Melange Of French Fries Recipes

PERFECT FRENCH FRIES

Steps:

• Peel potatoes and square off sides and ends. Cut lengthwise into 1/3-inch-thick slices, and then cut into 4-by-1/3-by-1/3-inch sticks using a sharp knife or a mandolin. Place in a large bowl and add cold water to cover by 1 inch, then let soak in the refrigerator at least 4 hours or up to 24 hours. Drain potatoes and spread on a clean kitchen towel and dry completely, patting off as much water as possible.
• Line baking sheets with a double thickness of paper towels. Heat 2 inches of oil in a heavy stockpot over medium heat to 300 degrees on a deep-fry thermometer. Working in batches and using a spider, lower potatoes into the oil (the temperature will drop significantly and slowly climb up again) and stir to separate. Cook just until softened (test one by breaking it in half; it should be almost completely cooked through), but not brown, about 3 minutes. Use a spider or slotted spoon to transfer to one of the prepared baking sheets to drain, spreading in a single layer. Allow oil to return to 350 degrees between each batch. (The potatoes can be blanched and left to drain on the prepared baking sheets for 4 hours in the refrigerator before finishing, replacing the paper towels as necessary.)
• Heat oil to 350 degrees.
• Again working in batches, add blanched potatoes to oil (the temperature will drop to about 340 degrees) and stir to separate. Cook until golden brown, 4 to 4 1/2 minutes; if desired, add the rosemary and lemon zest during the last 20 seconds of cooking. Use a spider or slotted spoon to transfer to prepared baking sheets to drain (replace paper towels if you are using the same baking sheets as above). Allow oil to return to 350 degrees between each batch.
• Sprinkle with salt and serve immediately.

FRENCH MERINGUE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• In a mixer, begin to whip the egg whites with cream of tartar, if using.. Slowly add the sugar. Whip the whites until stiff peaks.
• Combine flour and confectioners' sugar (and nut powder if using), then fold into whites.
• Load batter into pastry bag (use open star or any desired shape IF NOT using nut powder otherwise use no tip), and pipe quarter size meringues onto grease free parchment paper. Bake for 5 to 7 minutes until browned. Remove and cool before use.
• Pipe buttercream from cake assembly into some of the meringues for a surprise.
• Apply meringues to the cake after applying a heavy crumb coat. Cover completely. Put fresh berries or dollops of cooled, piped chocolate ganache between any gaps of the meringues.

PERFECT FRENCH FRIES

Steps:

• 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.
• 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.)
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• Sprinkle with sea salt and dive in!

FRENCH FRIES WITH ROASTED GARLIC MAYONNAISE

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Place the garlic onto a sheet of aluminum foil, top it with the thyme, drizzle it with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, and season it with salt and pepper. Close the foil up and roast the garlic until it is soft, about 35 to 40 minutes. When it is cool enough to handle, squeeze the soft pulp into a bowl and set aside.
• In a non-reactive bowl or in a food processor, combine the egg yolks, mustard, water, and salt and pepper. Whisk or pulse with the machine to break up the yolks. If you're making the mayonnaise by hand, put the bowl on a damp towel to keep it from moving around while you work. Then drizzle in the oils, whisking constantly, to form an emulsion. If the mayonnaise breaks, stop drizzling and whisk until it comes together again. If you're using the food processor, pour in the oils in a thin stream with the machine running. Then whisk or process in the garlic and lemon juice. Taste and adjust seasoning with more lemon juice, salt, or pepper. Thin the mayonnaise with more water if it is too thick.
• Pour the vegetable oil into a deep fat fryer or heavy saucepan to reach halfway up the sides and heat to 325 degrees F. While the oil is heating, peel the skin off the potatoes and cut them into uniform 1/4-inch sticks using a knife, mandoline, or French fry cutter. Rinse the potato sticks well and dry them thoroughly to keep the hot oil from splattering. Fry the potatoes in batches so the pot isn't crowded and the oil temperature does not drop too much. Cook the potatoes until soft but not browned, about 6 to 8 minutes. Remove them and drain on paper towels.
• Increase the oil temperature to 375 degrees F. Cook the par-fried potatoes in batches a second time until golden and crispy, about 2 to 4 minutes. Drain on fresh paper towels. Salt the French fries while they are still hot and garnish with chives. Serve immediately with the Roasted Garlic Mayonnaise as a dip.

CHEF JOHN'S FRENCH FRIES

Steps:

• Soak potatoes in a large bowl of water for about 30 minutes. Pat dry thoroughly with paper towels.
• Heat oil in a deep-fryer or large saucepan to 275 degrees F (135 degrees C). Gently add the potatoes in the hot oil for about 5 minutes, stirring and flipping the potatoes occasionally. Remove potatoes from oil with a slotted spoon to drain on paper towel and to cool completely.
• Heat oil in a deep-fryer or large saucepan to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Fry the potatoes again until golden brown, 5 to 6 minutes. Blot with a paper towel. Sprinkle with salt to serve.

FRENCH FRIES

Steps:

• Peel the potatoes and cut into 1cm-thick batons. Put into a bowl of cold water and leave to soak for at least 2 hrs to remove the starch from the potatoes - this will help them crisp while frying.
• Drain the potatoes well and pat dry with kitchen paper. Fill a deep pan no more than a third full with oil and heat to 140C, or until a cube of bread dropped in browns in 60 seconds. Fry the French fries in batches for 6 mins per batch until golden straw-coloured, cooked through and lightly crisp. Drain well on kitchen paper.
• Turn the heat up until the oil reaches 180C, or a cube of bread browns in 30 seconds. Fry the French fries again for 2-3 mins per batch until lightly golden and really crisp. Drain on kitchen paper and immediately season with sea salt.