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FRENCH FRIES

Some genius decided to drop slices of potatoes into a pot of boiling fat. The identity of this individual is unknown; the French claim it was one of their countrymen, while the Belgians fiercely hold that it was one of their own who first Frenched a fry. Expert opinion on this matter is divided as well. Whatever the case, by the 1830's deep fried potatoes had become a popular taste sensation in both France and Belgium. It took another hundred years for them to become a fast-food staple in the United States.

  Serves 4

FRENCH FRIES

1 kg  (2 lb) potatoes

2 litre (3.5 pt)oil

salt

 

 

  • Peel and cut potatoes.

  • Rinse them with cold water, drain and dry chips in clean cloth.

  • Warm up oil in a potatoes chips fryer to max. Drop basket and place one chip in the oil. When the chip bubbles and rises to the top, the oil is hot enough.

  • Drop the rest of the chips in the oil. Turn heat down to med/high

  • Test chips with a sharp knife, when potatoes are soft, lift basket and let the oil drip-out. Take pot out of the hot plate. The chips can stay at this stage up to 1 hour before proceeding to the next stage.

  • 20 min before serving the chips: Warm up oil to max. Drop one chip in oil and wait until the chip is bubbly and rise to the top. Then drop all the chips. Reduce heat to medium/high. Fry until chips are crispy and golden brown.

  • Lift up the basket. Let drip as much oil as possible. Place chips in an absorbent paper and shake.

  • Transfer chips to a serving dish. Add salt at this stage. Serve immediately.

TIPS

* Should this no produce the ideal result, check the quality of the potatoes.

* Don't forget to change the oil often, as stale oil gives an unpleasant taste to the chips.

* The introduction of ready cut potatoes chips in supermarket has produced very good results. Use the “baked” potatoes chips to fry and these give a perfect result. Sometimes the packet has ice in it. Simply rinse the potatoes in cold water and dry them with a cloth. Drop them in the hot oil. This will avoid the sparkling a spitting of oil you get if you drop the potatoes with the ice in it.

The frozen chips also have the advantage that you don't have to fry them twice. They have already been soften before freezing.

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