A seriously, serious thread about French Fries.

[Dinner]

Alva, what's wrong with Parmesan?

[Imran Siddiqui]

Five Guys

Seriously. He lost me the diss on Five Guys. Best fries I've eaten and it ain't even close.

[Kitschum]

Last time I ate fries was at McDonald's. Was ok.

[Dinner]

Seriously. He lost me the diss on Five Guys. Best fries I've eaten and it ain't even close.

I've always found their fries to be kind of mushy and oily instead of crisp plus their burgers are usually dry and you can only order them well done. I prefer my burgers medium rare.

[Dinner]

Last time I ate fries was at McDonald's. Was ok.

The fries are about the only strong point McDonald's has. They do a good job with their twice fried french fries; crisp on the outside but soft on the inside just as french fries should be.

[Kitschum]

The fries are about the only strong point McDonald's has. They do a good job with their twice fried french fries; crisp on the outside but soft on the inside just as french fries should be.

Well, they're also everywhere here. And it's usually a good place to catch fights on saturday nights. But I digress from your important fries topic...

[MRT144]

Try and talk your friend out of this idea. Burgers are gonna be played out in a year.

But if you insist; Honey Hole in Seattle has the best. They're double fried.

[MRT144]

Seriously. He lost me the diss on Five Guys. Best fries I've eaten and it ain't even close.

You're a slut...cmon. And I'm pretty sure that if that is the best, you're not trying hard enough to move beyond strip mall haute cuisine.

[Dinner]

I have noticed lots of high end burger places opening in the last five years or so. I sometimes wonder how many different burger joints can exist in each neighborhood without saturating the market.

[MRT144]

I have noticed lots of high end burger places opening in the last five years or so. I sometimes wonder how many different burger joints can exist in each neighborhood without saturating the market.

That's exactly my point. Not only has there been crazy growth of national/regional franchise places, there has been a surge in mom n pop places and local establishments. There will be a point where it just will not pen out, and then what? The thing that has to be kept in mind is that at certain point no amount of quality will compensate for overall value.

Case in point? Blue Moon Burgers in Seattle. Wife and I went out and got 2 blue shroom burgers, 2 shakes, fries and jalepeno bottle caps (basically jalepeno slices deep fried in a batter). ****ing 40 dollars when all was said and done. We wont be going back. Also, if he does decide to go ahead, tell him not to waste money on ciabatta bread. It sucks.

[The Mad Monk]

I've always found their fries to be kind of mushy and oily instead of crisp plus their burgers are usually dry and you can only order them well done. I prefer my burgers medium rare.

This isn't the first time I've heard that complaint.

My take: wedges with the skin on, sea salt and paprika, twice fried *or* oil brushed and baked. Yum.

[dannubis]

The fries are about the only strong point McDonald's has. They do a good job with their twice fried french fries; crisp on the outside but soft on the inside just as french fries should be.

Yuck... Visit Belgium for some real Frech fries (they should be called Belgian fries anyway...).

[Sava]

wahts a french fry?

[Bugs ****ing Bunny]

I must stress I haven't actually tasted this but looking around the internet it sounds like the ultimate french fry experience.

- First use peeled bintje potatoes. They're an heirloom Dutch breed of potatoes cross bred from a high starch content, a low water content, and a full flavor so they're just about the best bred of potatoes (and there are over 3000 breeds of potatoes) for frying. They have a slightly yellow colored flesh much like Canadian Yukon Gold potatoes but they supposedly make the best french fries. To bad they're a rare breed in North America where Idaho Russet potatoes make up around 90% of the potato crop.

- Fry in Duck fat. Virtually all fries in North America are fried in peanut oil because it is dirt cheap and has a high burn temperature but I've read that frying in suet (beef lard) or pork lard adds much more flavor with duck lard adding the maximum amount of flavor and complexity while making sure your fries fry up a beautiful golden brown. The only problem is duck fat is pretty expensive so it might be cost prohibitive for all but high end places. Still suet might make a great halfway house where you still get that wonderful lard flavor but don't have to pay 3-4 times as much for duck fat.

- Twice fry your fries. Fry them first for about one minute at 325 degrees, let them cool off and drain for 10 minutes, then fry them a second time at 375. This leaves the fries a perfect golden brown color with a crispy crunchy exterior and a pillowy soft interior. Twice fried is impossible to beat.

- After the potatoes have been skinned and pressed into 1/4th inch shoe strings put them in a bucket of ice cold water for at least 2 hours to leach out starch and let them rest in the water. Pat completely dry after 2 hours and add to the frier in small hand sized batches. I'm not sure if vinegar should be added to the water or not as some recipes say to do so while others say not to. This is an area which needs experimenting.

- When finished let cool for a few minutes then sprinkle with a mix of Parmesan, oregano, salt, and pepper, then serve in a paper wrapped container so that the paper can absorb some of the excess oil/fat.

I intend to give all of this to my friend but the bastard better hook me up with some free french fries or something for all of my effort.

How to improve on that-

1- Use Maris Piper potatoes.

2- Parboil them before the first fry so that the surface of the chips starts breaking up. Yes, it's a third stage of cooking, but it produces an unbeatable crunch.

[Hauldren Collider]

Five Guys

People dumb enough to ask Oerdin for advice.

QFT

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