As I make my journey through culinary school I’m starting to realize the new exciting recipes of today are mostly knock offs and renames of original recipes that have been around for decades/centuries. Marketing departments at large food companies are always looking for a new way to make something like a gaufrette sound interesting to you. I seriously thought the waffle fry was from Texas……. I lived down there for a few years while my dad was stationed there and that’s pretty much all I saw as far as fries were concerned. Actually, deep fried anything is pretty much what I saw down there……….

Anywho, here is the restaurant process on how to make nice and crispy fries. If you don’t have a mandolin then don’t worry, use this process the next time you make fries or chips. What? You’ve never made chips or fries at home? You should try it! One potato, a few cuts here and there and directly into your oil of choice. You save yourself all the preservatives and additives of regular bagged potato chips and you have a better time making/eating them. GO MAKE THEM NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AHHH!!!!!!!!!

Equipment:

• Mandolin
• Deep Fryer
• Baking Sheet
• Lots of paper towels
• Parchment paper

Ingredients:

• Russet Potatoes
• Sugar
• Salt
• Canola oil

Procedure:

1. Slice the potatoes then pat dry with paper towels then immediately place in canola oil that is cooking between 350-375F.  If you are going to be cooking a lot of chips then set it to 375 because the large amount of potatoes being added to the oil will reduce the temperature and you will soggy chips if they aren’t cooking to at least 350F.
2. Remove from heat after 10-15 seconds then place on paper towels and pat dry.  You are blanching the chips and you want to see a little blistering on the outside of the chips.
3. Sprinkle salt and sugar on the chips and lay on parchment paper then place in freezer. You can leave these in the freezer for up to a week.
4. Remove from freezer then place in hot oil again and cook until chips are turning golden brown then remove from heat.
5. Pat dry and pour some salt on them and serve!

Enjoy,

Eric