4 Levels of French Fries: Amateur to Food Scientist

[crunch] [sizzling]

[energetic rhythmic music]

I'm Bianca, and I'm a level one chef.

I'm Khadjiah, and I'm a level two chef.

I'm Palak, and I've been a chef for 10 years.

[energetic rhythmic music]

French fries are great

when you're binge watching Netflix with a friend.

You have all of the ingredients you need

to make it a great night.

I like to use russet potatoes.

Like having crinkle cuts,

so I can have a little queso

that's running through the ridges and everything.

My recipe, the potatoes ferment for five days.

They're double fried, it's served with an applesauce.

[charming rhythmic music]

I hate peeling potatoes! [laughs]

And we kinda wanna get all of the skin off.

Sometimes having the skin on potatoes

gives a nice little crunchy texture,

but I do not like it.

Then we'll cut it to make little stringy French fries.

I wanna cut them to about a half-inch thick.

Cut the rounded edges.

No pressure to be perfect, right?

We're gonna put the potatoes in the waters.

All good.

We're gonna use red potatoes.

These are usually sweeter

and they hold up a little bit better in the cooking process.

Want the skin on, scrubbed, no dirt.

We're gonna put 'em on a mandoline.

This things is dangerous, do you see the blades?

That's what you're looking for with the skin on.

The first thing I wanna do

is I wanna wash all the starch off.

This'll help them get nice and crispy.

And dump 'em in clean water.

And we wanna make sure the water

fully covers the potatoes.

We wanna salt the water 'cause

oh, wow.

Heh heh heh, it got stuck.

Ha ha, ha ha.

And then you also add the vinegar.

And we're gonna drain them.

We're gonna shake, shake, shake.

Okay.

And add them to the pot.

The next process is to make the brine.

And it's a simple solution of just water and salt.

Remember science class?

Osmosis?

That's what it is.

It basically means the salt is carried

to the inside of the potato

until it's perfectly salted.

So I'm feeling fancy today,

so we're gonna put some herbs and some parsley

just for a little brightness

and start our fermentation process.

Mystery ingredient, cabbage leaves.

These are gonna help the potatoes stay to the bottom.

And I'll see them a week later.

Have a nice vacation.

We're going to boil these fries

and then we're going to fry them at 375 degrees.

Then we're gonna freeze them

and then we're going to refry them at 400 degrees.

And now we're gonna add some canola oil.

About one inch.

This is the cold oil method.

The oil slowly rises up to temperature.

So you won't overcook your fries.

Fry them for about 40 seconds.

We're just doing this to agitate them just a little bit.

Stay away from that pot!

Okay.

So the fries cook for about 15 minutes.

Looking good, so I'm cooking some fries.

Now we're going to season them with salt and pepper.

Put this in the freezer.

Now whenever you're ready for fries,

you take them out and pop them in for a final fry.

I have a batch that I made five days ago

that's ready to go.

Check this out, it's not a sad fry,

it's just fermented.

The actual structure of the potato changes five days later.

Shake out the excess water.

It's really important to make sure

that these fries are very dry.

Curl the paper towel on itself,

give it a little squeeze.

Our oil has come up to temperature.

Stir it for a bit.

And then allow it to cook for about 30 more minutes.

This method may take a little longer,

but you only have to fry your fries once.

The reason we fry our French fries two times.

The first one is to blanche,

and what that does is to cook the fries from the inside,

and the second, high-temperature cook

is just to get the fry extra crispy.

Double frying.

Now we got the frozen fries.

We're going to put some of the fries on the spider.

Oh!

This oil is at 325 degrees.

Set your timer for five minutes.

Usually takes about three minutes.

Lettin' 'em do their cute little potatoey thing.

It's been five minutes.

First fry is done.

This has made sure that the French fries

are completely cooked in the center.

For the second fry.

This oil is at 375 degrees.

We're only gonna cook for one minute.

Just to get that extra crispiness.

I really love potatoes.

So it's been about 45 minutes.

These fries look ready to go.

Mm.

You know that they're done

when they get a nice golden brown texture.

As soon as fries come out of the fryer,

just hit 'em with a little salt.

I always feel like salt bae,

you got the salt, right?

You don't need a lot of salt

because we brined these fries.

And they're already salted from the inside out.

Gonna get some chili lime seasoning.

Give 'em a nice little sprinkle.

This is our first batch.

I'm gonna fry up some more

and then we're gonna move on to the sauce.

We're gonna make a cheese sauce

that I like to call calypso queso.

Gonna add some butter,

add your tiny onions.

The French fries are pretty pickled

from the fermentation process.

So what we're making now is a curry applesauce.

Carrot gives it a natural sweetness.

And a little bit of celery.

I am gonna put some cream cheese,

some milk.

The spices, starting with tumeric.

This is an Indian spice.

Really good for you.

Putting in the garlic. One clove of garlic.

And I'm also putting in some paprika--

Some smoked paprika. For the seasoning.

You want it to brown a bit.

A little bit of mustard powder.

A pinch of red pepper, just to give a little kick.

[Both] Pinch of salt.

Even up the seasoning just a little bit.

And some brown sugar,

apple cider vinegar,

just to bring out the flavors of the apple.

Let this cook down until the apples get really, really soft.

Almost caramelized, it takes about 20 minutes.

I love sour cream on my fries,

but we're gonna kick it up a notch

and add some hot sauce and lime.

I love spicy food,

so we're just gonna go crazy.

Now we're gonna cut our line.

Arr, squeeze that in there.

Okay, here's my sour cream with hot sauce and lime.

You wanna make sure the cream cheese merges with the milk.

As this is happening,

take your Monterrey Jack and your cheddar.

Flour is gonna help make this sauce thicker.

Add the cheese mixture in.

The apples have been cooking for 20 minutes.

We're just gonna take them off the heat

and puree them with a high-speed blender.

Oh, it's starting to thicken.

What you wanna do is you wanna add some nutmeg.

Also add some allspice.

And here is my calypso queso!

This is our curry applesauce.

It's gonna go great with our French fries.

Perfect!

So now let's get to our toppings.

So we're gonna start off with our sour cream

with hot sauce and lime.

To be honest, you really can't have enough sour cream.

Take out nice matil calypso queso.

♪ Put that on top ♪

♪ Dippity dip, dippity dip ♪

Deh, nyeh.

And then add onions to the top.

I have my curry applesauce.

And I'm gonna top them with some parsley.

Voila.

And now we'll add our cheese,

add our jalapenos.

And last, but not least, the tomatoes.

And here are my nacho fries.

[dramatic thump]

And these are my French fries.

[dramatic thump]

These are my fermented French fries

with curried applesauce.

[dramatic thump]

[eager anticipatory music]

Okay, now we're ready to taste the magic.

[crunching]

Oh my. Mm.

Mm! I'm happy, I'm proud.

Mmhmm. [laughing]

Really tangy.

You know how I know it's good?

Because I'm dancing.

I'm gonna take another bite.

I did this!

I am so happy right now.

I'm just gonna keep on eating.

These are crunchy,

tangy on the inside, sweet.

This is so good, I wouldn't change a thing.

Actually, I think I'm gonna add sour cream

to every one of my meals.

And hot sauce and lime.

When's a good time to eat these fries?

Every day.

You just need a five-day running start.

I recommend eating this when you're sad.

This thing is gonna make you happy.

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French fries come in all shapes, sizes, and textures.

Let's look at how our chefs cut,

fried, and topped their fries.

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The most important attribute

when choosing a potato for frying is the starch content.

Bianca and Khadjiah chose russet potatoes,

which have a high starch content.

Palak chose red skin potatoes,

which have a lower starch content

and higher sugar content,

but could cause the potatoes to burn on the outside

before they are completely cooked on the inside.

While most fried foods are coated

in a starch-based batter or breading,

potatoes contain enough starch

to produce a crispy fry on their own.

When the potatoes are placed in hot frying oil,

the starch absorbs water naturally present in the potatoes,

and the starch swells, creating a fluffy interior.

The starch then forms crosslinks on the exterior of the fry,

which enforces a brittle coating or crust around the fry,

making it crispy.

The high starch content of Bianca and Khadjiah's

russet potatoes can create a crispier French fry

and softer interior.

I'm gonna use my russet potatoes

'cause it's nice, it's tough.

The cut can also optimize the crispiness

and fluffiness of the final fry.

Bianca hand-cut her potatoes into fries

that were about three eighths of an inch thick.

Khadjiah cut her fries into a half-inch thick

crinkle-cut shape.

And Palak cut her fries into a shoestring style.

By increasing the surface area with a thin cut

like Palak did, or by adding grooves and ridges

to the fry with a crinkle-cut like Khadjiah did,

the surface area is greater.

Increased surface area can provide

more exterior contact for the hot oil

to brown the potato and form a crispy crust.

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All of our chefs approached their frying method differently.

Bianca started frying in cold oil

and heated the potatoes and oil simultaneously.

Khadjiah parboiled, fried, froze,

and then refried her French fries.

And Palak fermented and then double fried her French fries.

You can smell a lot of funkiness in here.

That's fermentation at work.

With Bianca's slow-heating method,

she allowed the starch inside the fries to swell

and become fluffy at a slower rate

while also producing a crisp crust.

This is a great method

because you don't need a oil thermometer.

As the oil begins to heat, the starch will swell,

but the pectin, or the plant fiber, remains intact,

which helps the fries keep their structure.

If broken down, fries can become limp.

Because the pectin is deactivated at 170 degrees Fahrenheit,

the slow heating that Bianca employs

can keep the pectin intact for longer,

producing a crisp French fry.

Khadjiah's cooking method began with parboiling.

The vinegar that Khadjiah added to her water

will also slow the breakdown of pectin

like Bianca did with her oil,

maintaining the integrity of the fry when boiled.

The pre-cooking also washes away some of the sugars

that can cause the potatoes to burn during frying.

Khadjiah's initial frying removed

some of the residual moisture

left on the potatoes after parboiling.

Freezing the potatoes converted any leftover moisture

into ice crystals, which evaporated as steam

during the final frying stage,

creating a very fluffy interior.

Palak fermented her potatoes for five days

before double frying them.

She soaked the potatoes in water

with salt, herbs, and cabbage.

In the oxygen depleted storage environment,

the natural bacteria found in the potatoes

converts sugar to lactic acid,

creating an acidified potato.

The fermentation process gave the fries a tangy flavor

and delayed the breakdown of pectin,

allowing the fries to hold up to the high heat of the oil.

The salty brine that was used seasoned them thoroughly.

After drying the fries well,

Palak then fried her potatoes twice.

Her first fry gelatinized the starch inside the potato,

and the second fry created a crisp coating.

Bianca fried her potatoes in canola oil.

Khadjiah used safflower oil.

And Palak chose grapeseed oil.

All of these oils are neutral flavored,

high smoke point oils.

These oils will not add flavor

to the potatoes during cooking,

and can withstand the high temperatures required

to deep fat fry without smoking or burning.

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Each chef chose a different flavor profile

to add to their fries.

Bianca made a lime kerma.

Khadjiah made a homemade queso cheese sauce.

And Palak made curried applesauce.

The acidity in the lime kerma that Bianca used

will help to balance the fatty French fry flavor.

The stark contrast in texture,

a crunchy potato in a creamy sour cream,

will complement each other in the final dish.

Khadjiah used a combination of herbs and spices,

milk, and cheeses to make her queso sauce.

The fattiness from the cheeses

and the oil in the French fries

will yield a very rich and heavy dish.

Palak made a curry-spiced applesauce

to serve alongside her fries.

She cooked apples with carrots, celery, and spices

before pureeing the mixture.

The sweetness from the cooked apples

and the combination of spices

will complement the acidity and starchiness

of the fermented potato fries.

The golden color is from the tumeric.

And that's a consistency you're looking for,

it serves like a ketchup.

Sauces paired with fried foods like French fries

should have a low water activity.

Low water activity means moisture in the sauce

is bound to large molecules.

This binding prevents the water

from passing from the sauce to the French fries.

Khadjiah's queso sauce is high in fat and lower in water.

It will not disrupt the integrity of the French fry crust.

High water activity sauces can make the fries soggy,

dampening the crust's structure.

Bianca's lime kerma has a fairly high water activity.

To avoid sogginess,

the loaded fries should be eaten right away.

Palak made a fruit-based sauce,

which has a very high water activity.

This type of sauce is better suited for dipping

rather than pouring over top of a plate of fries.

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All of our chefs used some uncooked elements

to top their fries, which have a fresh flavor

in contrast to the fatty and starchy French fries.

Bianca topped her fries with cheddar,

tomatoes, and jalapenos.

Khadjiah used red onions.

And Palak used fresh parsley and dill.

Try some of these methods to get great French fries at home.

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