How to make delicious French fries at home?

French fries are a very popular dish. It is usually served in restaurants, bistros or cafes as a side dish or snack. Is it possible to cook crispy and tasty potatoes at home? Of course yes! But first, find out some secrets and features.

A little history

Many people think of French fries as an American dish, but in reality they are not. For the first time such a snack appeared in France, namely in Paris. According to legend, a creative and talented chef, whose name is unknown, decided to cut the potatoes into thin slices and completely fry them in boiling oil. And everyone liked this dish so much that it became the most popular snack in all French street cafes.

Then French fries came to England, from where they continued their march across Europe. From there, with emigrants, he reached America. And in the USA, crispy potatoes have become so in demand and popular that they have turned into a real culinary cult. And many call the snack American, although Americans themselves still call it “French potatoes” or “French potatoes.”

Is this dish healthy?

French fries definitely cannot be called healthy. Firstly, because of the heat treatment method, which is considered one of the most harmful. Boiling oil produces carcinogenic substances that cause destruction and premature aging of body tissues, as well as the degeneration of healthy cells into cancerous ones. And it’s good if fresh oil is used for frying.

But in restaurants, where the emphasis is not on quality and benefits, but on volume, replacements are made infrequently, so the amount of carcinogens can go off scale. Secondly, 100 grams of such potatoes contain about 400 calories, and this is a lot and harmful to the figure.

How to cook?

So, how to make French fries at home? You need to select the appropriate ingredients and decide on the recipe.

Using the right ingredients

The taste of the dish directly depends on what ingredients you use to prepare the dish, so make your choice responsibly.

There are three main components:

  1. Directly potatoes. How to choose it? Firstly, it is best to use something that is not very old, as it is more tasty and has less starch, so the slices will be whole, quite dense and beautiful. But too young is also not suitable, its taste differs from the required ones. Second, choose oblong tubers to get long, restaurant-style slices. Thirdly, use only high-quality, fresh potatoes that are free from stains and mold. The variety can be any, but restaurants usually use Russet Bourbon, Santana or Innovator.
  2. Oil. Use regular sunflower oil, but be sure to deodorize and refine it, otherwise the dish may acquire an unpleasant odor and an undesirable dark color.
  3. Salt. It is advisable to use finely ground salt, since large crystals can penetrate the structure and dissolve unevenly. Natural sea salt will make the dish a little healthier. But the use of iodized water is useless, since iodine is almost completely destroyed during heat treatment.

Cooking options

Below are several options for making popular French fries at home.

Option one

The easiest way to cook French fries is in a frying pan. To do this you will need:

  • one glass of vegetable oil;
  • 7-8 fairly large potatoes;
  • salt to taste.

Description of preparation:

  1. Peel the potatoes and cut into strips.
  2. Heat the oil well in a frying pan. It should boil.
  3. Place the first portion of potatoes into the boiling oil.
  4. When the slices turn golden (about two to three minutes), remove them using a slotted spoon.
  5. Place the hot potatoes in a colander to drain the oil.
  6. Transfer the slices to a paper towel or napkin to remove any remaining oil.
  7. Fry all the cut potatoes.
  8. Salt the potatoes and serve hot.

Option two

Try cooking the famous potatoes in the microwave.

Ingredients:

  • 5 potatoes;
  • two to three tablespoons of vegetable oil;
  • salt to taste.

Preparation:

  1. Peel the potatoes, cut them, dry them and sprinkle with vegetable oil. Mix it well and leave for 10 minutes so that the oil penetrates into the structure.
  2. Now transfer the slices to a microwave-safe container. There should be free space between them.
  3. Place the potatoes in the microwave for 3-5 minutes (power should be at maximum).
  4. Then turn each slice over and return the container to the microwave for three to five minutes.
  5. Salt the potatoes and serve.

By the way, if you want to make diet french fries, then the slices should be immersed not in oil, but in beaten egg white. The taste will be excellent, and the calorie content will be significantly reduced.

Option three

In the oven, French fries will also turn out tasty and, among other things, more healthy. Here's what you'll need:

  • five large potatoes;
  • five tablespoons of vegetable oil;
  • salt to taste.

Preparation:

  1. Peel the potatoes, wash, dry and cut into thin slices.
  2. Pour oil into a bowl and add chopped potatoes there. Mix it well and leave to marinate for about fifteen minutes.
  3. Line a baking sheet with parchment soaked in oil (soaking is not necessary, as the oil will drain from the slices).
  4. Place the pieces on a baking sheet, leaving free space between them.
  5. Place the potatoes in an oven preheated to 230 degrees for about 30-40 minutes.
  6. Salt the finished dish and serve.

Option four

French fries can also be made in a slow cooker. To do this you will need:

  • 6-8 potatoes;
  • 700 or 800 ml oil;
  • salt to taste.

Process description:

  1. Peel the potatoes, dry and cut.
  2. Select the "Baking" or "Frying" mode.
  3. Pour oil into the multicooker bowl.
  4. When the oil boils and is well heated, immerse the slices in it.
  5. Fry the potatoes until cooked, that is, until golden brown.

This recipe requires a large amount of butter, so if you are watching your figure, choose a different cooking option.

Some secrets and tricks

  1. If you use old potatoes, they may fall apart after frying due to their high starch content. And to avoid this, after cleaning the tubers, you can immerse them in cold water for an hour or two. Then you can proceed directly to cooking.
  2. Cut the potatoes as thin as possible. Firstly, then the slices will be completely cooked. Secondly, cooking will take less time, which means that fewer carcinogens are formed.
  3. In McDonald's restaurants, potatoes are prepared in a special way, which makes them crispy, but at the same time maintaining a light and pleasant texture. And this is achieved through special training. So, first, the cut slices are blanched, that is, literally immersed in boiling water for a few seconds. Then they are fried in oil, but only for 3-5 seconds. Then the potatoes are quickly frozen and distributed among the points. As a result, a crust forms on the surface, which prevents oil from penetrating inside. That is, with subsequent full frying, the crust becomes even crispier, and the inside of the potato seems to be baked.
  4. Regular sunflower oil can be replaced with any other vegetable oil. For example, flaxseed or olive oil will make the dish more flavorful and even healthier.
  5. In order not to stain the walls while heating the oil, you can cover them with cling film.
  6. To ensure that the potatoes are well fried, do not skimp on oil. It should completely cover all the slices.
  7. Before immersing potatoes in deep frying (that is, in boiling oil), wipe them well and dry them, otherwise you will not avoid strong hissing and splashing that occurs due to the ingress of liquid.
  8. Wait until the oil boils and is well heated. This may take about 10-15 minutes.
  9. Salt the potatoes just before serving, otherwise they won't be crispy enough.

Bon appetit!

mob_info