What is the best way to cut potatoes?
Place the cut side down on the cutting board and cut in half lengthwise. Cut each quarter in half again, and you should have 8 wedges. Potato Slices: Using a sharp knife, start at the root of the potato and carefully make slices to your desired thickness. Continue until you reach the other end of the potato.
Why are hand cut fries better?
Although frozen French fries are statistically more popular, freshly cut French fries are healthier and taste better. Freshly cut French fries include less preservatives in the ingredients. The way freshly cut French fries are made is by cutting a potato with a French fry cutter.
Why should you double fry French fries?
Theory #1: “The first fry gets the outside to create a water tight barrier. That way, when you fry them the second time, they stay moist.” Or, Theory #2: “The first fry cooks them through to the center—if you skipped that step, your fries would brown on the outside, but still be raw in the middle.”
What’s the best way to cut potato wedges?
Place the potato on its side and using a large chef’s knife, slice it in half lengthwise. Place the cut side of the potato down onto the cutting board, and cut it in half again to create quarters. Place each potato quarter cut side up, then slice down the center of the quarter to create a wedge.
Do you have to soak homemade French fries?
Soaking the sliced potatoes is the fundamental first step of making proper french fries. The soaking process removes the troublesome starch on the outside of the potato, which will help the fries achieve the perfect crispness.
What type of knife is best for cutting potatoes?
A chef’s knife should be used for most of your kitchen tasks, including slicing fruits, vegetables, and meats. The weight and length of a chef’s knife makes it ideal for chopping firm vegetables like carrots, onions, and potatoes or for slicing roasts or other large cuts of meat.
How do you cut potatoes with paper thins?
4 Easy Ways to Thinly Slice Potatoes (Without a Mandoline)
- 1 – Use a Vegetable Peeler. Using a vegetable peeler is probably going to be one of the best things that you can do.
- 2 – Use a Cheese Planer. What is this?
- 3 – Using a Sharp and Thin Knife. What is this?
- 4 – Use a Food Processor.
Are frozen French fries really potatoes?
But since the fries are made with real potatoes, they are cut with a real knife. After the potatoes are skinned and washed, they are shot through a series of blades that cut them into French fries. The fries actually move through the machine at 60 to 70 miles per hour!
Are frozen French fries better?
The potatoes cook faster when thawed but if they’re still in a completely frozen state when they hit the heat, the fry’s surface remains sealed as it cooks, which yields a crispier, this-is-what-a-french-fry-should-always-taste-like final product. The same goes for baking or air frying the fries.
Why soak fries in water before cooking?
The soaking, Mr. Nasr said, is the secret to the crisp texture of the fries. It draws out the starch, making them more rigid and less likely to stick together. The cooks fry them twice, first blanching them until slightly limp in peanut oil heated to 325 degrees, and again in 375-degree oil to crisp and brown them.
Should I boil french fries before frying?
A properly made fry must hit the oil twice–once at a lower temperature, and then again at 350 degrees Fahrenheit–to get the perfect creamy interior and crunchy exterior. Before all that, though, the secret is to briefly poach them in boiling water (or “blanch” them) before they go into the hot oil.
Why Soak potatoes in cold water for fries?
Soaking potatoes in water helps remove excess starch. Excess starch can inhibit the potatoes from cooking evenly as well as creating a gummy or sticky texture on the outside of your potatoes. Cold water is used because hot water would react with the starch activating it, making it harder to separate from the potatoes.
How far in advance can you cut potatoes?
You can prepare the spuds up to 24 hours before you need to cook with them. Then, on the evening you’re planning to serve them, you can make creamy potatoes at the drop of the hat. Start by scrubbing potatoes under cool running water to remove dirt; dice, slice, or chop as directed in recipe.
What’s the best oil to use for home fries?
Refined peanut oil is the best oil to use for making french fries. You can also use canola or safflower oil. Additionally, restaurant fries are so crispy because, among other things, they use old oil continuously.
Why do you soak potatoes in milk?
The milk gives them a creamier texture and a little more body and richness.
What happens if you don’t Soak potatoes before frying?
You will only get crispiness if enough water has left that outer part of your fry. Secondly, the starch in the potato cooks (which we’ve elaborated on in far greater detail here). Upon cooking the starch absorbs water and swells up. The other major process taking place is the Maillard reaction.
Should you soak potatoes in salt water before frying?
Why use salt water for soaking potatoes? There’s moisture naturally found in potatoes, and moisture is drawn to higher concentrations of salt. (This is a process called osmosis.) So, if you put the potatoes in a salt water bath, that will help draw out some of their moisture, resulting in crispier fries.
What is the most used knife in the kitchen?
As its name suggests, the chef’s knife is one of the most frequently used and versatile tools in the kitchen. Chef’s knives are typically between eight and ten inches, although they can be as short as six inches and as long as 14 inches.
What does a French knife do?
A chef’s knife, sometimes referred to as a French knife, is designed for rapid chopping of vegetables. When it comes to cooking, one of the most important tools in a kitchen are the knives a cook uses to prepare foods.
Why is the hand claw technique important when cutting?
The claw grip is a basic but extremely effective way to prepare food, and can save you from cutting your fingers when working through demanding shifts in commercial restaurants. It also helps you to achieve a clean cut, as the knife is under control and guided by your knuckles.
What can I use instead of a mandolin?
4 Ways to Shave Vegetables Without a Mandoline
- Vegetable Peeler. This option will give you vegetable shapes that most resemble those you’ll get from a mandoline.
- Cheese Planer.
- Knife.
- Food Processor.
Do I really need a mandoline?
A mandoline—with an e at the end—is a kitchen tool no one should be without. The key benefits to using a mandoline are speed and uniformity in slicing, shredding and sometimes grating. Traditionally used to cut prep time to a minimum when making gratins, slaws and french fries, mandolines are tremendously versatile.
How do you cut potatoes for dinner?
Step 1: Slice a strip off, lengthwise, so the potato sits flat on the cutting surface. Sometimes a peeled potato will create a small, flat edge. Step 2: Slice the potato into uniform pieces, while holding it with your non-cutting hand. Slice thinly for a smaller dice and thicker for a chunkier dice.
What makes fries so crispy?
For crisp, firm fries, fry twice
Ideally, this is when the surface starch absorbs the last remaining bit of moisture, expands more, and seals the surface for crispness. You do need to have the cooking time for high-starch potatoes just right. If you cook them too long, they’ll run out of internal moisture.
Why McDonald’s fries taste so good?
To mimic the chain’s original oil blend, which was mostly beef tallow, the oil is laced with chemical flavoring to replicate that mouthwatering smell. In other words, the delicious scent we know and love is actually the smell of potatoes cooked in beef fat, an aroma so powerful it makes the fries seem even tastier!
What are McDonald’s fries made out of?
According to McDonald’s, their signature fries are made with 10 ingredients:
- Potatoes.
- Vegetable oil.
- Canola oil.
- Corn oil.
- Soybean oil.
- Hydrogenated soybean oil.
- Natural beef flavor (which contains wheat and milk derivatives)
- Dextrose.
Where do McDonald’s fries come from?
McDonald’s actually starts with real potatoes
According to McDonald’s, their world famous fries start with Russet Burbank or Shepody potatoes, grown from U.S. farms. Russet Burbanks, grown mostly in the Pacific Northwest, are ideal for frying and baking, making them the perfect fit for those golden fries.
How do you keep French fries crispy after frying?
The best way to keep fried foods crispy? Just place them on a cooling rack set over a baking sheet. If you’re frying multiple batches, throw the whole setup into a low oven to keep everything warm as you keep frying and adding to the rack.
Do I need to defrost frozen French fries before frying?
When frying French fries, do not let them thaw before using. I recommend that frozen French fries be kept completely frozen before using. This guarantees that the surface of the potato is sealed during the frying process, resulting in a crispy, high quality fry. Some operations do thaw potatoes before cooking.
Should you freeze fries before frying?
It is a good idea to boil fries before frying them. Boiling them begins the cooking process, ensuring that you will get crispy french fries every time. It is not necessary to freeze french fries before frying them, but it does result in a desirable texture if you do.
What does soaking potatoes in vinegar do?
Boiling the potatoes in a salt and vinegar bath allows them to soak up all of that briny flavor before you dry them off and crisp them up in the oven. The result is a soft-in-the-center, crispy-on-the-outside potato that’s loaded with flavor.
Should you rinse potatoes before frying?
First, get the starch off! Rinsing or soaking the potatoes for an hour (or, even better, overnight) will remove some of the starch from the surface and prevent the sugars from browning before the potatoes are cooked.
How long should fries soak in water?
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.
What is blanching french fries?
Blanching is the process of dunking your sliced, pre-cooked potatoes in a scalding vat of water or oil. They are left in the liquid for a very short time interval, then hastily removed and immediately placed into a container of cold water in order to stop the cooking process.
Do you have to soak homemade French fries?
Soaking the sliced potatoes is the fundamental first step of making proper french fries. The soaking process removes the troublesome starch on the outside of the potato, which will help the fries achieve the perfect crispness.
How long do you blanch fries for?
Working in small batches, fry the potatoes until they go from shiny to matte, 3 to 5 minutes (this is also called blanching). Drain well on paper towels.
What is the difference between diced and cubed?
“Cube” means to cut food into pieces that are even, like a square. The size is usually about the same as the chopped pieces sizes; about 1/3 to 1/2″. “Dice” means to cut food into even, small squares about 1/4″ in diameter. And “mince” means to cut foods into even, very small pieces about 1/8″ in diameter.
How do I cut potatoes into wedges?
How to Cut Potato Wedges
- Wash the potatoes. Wash the potatoes in cold water to remove excess dirt.
- Cut away any potato eyes or buds. The best potato wedges should be free of these growths, which can add an unwanted bitter flavor.
- Cut potatoes in half, lengthwise.
- Cut each half into wedges.
How do you cut potatoes for thin chips?
Wash and peel the potatoes. Then slice them very thin (1/8th inch) using a mandolin slicer or a knife. Place the slices into the cold water and let soak for 15 to 20 minutes. This will remove the starch.
How long can potatoes sit in water before frying?
How long can peeled and cut potatoes sit in water before cooking, before they begin taking on too much water? A: We usually recommend no more than 24 hours. You can keep the potatoes from absorbing the water by making sure the water is not salted, and is chilled (you can even add ice to the water).
How long do you soak potatoes in water?
Give them a cold water bath: Once your potatoes are chopped, toss them into a large bowl. Then cover the potatoes completely with cold water and let them soak for at least 30 minutes (or up to overnight). This will help to rinse off the excess starch and help the potatoes crisp up beautifully in the oven.
Is it OK to Soak potatoes in water overnight?
Don’t soak cut potatoes longer than overnight.
If keeping potatoes in water for more than an hour, refrigerate. However, don’t soak them any longer than overnight—after that, the potatoes start to lose their structure and flavor.
What oil does Mcdonald’s use for fries?
The suppliers we work with first peel, cut and blanche the potatoes. They then dry, partially fry and quickly freeze the fries for our restaurants. Once in our kitchens, we cook them in our canola-blend oil so you can have them crispy and hot—just the way you like them.
Can I deep fry with olive oil?
You Should Deep Fry With Olive Oil
Not only does high-quality extra virgin olive oil stand up to the task of high heat cooking, it also aids in bringing out the flavors of your dish. In many regions around the world, people have been frying with extra virgin olive oil for centuries.