isn't absorbed. Following, make sure your oil is hot, 350-400 F, and most importantly, make sure you have enough BTUs going in your heating source to prevent a massive temperature drop when you drop the fries in.

When removed, use a slatted cooling rack on top of paper towels upon which to drain the fries. This way, when the fries are draining, the oil drips off of them and gets absorbed by the towels. If you drain/cool them directly on the towels, they will just sit on the oil-soaked towels and reabsorb the oil.

[Oracle of Delphi]

I always thought you had a tater tot, now I'm sure of it! :AH-HA_wink:

[Delta Force79]

Now I seriously want some fries

[regfootball]

want salty fries? popcorn salt in lieu of reg salt.

[Robert Hall]

Mmm...getting a craving for good fries....smothered in Cheez-Wiz. Or some nice thick steak fries ('chips'). Maybe I'll buzz over the Irish pub for some fish & chips and pint.

[Satty]

I'm easy (read:lazy) just give me some Ore-Ida frozen fries and I'll be happy.

[loki]

my family loves to watch good eats aka Alton Brown. my dad watched one and said he said to fry them twice to have them stay crunchy. I don't know if that true.

[Sixty8panther]

Ore-Ida: ewwwww....

I suppose you also love imitation crab meat and that pretend-bacon too

[Croc]

my family loves to watch good eats aka Alton Brown. my dad watched one and said he said to fry them twice to have them stay crunchy. I don't know if that true.

It is true, but you have to keep in mind that you're sticking them in oil again. After something has been fried once, the second time allows it to absorb quite a bit more oil.

Think about potato chips from the bag...you know the really fried ones that are darker and crispier? Are they not the greasiest ones, too?

If drained on a rack, and not in paper towels or anything that allows them to sit in the oil you're trying to drain from them, they will be plenty crispy.

[HarleyEarl]

best french fries:

russet potatoes

peanut oil

salt

as you slice, place in ice cold water in bowl

heat oil to 320 degrees

cook fries for 2 to 3 min until pale and limp

remove, drain on paper towel, cool to room temp

now increase oil heat to 375 degreees

and place fries back in for another 2 to 3 min

drain on rack

keep warm in a 200 degree oven

salt

Edited September 12, 2008 by HarleyEarl

[Satty]

Ore-Ida: ewwwww....

I suppose you also love imitation crab meat and that pretend-bacon too

God no

Ore-Ida sucks, but its a lot quicker than home-made.

[Sixty8panther]

Yeah, I knw I was just being a dick.

America, FU*K YEAH!

[Satty]

Speaking of dicks.

I actually have nothing to go along with that. Thats not like me.

[Delta Force79]

Okay seriously, this making me want to get dressed and drive to some lame fast food place just to get a large fries...and quite frankly I'd rather have home made...but alas I'm too damn lazy

Edited September 12, 2008 by Delta Force79

[Sixty8panther]

Yesterday, at 3:40am, on my way over to "Ups" I found myself at McDonalds

squinting at their super-ghay "late-night-menu", Roadmonster idling while I

tried to make up my mind.

Ended up getting porked for $6.17 on a USA-spec. Royale-w/Cheese & loading

900+ packages with a nasty cannon-ball of grease in my stomach.

I wish Panera was open at 3am.

Aaaaad now, it looks like I might be going back to McD in 3 hours, thanx O.B.

[Robert Hall]

That does it.. I'm going to go get fries...Jack in the Box is about a mile a way...or maybe I'll go to Rosie Mccaferty's Irish Pub, less than a mile..they have great fish n chips.

[HarleyEarl]

[Sixty8panther]

HE desrves a right-good-kickin'

[Robert Hall]

I wimped out and went to Jack in the Box..not the best fries, but close to home. Nice evening...cool out, only 80--first time since mid May I've driven w/ the windows down and the A/C off (drove the '91 300CE with the sunroof open, all the windows down, The Verve's Forth in the CD player..nice evening. Saw a pearl white CTS... there was a Nissan Versa ahead of me in the drive thru, and a black Merc G 55 AMG behind me.

I'll be happy to go back to work Monday...the last 6 weeks has been killer on my waistline, too much sitting on my duff surfing the web.

[Delta Force79]

Damn you Harley, damn you to hell!!

Edited September 12, 2008 by Delta Force79

[Robert Hall]

How about cheese potato fries? Mmmm....food p0rn..

[Oracle of Delphi]

blu, perhaps you need to buy fries like this? This looks right up your alley! Doesn't look limp at all.

[ocnblu]

Oh my, look at that french fry. Or should I say, german fry. German, small fry. Borger I really didn't want to see your German small fry. Now I'm scarred. Thanks.

I used a frying pan with enough oil to cover the fries completely. After I cut the fries, I patted them dry on all sides with paper towel. They were dry when I threw them in. But they still needed Viagra.

You guys have given a lot of interesting idears on this. I like to make my own Chicken McNuggets, too. I take some boneless breast, cut it with scissors into nuggets, dip it in Egg Beaters, then toss it in bread crumbs with ground red pepper before cooking. They are unbelievably yum dipped in honey. Also, home made onion rings are good, done in beer batter.

Perhaps I should at least invest in a draining basket, and then try you guys' ideas. Thanks, all!

[daves87rs]

I like fries.

[regfootball]

CHILI FRIES!!!!!!

[DetroitNut90]

Thrasher's Fries in Ocean City are by far the best I've ever had. Mmmm....

[capriceman]

the best is...

slice potatoes in small strips

soak potatoes in a cooking oil with beef broth

preheat your Peterbuilt 378

take aluminum foil and make a pocket

put fries in pocket add seasoning salt

close pocket

shake well

place pocket on manifold of truck and drive!

after a 100 mile trip open and enjoy

[Oracle of Delphi]

The best is have your wife cook the fries for you, while you watch TV.

[capriceman]

for those across the sea..

use a Scania R480 6x2 in place of the Peterbuilt.

Diesel smoky flavor is the best!

Edited September 12, 2008 by capriceman

[Enzora]

Speaking of dicks.

I actually have nothing to go along with that. That's not like me.

Whoa, Satty's gone post-modern.

[HarleyEarl]

Oh my, look at that french fry. Or should I say, german fry. German, small fry. Borger I really didn't want to see your German small fry. Now I'm scarred. Thanks.

I used a frying pan with enough oil to cover the fries completely. After I cut the fries, I patted them dry on all sides with paper towel. They were dry when I threw them in. But they still needed Viagra.

You guys have given a lot of interesting idears on this. I like to make my own Chicken McNuggets, too. I take some boneless breast, cut it with scissors into nuggets, dip it in Egg Beaters, then toss it in bread crumbs with ground red pepper before cooking. They are unbelievably yum dipped in honey. Also, home made onion rings are good, done in beer batter.

Perhaps I should at least invest in a draining basket, and then try you guys' ideas. Thanks, all!

All sounds mighty tasty.

One thing though, I can't use sissors on meat, it just creeps me out....I don't know why. It's like oh, I'm going to do a raw chicken craft.

[ocnblu]

Oh it's real simple to snip the chicken. Some people claim it's more hygienic, too.

[Sixty8panther]

the best is...

slice potatoes in small strips

soak potatoes in a cooking oil with beef broth

preheat your Peterbuilt 378

take aluminum foil and make a pocket

put fries in pocket add seasoning salt

close pocket

shake well

place pocket on manifold of truck and drive!

after a 100 mile trip open and enjoy

hahahah good times.

I say 359,or needle-nose, or a K-W900, but to each his own.

[Robert Hall]

hahahah good times.

I say 359,or needle-nose, or a K-W900, but to each his own.

How about a 351? This one was pure evil...

[Robert Hall]

By the way, HE, I love that '71 CDV in your sig...wow..no vinyl top.

[ocnblu]

Is that a Coupe DeVille, or a Calais?

[Robert Hall]

Is that a Coupe DeVille, or a Calais?

Hmmm..good question..did they make a 2dr Calais then?

[ocnblu]

What kind of gives it away is the lack of a vinyl top, the lack of a passenger-side mirror, and no "Coupe Deville" script on the rear quarter. It's a plain-jane.

[Robert Hall]

What kind of gives it away is the lack of a vinyl top, the lack of a passenger-side mirror, and no "Coupe Deville" script on the rear quarter. It's a plain-jane.

Yes..the 'stripped down' entry level Caddy of it's day.

[HarleyEarl]

By the way, HE, I love that '71 CDV in your sig...wow..no vinyl top.

To me, this IS Cadillac. It's Cadillac porn.

And I thank you.

[HarleyEarl]

Is that a Coupe DeVille, or a Calais?

My esteemed collegue, this is indeed a Cadillac Calais. 1971.

When even stripped down, entry level Cadillacs were stunning.

[Sixty8panther]

Yup... that's what I meant, the (Duel) Peterbilt was a "needlenose", didn't rememer 351 off the top of my head.

I guess that tapered skinny nose is why they were nicknamed that, esp. compared to the wide, fat, flat-faced

Mack tractors of the day. The Duel was a killer movie, seen it a few times. Te best part about that move was

the patina and decades-of-filth look of that Pete, esp. with the railroad track welded to the front bumper.

Just after I sold my '88 K-5 Blazer (1991 CUCV clone) my ex's grandmother said she was glad to see it go since

it reminded her of "that creepy, tall truck that follows someone round in a scary movie and ends up killing them"

I thought that was quite the complement.

BTW: I much prefer the steel-roof of the '71 Cadillac versus vinyl.