Making french fries

     French fries are served hot, either soft or crispy, and are generally eaten as part of lunch or dinner or by themselves as a snack, and they commonly appear on the menus of diners, fast food restaurants, pubs, and bars. They are usually salted and, depending on the country, may be served with ketchup, vinegar, mayonnaise, tomato sauce, or other local specialties. Fries can be topped more heavily, as in the dishes of poutine and chili cheese fries. Chips can be made from kumara or other sweet potatoes instead of potatoes. A baked variant, oven chips, use less oil or no oil. One very common fast food dish is fish and chips.

Types

1. Poutine

Originally invented in Quebec, poutine may just be one of Canada's most signature dishes—and, of course, it features fries front and center. In this dish, French fries are first cooked to medium-thick perfection—ideally, the fries should be crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. From there, they're plated and topped with cheese curds and gravy. It may be a bit of an acquired taste, but poutine-lovers swear by this regional fry delicacy.

2. Gyros

Pita gyros are pretty much the go-to in Greece—but it's not all about the meat, falafel, and veggies. Many shops in Greece offer an option to add fries, with additional condiments available on the side.

3. Slap Chips

While other countries may serve their fries alongside other foods, South Africa stays a purist with its slap chips, where the recipe is all about the preparation and cooking method. This secret to this dish is soaking the cut raw potatoes in vinegar before frying up the batch—twice. These fries, which should be notably crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside, are available at fast food restaurants across the country.

4. Belgian Frites

There are many culinary delights the rest of the world can thank Belgium for: waffles, chocolates, and, of course, frites. Since the original fry-makers can't be shown up, this variety—double-fried, salted, and served with mayonnaise—is understandably one of the best out there. Far from a side dish, frites are an integral stand-alone dish in Belgian culture, sold by both restaurants and street vendors (and eaten with adorable tiny forks).

5. Fish and Chips

Should be read in an English accent. Does it get more quintessentially English than a plate of fish and chips? We don't think so. As the name might suggest, this dish consists of two parts: fried battered fish (often cod) and French fries. Top it off with some fresh-squeezed lemon juice, malt vinegar, and/or tartar sauce for an authentic taste of how our neighbors across the pond get down with their fried selves.

6. Moules Frites

Although Belgium may also be credited with the invention of this dish, France has adopted modules frites into its culinary canon and perfected it. The dish is especially French in its simplicity, composed solely of mussels steamed in white wine and accompanied by crispy fries. This elevated finger food is a popular lunch or dinner.

7. Masala Chips

A staple of Kenyan cuisine, masala chips are a spicy, garlicky take on traditional French fries. After twice-frying the potatoes, they are then tossed in a tomato-based masala sauce and topped with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.

8. Chili Cheese Fries

A ballpark favorite distinctly associated with hot days spent rooting for the home team, chili cheese fries are pretty much synonymous with the USA. A take on the popular cheese fries—fries doused in nacho cheese—this dish stands above the rest for its inclusion of chili, usually made with carne asada. It's best eaten out of a paper carton.

9. Patatje Oorlog

If you're not familiar with patatje oorlog, then ordering fries in the Netherlands can elicit some shock at the dipping choices: peanut sauce (most often a spicy satay) and mayo. It's often served with chopped raw onions—an unusual combination of flavors that has earned its spot as one of the most popular Dutch street foods.

10. Salchipapas

Popular not just in Peru but across Latin America, salchipapas is a street-food essential. The fries in this dish are topped with sliced sausages and served with a variety of condiments, usually including ketchup, mayonnaise, mustard, and aji, a tomato-onion salsa.

11. Chipsi Mayai

A popular dish in Tanzania, East Africa, chipsi mayai is essentially a French fry omelette. It's most commonly found—and best made—at street vendors, who fry sliced potatoes in large black woks outside their stands. Some add vegetables to the omelette itself—although the traditional way is simply eggs and fries—while others top it with tomato chili sauce, kachumbari (a tomato-onion salad), and chile peppers.

Some recipes

Ingredients

5 pounds russet potatoes

Vegetable or peanut oil, for frying

Sea salt

Steps

1. Peel and rinse the potatoes. Then cut them into sticks by cutting the potato in 4 or 5 vertical pieces, and then cutting each piece into sticks.

2. Place them in a large bowl and cover with cold water. Allow them to soak, 2 to 3 hours. (You can also stick them in the fridge and let them soak overnight.)

3. When you're ready to make the fries, drain off the water and lay the potatoes on 2 baking sheets lined with paper towels. Blot with paper towels to dry them.

4. Heat a few inches of oil in a heavy pot to 300 degrees F. In 3 or 4 batches, cook the potatoes until soft, 4 to 5 minutes per batch. They should not be brown at this point! You just want to start the cooking process. Remove each batch and drain on new/dry paper towels.

5. Once all the potatoes have been fried at 300 degrees F, turn up the heat until the oil reaches 400 degrees F. When the oil's hot, start frying the potatoes in batches again, cooking until the fries are golden and crisp. Remove the potatoes from the oil and drain on paper towels.

6. Sprinkle with sea salt and dive in!

Ingredients

4 (4 to 5-inches long) russet potatoes (about 2 pounds)

2 quarts canola oil

Steps

1 tablespoons fine-grain sea salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1. Peel potatoes on the sides, leaving the ends with the skin on. Cut the potatoes into 1/3-inch slices and then slice into 1/3-inch sticks.

2. Fill a large bowl with water and soak potatoes, submerged, for at least 30 minutes up to 24 hours. This will help remove the excess starch from the potatoes and keep them from oxidizing.

3. Heat a heavy stock pot fitted with a deep-fry thermometer with oil to 325 degrees F.

4. Remove potatoes from the water, and pat dry to remove excess water. Add 2 handfuls of potatoes to hot oil. There should be at least 1-inch of oil above the potatoes. Par cook until potatoes are light brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove potatoes, gently shaking off excess oil and let drain on rack. Repeat until all of the potatoes are par cooked.

5. Raise heat of the oil to 350 degrees F.

6. Cook potatoes again, 2 handfuls at a time, until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Remove from oil, shake off excess oil, and season lightly in a bowl with salt and pepper. Repeat until all potatoes are cooked.