The Mucho Martini Review

Learn how to make homemade fries

August 20, 2011

Wanna learn how to make homemade fries? Well, then you came to the right place. As luck would have it, I just happen to be a homemade french fries ninja, if I do say so myself. There was a time when I had no clue about this process, but then I landed a job in the quick service industry, and the rest is history.

When I started working at a local burger joint called Five Guys burgers and fries, I really had no idea just what really went into making a good, quality fry. Up to that point, I’d just figured a ‘fry was a fry’ and that those I had been eating at McDonald’s weren’t really that much different than those I used to buy in the frozen foods section of my local supermarket. I couldn’t have been more wronger (I was an English major in college, I’m allowed certain liberties with the language).

The Five Guys menu is extremely simple; burgers, fries, hot dogs, grilled cheese sammiches and grilled veggies on a bun for the occasional vegetarians who meander through the front door. With such an uncluttered menu, the Five Guys chain has been able to perfect their craft, rather than just being good at doing too many things. One of the things they have perfected over the years is their recipe for homemade french fries.

This is all you’ll need to duplicate the recipe at home; a deep fryer, of course; a potato slicer for french fries, Idaho Russet potatoes, a large sink area, peanut oil for frying, salt. That’s it, for this particular recipe anyway. There are many ways to go about creating a homemade french fries recipe, but this recipe is one that’ll give you great boardwalk style fries, and it really doesn’t cost that much to get started.

If you own a decent fryer and a potato cutter, then you are well on your way. Of course, you could cut the potatoes by hand, but that’s a hassle…! All the equipment can be purchased rather cheaply at Amazon, as you’ll see throughout the article.

Let’s skip ahead, and assume you have everything you need to get started. First, cut the potatoes and toss them in the sink. Run cold water to cover the potatoes, and let them soak for 15 minutes. Once they’ve soaked, stir them vigorously, drain the water and then repeat the cycle. You will perform the rinsing cycle until the cold water is totally clear in the sink. This process is removing all the heavy starches from the potatoes, which would just make the fries soggy when prepared.

Noe, set the fryer to 345°. Once the fryer has reached the desired temperature, place a basket of potatoes that is filled about 2/3 of the way into the oil. You will only fry these potatoes until they begin to turn a bit brown. This is not an exact science, but you don’t want to under-cook them, and you definitely don’t want to overcook them. A good rule of thumb is to lift the basket, and if one of the potatoes will smush easily when pinched, then this stage is finished. Obviously, the potatoes will be quite hot, so I’d just remove one and smush it with a spoon on one end to see if it passes the ‘smush test.’ Believe it or not, this is the term used at Five Guys.

Let the pre-cooked fries rest for at least 15 minutes. If you were to cook this style of fry all the way through on the first pass, the fires would be burnt on the outside and mealy on the inside. Does that sound appealing to you? Once they’ve rested for a bit, you can place them in the oil again. There is no need to change the temperature. 345° is perfect for this stage also. Now, you just fry them until they reach your desired cooking level.

Some people like there fries on the light side, while others like a darker fry. One thing to consider is that with this style the fries will never really be all that crispy. Sure, they will come out of the fryer crispy, but they will soften as they cool. This is normal, and there is no reason to panic. It’s time we move away from the McDonald’s mentality, and realize that there are many ways to enjoy this recipe. these fries should be firm on the outside, with a baked potato consistency on the inside. Again, that is taken directly from the Five Guys handbook. I told you I was a ninja…!

Simply salt the fries after dumping into a decent sized bin, and Voila! A homemade french fries recipe that you can be proud of. If you serve these fries to your family and friends, you will be the envy of your social circle. Just be careful though, because those same people will come begging for more, and quite often I might add. You can serve these with burgers, or once you’ve learned how to cook a steak. The options are limitless, it would seem.

Remember, I said there were many ways to come up with a homemade french fries recipe? I wasn’t just blowin’ smoke. Let’s say you wanna eat a bit healthier than those bathing their fries in peanut oil, or vegetable oil for that matter. Another option is to bake them. Homemade french fries baked is a great way to enjoy this treat. Once you’ve cut the potatoes, then you can either rinse them or put them straight into the oven.

Trial and error is the best way to figure out your personal preference with this process. I’d toss them with a bit of healthy oil and sea salt for the best results. Homemade baked french fries will taste just as good as the fried variety, but you’ll have the satisfaction of knowing you opted for a healthier alternative to all that frying oil.

Homemade sweet potato fries – If you wanna get really fancy, then there is the option to use sweet potatoes as the starch medium. This is about as simple as it gets, especially for making homemade french fries, but with a twist. Once you’ve cut the sweet potatoes, simply toss them in a bit of oil and sea salt and place evenly on a cookie sheet. Bake them until they reach a desired doneness, and then place them under the broiler for a couple minutes if you’d like a crispier fry. It’s really that simple, and these are absolutely delicious. If you haven’t tried them yet, then you are in for a treat.

The best homemade french fries are the ones that you can serve to the whole family, knowing that you are putting a quality product in front of them. Many fast food chains have been making a living out of doing just that, but making them at home comes with a certain satisfaction that just can’t be duplicated, in my opinion anyway. Besides, fries tend to be overpriced at restaurants anyway…!

Whether you like crispy homemade french fries, or you are just searching for a simple baked homemade french fries recipe, you really can’t go wrong if you just take the time to prepare with the simple, beginning steps. For other great recipe and kitchen ideas, be sure to visit our Rival crock pot home page and see how others just like you are learning to live the Mucho Martini lifestyle.

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