Homemade French Fries

* Exported from MasterCook *

HOMEMADE FRENCH FRIES

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 1 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Potatoes

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1 pound Beef fat -- cut in
small pieces
Vegetable oil
1 pound Idaho potatoes
Salt

Here are the results of Chicago Tribune Test Kitchen experiments to make the
best homemade French Fries:

1. To render liquid fat from beef fat, cook it in a heavy saucepan over low
heat, about 40 minutes or more. Discard pieces of fat which are left over.
Add an equal part of vegetable oil to beef fat in pan.

2. Cut unpeeled potatoes into long strips about 1/4- 3/8-inch wide. Soak in
a large bowl of ice water for about 45 minutes. Arrange on paper towels and
carefully pat dry.

3. Heat oil mixture to 365 degrees. Add potatoes in batches so pan isn't
crowded. Fry until they begin to look partially cooked, about 5 minutes.
Remove and let oil return to 365 degrees. Return partially cooked fries and
continue cooking until they are crisp and golden, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer to
a paper towel to drain. Sprinkle with salt and serve immediately.

NOTES FROM THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE TEST KITCHEN: When we asked where to find the
best french fries, no one suggested homemade ones, which start with fresh
potatoes instead of a bag of frozen sticks. Making french fries from scratch
is a mighty effort, raising the question of whether the end justifies the
means, so the Tribune test kitchen endeavored to find an answer.

With no apologies to nutritionists, we decided to follow the conventional
wisdom that beef fat is the best way to make good-tasting fries and to try
using less saturated vegetable oil. We got beef fat from the butcher, a big
bag of Idaho spuds and a bottle of vegetable oil to do some experimenting.

Some basic tenets we accepted as truth: The potatoes would be cut by hand
with the peels on. They would be
soaked in ice water for 45 minutes. They would be painstakingly patted dry.
They would be fried twice. The wild cards: What's the best oil to use? Is it
worth all the effort? Beef fat won hands down-no contest. Beef fat fries were
crisp and delicate. They were not greasy and had a subtle taste. People said
it smelled as if we were cooking Christmas dinner, which we took to mean they
were used to standing rib roast for Christmas, not french fries. Those fries
were gobbled up. On the

=============== Reply 26 of Note 1 =================
Board: FOOD BB Topic: FOOD SOFTWARE Subject: Z-MM POTATO MEGA
To: RNMH52A JANICE MAGUIRE Date: 04/24 From: RNMH52A
JANICE MAGUIRE Time: 2:14 PM

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -