It’s National French Fry Day! A good fry can be hard to find unless you are at home making it yourself. Too many times I have gotten fries that are soggy or even the opposite and so crunchy they are hard to eat. Don’t get me wrong, I love the little crunchies that are crisp to the core, but sometimes they go too far and end up rock hard. The perfect fry has a crisp bite to the outside while still being soft in the middle. Yum! First, let’s talk just how the fry started.

It is actually thought the Belgians were the first to fry potatoes in oil sometime in the late 17th century. It was known they fried small fish in lard to eat it. It was believed that in the harsh winter months when the ice was too thick for fishing, they fried thin slices of potatoes instead. The Spanish controlled much of Belgium and they carried the potato and how to cook it back to Spain and Italy. However at the time, potatoes grown in Spain and Italy were small and bitter and didn’t grow well in the soil so they really didn’t gain any popularity for years.

Now, the French. Did you know that in France they didn’t even consider eating potatoes in the early days? They didn’t consider it a food source fit for humans and only fed it to hogs in their early years. In fact, in 1748, the French Parliament actually banned the potato all together because they believed it caused leprosy! How crazy is that? Eventually, it was discovered that they were edible for humans as well, but it took the famine in 1785 for them to actually take off.

Once they became common though, their popularity skyrocketed in France. They even started growing potatoes in the royal gardens at Tuileries, where the gardens were converted into potato fields. Sometime in the 18th century, the French either invented or learned to make fries depending on who you talk to. Once discovered French fries became extremely popular in France, particularly in Paris, where they were sold by push-cart vendors on the streets and called “frites”.

Whether you believe the Belgians or French created the French fry, the French are definitely the ones who introduced them to America. It was then Americans who made them fast food items in chain restaurants and eventually popularly introduced them to the rest of the non-European world as “French fries”. Ironically, because of this latter spread by American fast food chains, in many parts of the non-European world, “French fries” are more often than not known as “American fries”.

Fun Facts: In most of the English speaking world, thin cut and thick cut fries are called two different things, fries and chips, respectively. In North America, it is typical to simply call them all French fries and, when they are distinguished, it is usually just by adding an adjective, rather than using a completely different word: i.e. steak fries (chips), French fries, curly fries, etc.

Burger King’s French fries (and probably McDonald’s too if we are being honest) are sprayed with a sugar solution just before being packaged and shipped to the various franchise locations. This produces the golden color through caramelization of the sugar when it is fried.

Popular condiments to dip French fries in varies quite a bit from country to country. In America, ketchup is typically the dip of choice for French fries. In certain parts of Europe, mayonnaise is king. The British tend to favor malt vinegar for drizzling or sprinkling over their fries. The French themselves tend to just eat the fries straight as often as not. I don’t like salt on my fries at all and like to dip them in Ranch or gravy depending on my mood, but I also like Red Robin’s campfire sauce which is a combination of mayo and barbecue sauce!

The slang term for potato, “spud”, comes from the spade-like tool that is used to harvest the potatoes.

On average, each American eats 30 pounds of French fries each year! Good thing they are easy to grow!

Two things before we start. One-peel, wash and slice your potatoes and then soak them in water for at least 3 hours or overnight if possible. This removes the extra starch from the potato and bonus, it helps keep them from sticking together when frying. Two-at least once, please give double frying a shot. This crisps the fries in a way that single frying just can’t do, but it does take more time.

Technically, French fries must be fried. I am not a fan of frying very many things, so I am going to go outside tradition and give you a baked recipe as well. I must admit though, fries just aren’t quite the same when they aren’t fried. Bust out the potatoes this weekend and season to taste, I like to use Head Country to season mine instead of regular salt. Then meet me in the kitchen for French fries!

Crispy French Fries

Russet potatoes-how many is going to depend on how many you are feeding and how many you really want.

Vegetable oil (for frying)

Seasoning as desired (I like seasoning salts like Head Country or Lawry’s)

Peel potatoes and slice into 1/4-1/2 inch fries. The more uniform they are, the better they will fry up consistently. Dad has a French fry slicer that slices the whole potato at once in uniform squares. It is a good investment if you can find a good metal one that has no plastic on it. Once sliced, place potato sticks into a bowl of water, make sure water covers the potatoes and let soak refrigerated for 3-4 hours at least. Soaking pulls the extra starch out of the potato which helps the crunch factor. Heat oil to 350°F. Line a large baking sheet with paper towels. Add potatoes and cook about 5 minutes, turning occasionally, or until the fries turn a light blond color. How many potatoes you can cook at once depends on the fryer or pan you are using and how many potatoes you are preparing. You may need to fry in several batches. Remove potatoes and place on prepared baking sheet. Repeat as necessary. Let cool. If you are making a lot of potatoes, by the time the last batch is done, the first batch will be ready for the second fry. From here you have options. You can refrigerate and use for dinner in a day or two. You can freeze in an air tight container for up to three months. Or you can just fry them up and eat them now. Heat oil to 425°F. Add potatoes and cook until golden brown, about 5-8 minutes. Remove from oil and drain on paper towels. Season as desired while hot.

Poutine

Vegetable oil (for frying)

10.5oz beef gravy, more or less to taste

5 medium potatoes, cut into fries

2 cups cheese curds (These are not always available. If necessary, replace with mozzarella.)

Heat oil in a deep fryer or deep heavy skillet to 365°F. Warm gravy in saucepan or microwave. Place the fries into the hot oil, and cook as desired, but at least 5 minutes. Remove to a paper towel lined plate to drain. Place the fries on a serving platter, and sprinkle the cheese over them. Ladle gravy over the fries and cheese, and serve immediately. Tip: add meat to it like ground beef or shredded chicken and this side dish becomes a full dinner all in one!

Crispy Sweet Potato Fries

2 sweet potatoes (about a pound)

1/2 cup cornstarch

6 Tbsps. club soda (or cold water)

Canola or vegetable oil for frying

Salt or other seasoning to taste

Wash and peel your sweet potatoes. Cut into 1/4 - 1/2 inch thick fries, I usually stick closer to the 1/4 inch side. In a large colander, rinse the potatoes for about 10-15 seconds under cold water. Dry with paper towels or a clean dish cloth you don't mind turning slightly orange. Mix the cornstarch with the club soda to make a slurry in a large bowl or large sandwich baggie. Add sweet potatoes and toss to coat. Heat your oil to 330-350°F. The hotter you make it the quicker they will cook, so if you went with the thicker cut, keep the heat a little lower. Add the fries 1 at a time so they don't stick together, but make sure you don't overcrowd your pan. Each time you do another round of potatoes toss the potatoes in the slurry again to prevent the cornstarch from settling. This should only take a few seconds and is even easier if you have a sandwich baggie you can just flip upside down a few times and shake. Fry for 1-2 minutes (no browning yet) and drain on a brown paper bag. Once all the fries are done with their first dip in the oil, start the second round of frying. Fry them the second time for an additional 1-2 minutes, until they're browned and crispy. Season while hot with salt and any other flavorings you want. Old bay seasoning is popular or even a Cajun blend.

Recipe from dinnerthendessert.com .

Oven Baked Fries

2 russet potatoes

1-2 Tbsps. Olive oil

Seasoning of choice

2-3 Tbsps. grated parmesan

Peel potatoes and slice into 1/4-1/2 inch fries. The more uniform they are, the better they will fry up consistently. Once sliced, place potato sticks into a bowl of water, make sure water covers the potatoes and let soak refrigerated for 3-4 hours at least. After the fries have soaked, drain, rinse, and lay the fries on a paper towel lined cooling rack to dry while you preheat the oven to 400°F. Blot the tops with additional paper towels to absorb any excess moisture. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil sprayed with cooking spray. Dry the bowl well. Add the potatoes to it, add 1-2 Tbsps. of oil and 1/2 – 1 Tbsp. seasoning to taste. Toss around to mix well. Line the baking pan with the fries in a single layer. Don’t overlap or they fries won’t cook properly. Bake for 15 minutes. Flip potatoes with a spatula and return to oven for another 15 minutes. Increase heat to 425° and continue baking until the edges look a little burnt, about 7-12 minutes. Sprinkle the fries with more seasoning if desired and Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.

Recipe adapted from layersofhappiness.com

Nacho Fries

The great thing about this recipe is that you can ‘load’ with anything you really want to. Do you have pulled pork left over from a cookout? Maybe you have leftover turkey or ham? Use it to turn fries from a side dish to the main course!

You can either prepare your own fries using a recipe above or buy your favorite frozen variety.

Ground beef

Small onion, diced

Taco seasoning

Peppers if desired

Mexican blend cheese (or Italian or cheddar or whatever you are in the mood for!)

Chives, tomatoes, jalapenos etc. for topping

Prepare fries as directed. While your fries are cooking, brown ground beef with onion. Drain and add peppers. Cook for another 6 minutes. Line baking sheet with parchment paper and preheat oven to 375°F. When fries are ready, season as desired and place in a single layer on prepared baking sheet. Top with ground beef and cheese. Bake for 5 minutes or until cheese is melted. Remove from oven and top with chives, tomato and jalapenos if desired. Serve directly from the baking sheet.

Apple Fries

3/4 cup milk

1 large egg

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1/3 cup plus 2 tbsp. sugar, divided

4 tsps. ground cinnamon, divided

1/4 tsp. salt

2 cup (more or less depending on the pan you use) vegetable oil, for frying

3 large apples, cored and peeled

Caramel sauce, warmed, for dipping

For the batter, combine milk, egg, flour, baking powder, 2 Tbsps. sugar, 1 tsp cinnamon, and salt in a large mixing bowl, stirring until all of the large clumps are broken up. Set aside. In a small bowl, combine remaining 1/3 cup sugar with remaining 3 teaspoons cinnamon for dusting the finished apple fries. Set aside. Pour about 1" vegetable oil into a skillet over medium-high heat. Slice apples into small wedges, about 1/2" thick. Using tongs, dip each apple slice into the batter, then gently lower into the oil. Once the edges of the apple slices are lightly golden, use the tongs to gently flip and cook the other side, about 1 minute more. Remove apple fries from oil, one at a time, and place on a plate lined with paper towels to drain excess grease. Sprinkle both sides with the cinnamon-sugar blend and serve with caramel for dipping.

Recipe adapted from delish.com .