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Recipe: Homemade French Fries

By
Real Estate Agent with CATARRA CA BRE# 01871201

My first real job was working in a local Drive Inn in the small town in South East Idaho I grew up in.  Recently, one of my Drive Inn coworkers reached out via Facebook.  I love Facebook and the ability to catch up with people you have not seen in years.  

This reconnection got me thinking that I have not made homemade french fries in a while.  I learned how to make great french fries working at the local Drive Inn.  The secret to great french fries are good potatoes plus knowing how to prep the potatoes for frying.   You also need clean, hot vegetable oil for frying.  I know that duck fat is all the rage for frying french fries these days, but this is an old school recipe!  

The main ingredients are potatoes, vegetable oil and salt.  What makes french fries great is what you do to them before they hit the fryer.

The potatoes need to be cut up and then placed in ice cold water to remove the excess starch.  The next step is to dry them off one batch at a time with a clean cotton dish towel.  You need make sure there is no water on the potatoes.  

Next you blanch them.  Which is that you deep fry them until they start to become translucent but not brown. You then pull them back out of the oil and let them set for about 2 or 3 minutes and then plunge them in the oil again until they are golden brown.  Place on paper towel on a plate and salt to taste.  They are so good!

 

3 C vegetable oil

3 large Idaho potatoes

Salt to taste

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Comments (14)

Harry Logan
RE/MAX executives realty - Winnipeg, MB
Your Satisfaction is Guaranteed!

Thanks for the tips Carla!  I'll be sure to try them the next time we make homemade frys.

Jul 12, 2010 07:37 PM
Carla Dimond
CATARRA - Mountain View, CA
(Silicon Valley)

Harry, the ice water and cotton towel are really important

Jul 12, 2010 07:40 PM
Rick Irving
My Texas Home Real Estate - Fort Worth, TX
Rick Irving Knows Real Estate

Carla, Good tip. I have read the book, Behind the Golden Arches, about McDonald's and they explain how McDonald's has spent millions on developing the art of cooking french fries. I will try to cook our next batch the way you cook yours. Nothing is better than good french fries.
Thanks for your post.

Rick

Jul 12, 2010 10:48 PM
Valerie Baker
Exit Real Estate Professionals - Spokane, WA
Spokane Realtor

I think I may just have to try this!  (and hope it doesn't work for my diet's sake!)  I am sure your old Idaho friends are happy that you are still loyal to the potatoes! :) 

Jul 13, 2010 04:08 AM
Anonymous
Peggy

Carla,

I am surprised you remembered the whole process!  We used to make a tub of blanched potatoes (fries) and put them in the cooler until we needed them later that day.  We went through several pounds of potatoes.  But, the one thing your California friends may not know about unless they have visited the Utah or Idaho area is the fry sauce and or while sauce.  The fry sauce was make of mayonaisse and ketchup.  The white sauce, which was probably even more popular was made with buttermilk and mayonaisse.  We also squirted the while sauce on the burgers! There are secrets that go into good drive-in restaurant food. 

Jul 13, 2010 02:30 PM
#5
Carla Dimond
CATARRA - Mountain View, CA
(Silicon Valley)

@Peggy, LOL on the fry sauce as my son who loves my french fries also loves the fry sauce, most people find it to be such a strange thing.  I still order mayonaise with my fries and make my own fry sauce:-)

Jul 13, 2010 04:49 PM
Carla Dimond
CATARRA - Mountain View, CA
(Silicon Valley)

@Rick, let me know you they work for you

Jul 13, 2010 04:49 PM
Carla Dimond
CATARRA - Mountain View, CA
(Silicon Valley)

Valerie, I got some great feedback from Idaho that I remembered the recipe correctly.  I hope you enjoy them!

Jul 13, 2010 04:50 PM
Ron and Alexandra Seigel
Napa Consultants - Carpinteria, CA
Luxury Real Estate Branding, Marketing & Strategy

Carla,

Thanks for the tips, now I am getting hungry and it is bed time.  LOL.  Have a great week.

Jul 13, 2010 05:50 PM
Carla Dimond
CATARRA - Mountain View, CA
(Silicon Valley)

Ron & Alexandra,

Sleep tight but try making french fries tomorrow:-)

 

Carla

Jul 13, 2010 05:56 PM
Randy DeLaMare
Realtypath LLC - Salt Lake City, UT
Helping friends Realize their Real Estate Dreams

Ok my mouth is watering. Love good French Fries. Thanks for all of he tips. And which small Idaho town drive in did you work at?

Jul 19, 2010 04:55 PM
Carla Dimond
CATARRA - Mountain View, CA
(Silicon Valley)

Randy, I grew up in Montpelier, ID (just over the UT border) and I worked at Neeley's Drive Inn

Jul 20, 2010 11:34 AM
San Antonio Texas New Homes for Sale
www.sanantoniotexasnewhomesforsale.com - San Antonio, TX
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Hill Country

Carla....Neat recipe for a simple French Fry...Just saw a Belgium Restaurant do almost the same recipe/technique

Jan 19, 2011 04:54 AM
Carla Dimond
CATARRA - Mountain View, CA
(Silicon Valley)

@Robert, love the sea creatures:-)

Jan 19, 2011 11:38 AM