Which Chips (or Fries) Are the Best?

[Ryujin]

Speaking of fries, I had one of these last week at a food fair (pic from Wikipedia).

A tornado potato. It is also AWESOME.

View attachment 412190

Looks like someone ran a potato through an old style apple peeler, like the one I use to make apple chips.

 

[TiQuinn]

Looks like someone ran a potato through an old style apple peeler, like the one I use to make apple chips.

Yep, it's kind of cool watching them make it and fry them in front of you.

 

[schneeland]

You people are making me really hungry.

This thread is generally really good at increasing my appetite for fries (of any kind)

That being said, while I picked steakhouse fries, really most of them are fine (and crinkle-cut used to be the canonical fries for me for a long time because that's what we usually had at home when I was younger).
For some of the options, I'm not sure whether they exist/are served over here. I don't think I ever saw homestyle fries, and certainly nothing that looks like Jo Jos or shoestring fries.

And although they don't really fit the mould, I actually like sweet potato fries if they are deep-fried. If you just put them in the oven, they are IMO rather disappointing.

 

[trappedslider]

This thread caused me to buy some Arby's curly fires at the store

 

[CleverNickName]

This thread caused me to buy some Arby's curly fires at the store

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Honestly, I find it requires some work to go wrong with potatoes.

Oh, sweet summer child…

My freshman year at college, the main cafeteria (the others were all being renovated) served mashed potatoes mixed with pimentos & olives. Served with white or brown gravy, if you asked.

Very unappealing visually.

The chips I got when visiting my Grandmother, made in beef tallow, which always ran the risk of burning down her kitchen, were objectively the best. Skinned potato, soaked in water then thick cut, dried, and into the fryer. Not from frozen. Closest match is the steak fries. But yeah, best chips.

I worked for years to create my own recipe for oven roasted potatoes, but never quite liked the texture of my results. Then I found this recipe from America’s Test Kitchen:

DUCK FAT-ROASTED POTATOES

• 3 ½ pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
• Kosher salt and pepper
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 6 tablespoons duck fat
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary

1. Adjust oven rack to top position, place rimmed baking sheet on rack, and heat oven to 475 degrees.

2. Bring 10 cups water to boil in Dutch oven over high heat. Add potatoes, 1/3 cup salt, and baking soda. Return to boil and cook for 1 minute. Drain potatoes. Return potatoes to pot and place over low heat. Cook, shaking pot occasionally, until surface moisture has evaporated, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Add 5 tablespoons fat and 1 teaspoon salt; mix with rubber spatula until potatoes are coated with thick paste, about 30 seconds.

3. Remove sheet from oven, transfer potatoes to sheet, and spread into even layer. Roast for 15 minutes.

4. Remove sheet from oven. Using thin, sharp, metal spatula, turn potatoes. Roast until golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. While potatoes roast, combine rosemary and remaining 1 tablespoon fat in bowl.

5. Remove sheet from oven. Spoon rosemary-fat mixture over potatoes and turn again. Continue to roast until potatoes are well browned and rosemary is fragrant, 3 to 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

I have personally tried it with rendered beef fat or bacon grease with excellent results. But when I tried using vegetable oils, the textures and flavors- while good- were not AS good. That said, the recipe is “fussy” enough that I don’t cook it often- usually for big family gatherings or holidays.

OTOH, I make some version of potatoes & onions baked under meat at least once a month. (The meat needs to be relatively fatty.)

 

[Thomas Shey]

Oh, sweet summer child…

My freshman year at college, the main cafeteria (the others were all being renovated) served mashed potatoes mixed with pimentos & olives. Served with white or brown gravy, if you asked.

Very unappealing visually.

Note I said "requires some work" not "impossible". Note that combination is not simple.

(Note I'm reasonably willing to nuke a white potato, cut it up, salt and pepper it and eat it.)

View attachment 412389

I used to make a stew very similar to this using a cheddar cheese soup base. It was delicious, but waaaay too calorific for me these days.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Note I said "requires some work" not "impossible". Note that combination is not simple.

(Note I'm reasonably willing to nuke a white potato, cut it up, salt and pepper it and eat it.)

Institutional mashed potatoes are likely made from a commercial instant potato flake, especially in the (unmentioned) context of how bad our food was that year. (VERY.)

So, pour out flakes. Add liquid, olives & pimentos. Mix, cook, serve. (Or possibly mix in the olives & pimentos after cooking- if I’d eaten them, I could probably tell from the texture, but I didn’t, so I can’t.)

 

[Thomas Shey]

Institutional mashed potatoes are likely made from a commercial instant potato flake, especially in the (unmentioned) context of how bad our food was that year. (VERY.)

So, pour out flakes. Add liquid, olives & pimentos. Mix, cook, serve. (Or possibly mix in the olives & pimentos after cooking- if I’d eaten them, I could probably tell from the texture, but I didn’t, so I can’t.)

Its not that the construction was complex; its that the idea was weird and off the wall.

 

[SkidAce]