Perfect pomme frites!

wmontanez · August 13, 2012

I have been tasting many potatoes as french fries but I guess I was not using the best method to create the perfect french fry. In my quest to learn how to make Tonkotsu ramen (not related I know!) I stumbled across this website that had a recipe that resemble the ones I had in Japan. Lo and behold the guy also investigated how to make ultra crispy oven roasted potatoes and there it was! How to make pomme frites crispier. Secret is out: pre cooking in salted cool water with ACID (vinegar) added to it.

I made a batch of 5 different potatoes. It does works like a charm not only the frites were crispy outside, they stay crisp for long time, they were soft inside and best of all the color was perfect. I was suppose to double fry them but nah, once was good enough for this test. I having too much browning with the blues but now that I know the science behind it not anymore.

Worth1 · August 13, 2012

Wendy I have double fried my potatoes for years, it makes a word of difference.

Worth

wmontanez · August 13, 2012

Worth, I'll give it a go to double fry in another batch. These were great with just the first fry but on the pale side maybe. Worth do you know if it works the same for sweet potato fries?

Worth1 · August 13, 2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by wmontanez

Worth, I'll give it a go to double fry in another batch. These were great with just the first fry but on the pale side maybe. Worth do you know if it works the same for sweet potato fries?

I have no idea I have only cooked them a few times and I have to do it while my wife is at work.
She doesn't care for me to eat such things and complains about it.

I have to hide the evidence.

I did do sweet potato chips one time and they are to die for.

I saw a guy on the food network slice potatoes flat and oval and boil them a bit.
Then he cooled them off to cold and flash fried them.
They puffed up and were hollow inside, they looked like pillows.
I have never been able to duplicate it.

Worth

wmontanez · August 13, 2012

Yes I know I know. Love fries but not good to eat to much of them. I do however still need to try some blue potatoes, sweet potato and plantain chips at home.

Well since I read about it if the boiling is at 170F or higher the pectin dissolves and then starches get out (you end up with hollow inside) if you want crispy outside and soft inside adding vinegar helps slow down pectin and making a crust when frying instead. I did have some inflate but who cares I was not controlling the temperature too closely. I fried in a wok using peanut oil.

JamesL · August 13, 2012

Wendy,
Internet food god, J Kenji Lopez, deconstructed Mc Donald's fries a few years back.
http://mobile.aht.seriouseats.com/ar...nch-fries.html

wmontanez · August 13, 2012

Yes I read it too.Thanks for posting it.

**mdvpc** · August 13, 2012

Wendy- I wish you hadn't posted that! Thinking about the recipe with some truffle salt!

loeb · August 14, 2012

My grandma always fried frytki as we call here "pommes frites", blanching them before frying in salted water, but no vinegar in it. I have to try it now

I was thinking about adding some vinegar to water when boiling blue/red potatoes, but not in the frites case

Good idea, thanks for sharing

Do you wait until the fries cool down, before frying them the second time? I think that the first frying if it's short boils them, and the thin layer of fried starch prevents water from evaporating.. blanching may do the same thing..

Those "pillow" potatoes have a separate name, I remember that one cook invented this in 19 century, here it is:
"puffed potatoes" - Pommes de Terres Soufflees
http://tinyurl.com/9s9x76e
http://www.foodreference.com/html/pom-souf-21507.html

I know another fried potatoe dish but I have no idea how they make it, I ate that in Slovakia few years ago, potatoe balls deep fried, but they were not starchy, I suppose that the dough was with wheat flour or something else. Yeah, potatoes are really versatile, there are many dishes made of them ..

August 13, 2012	#1
wmontanez Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: MA Posts: 776	Perfect pomme frites! I have been tasting many potatoes as french fries but I guess I was not using the best method to create the perfect french fry. In my quest to learn how to make Tonkotsu ramen (not related I know!) I stumbled across this website that had a recipe that resemble the ones I had in Japan. Lo and behold the guy also investigated how to make ultra crispy oven roasted potatoes and there it was! How to make pomme frites crispier. Secret is out: pre cooking in salted cool water with ACID (vinegar) added to it. I made a batch of 5 different potatoes. It does works like a charm not only the frites were crispy outside, they stay crisp for long time, they were soft inside and best of all the color was perfect. I was suppose to double fry them but nah, once was good enough for this test. I having too much browning with the blues but now that I know the science behind it not anymore. __________________ Wendy

August 13, 2012	#3
wmontanez Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: MA Posts: 776	Worth, I'll give it a go to double fry in another batch. These were great with just the first fry but on the pale side maybe. Worth do you know if it works the same for sweet potato fries? __________________ Wendy Last edited by wmontanez; August 13, 2012 at 06:43 PM.

August 13, 2012	#5
wmontanez Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: MA Posts: 776	Yes I know I know. Love fries but not good to eat to much of them. I do however still need to try some blue potatoes, sweet potato and plantain chips at home. Well since I read about it if the boiling is at 170F or higher the pectin dissolves and then starches get out (you end up with hollow inside) if you want crispy outside and soft inside adding vinegar helps slow down pectin and making a crust when frying instead. I did have some inflate but who cares I was not controlling the temperature too closely. I fried in a wok using peanut oil. __________________ Wendy Last edited by wmontanez; August 13, 2012 at 07:19 PM. Reason: pictures

August 13, 2012	#7
wmontanez Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: MA Posts: 776	Yes I read it too.Thanks for posting it. __________________ Wendy

August 13, 2012	#8
mdvpc Tomatoville® Moderator Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: San Antonio, Texas Posts: 4,386	Wendy- I wish you hadn't posted that! Thinking about the recipe with some truffle salt! __________________ Michael

August 13, 2012	#2
Worth1 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Den of Drunken Fools Posts: 38,539	Wendy I have double fried my potatoes for years, it makes a word of difference. Worth

August 13, 2012	#6
JamesL Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Long Island NY Posts: 1,992	Wendy, Internet food god, J Kenji Lopez, deconstructed Mc Donald's fries a few years back. http://mobile.aht.seriouseats.com/ar...nch-fries.html

August 14, 2012	#9
loeb Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Poland Posts: 251	My grandma always fried frytki as we call here "pommes frites", blanching them before frying in salted water, but no vinegar in it. I have to try it now I was thinking about adding some vinegar to water when boiling blue/red potatoes, but not in the frites case Good idea, thanks for sharing Do you wait until the fries cool down, before frying them the second time? I think that the first frying if it's short boils them, and the thin layer of fried starch prevents water from evaporating.. blanching may do the same thing.. Those "pillow" potatoes have a separate name, I remember that one cook invented this in 19 century, here it is: "puffed potatoes" - Pommes de Terres Soufflees http://tinyurl.com/9s9x76e http://www.foodreference.com/html/pom-souf-21507.html I know another fried potatoe dish but I have no idea how they make it, I ate that in Slovakia few years ago, potatoe balls deep fried, but they were not starchy, I suppose that the dough was with wheat flour or something else. Yeah, potatoes are really versatile, there are many dishes made of them ..