Potatoes are a wonderful thing, this is a well-known truth. And among the most delicious ways to prepare it is frying thin slices in fat or boiling vegetable oil and French fries. It is served in restaurants of all levels and cuisines, and practical fast food is simply based on it.
However, it is not at all difficult to spoil the taste of French fries, and the surest way in this direction is to use stale oil. Potatoes have the ability to readily absorb foreign odors, so they easily absorb the aromas of everything that was fried in oil before.
We can confidently achieve a pure taste for French fries if we prepare them at home ourselves and use fresh and pure vegetable oil.
French fries at home in a frying pan
Let's look at the first method of cooking potatoes. We will use a frying pan for frying. Quite a popular dishware that every housewife will probably have. All that remains is to study the whole process and you can safely begin.
We will need:
- Potatoes - 4-5 pcs.
- Vegetable oil - 1/2 cup
- Salt - to taste
Preparation:
1. Let's start preparing the potatoes. We peel the tubers and then rinse them thoroughly.
Please note that all “eyes” and any rot that appears must be cut off as deeply as possible. So as not to spoil the appearance of our dish.
2. The vegetable must be cut into cubes. Try to keep the pieces the same size. Otherwise, one of the slices will reach readiness much faster.
Be sure to rinse the cut potatoes under cold running water. This way we will wash off the remaining starch. And we will protect it from the appearance of a black crust on the surface.
The prepared vegetable must be dried. Place the slices on a cloth towel until completely dry.
3. At this time, you can begin the next process - preparing vegetable oil. Take the frying pan and immediately make sure that it is wiped dry. Then pour in the oil and put it on the fire, heat it well.
Then drop the cut slices into the heated oil in small portions. Do not throw vegetables under any circumstances. Be extremely careful...
Take a slotted spoon and when a golden crust appears, feel free to turn the potatoes over to the opposite side.
If the potatoes start to burn or fry very quickly, reduce the heat to medium.
We will fry the vegetable until a homogeneous, golden crust forms. That is, we twist the slices from side to side until a golden color appears.
It is preferable to place the fried slices on a paper napkin. This way we will get rid of excess oil.
Now transfer the fries to a platter. Pour the sauce into small plates and serve. And don't forget about fresh herbs. Which will perfectly complement the appearance of your dish.
The most delicious recipe for French fries in the oven
How sometimes you want something tasty and harmful. What if you prepare this unhealthy dish a little differently and make it healthier. This is the recipe we will talk about now. We will prepare the same potatoes for you. But instead of frying in oil, we’ll do it in the oven.
By the way, to make the dish spicy and very aromatic, we’ll add a whole bunch of spices to it. And one of them will be garlic, without which most dishes cannot do.
We will need:
- Potatoes - 4-5 pcs.
- Garlic - 2 cloves
- Ground paprika - 1 tbsp
- Salt - 1 tbsp
- Vegetable oil - 3 tablespoons
Preparation:
1. Well, let's start preparing the potatoes. Let's peel the vegetable, and then start slicing. Try to choose tubers that are more uniform in size. This will make your work much easier when slicing.
We will cut the potatoes into slices. After cutting, be sure to wash it and dry it on a cloth towel. This way we will get rid of excess liquid.
2. Next, marinate the cut slices in a bouquet of seasonings. For this process we will need quite deep dishes. Pour all the seasonings into it: salt and ground paprika.
Before use, garlic should be peeled and passed through a press. You can immediately add it to the bowl with the rest of the spices.
Next, add vegetable oil and mix the resulting mixture thoroughly.
Then add the chopped potatoes to the spices. Mix everything again, you can soak the slices in this mixture for a little while. So to speak, for the marinating process.
3. Now line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Then carefully lay out all the potatoes. Spread it evenly over the entire sheet. Try to maintain distance between the slices. So that during the cooking process our food acquires an even, golden color.
Now we can safely put the potatoes in the oven. Only first it needs to be heated to 200 degrees. Baking time for our slices is 20 minutes. After this time, taste the vegetable. If the slices are not yet ready, you should increase the cooking time.
We got such delicious fries. It's time to serve it to the table. I think all family members will be happy with this dish.
How to make French fries in the microwave?
The microwave has long become an indispensable assistant in every kitchen. Modern housewives have learned to cook porridge, biscuits and even homemade preparations in it. To make fries in the microwave, prepare:
- 0.5 kg of potatoes.
- Salt and other seasonings.
- 20–30 g refined oil.
- Peel the potatoes and chop them into large strips.
- On a microwave-safe plate, place the potato wedges in a single layer.
- Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with salt.
- Place the plate in the microwave and turn it on at full power, set the timer for 7-10 minutes.
- After a characteristic signal, you can enjoy the dish.
Recipe for making fries like at McDonald's
Remember these delicious potatoes in the most famous McDonald's cafe. Do you want to learn how to cook it yourself? I suggest doing this right now. The recipe is not at all complicated, but you still have to follow some recommendations. For example, to fry fries, we need a large amount of oil. These seem to be not complicated, but very important points in cooking should be observed.
We will need:
- Potatoes - 3 pcs.
- Sunflower oil - for frying
- Salt
Preparation:
1. Let's start peeling the potatoes. Try to choose tougher tubers for fries. So that the slices turn out crispy during frying. Cut the peeled vegetable into circles. The thickness of each plate must match the previous one.
2. Prepared circles cut into slices. And in this case, we monitor the size of our semi-finished product.
Now rinse the slices under cold water. First place the potatoes on a sieve. Afterwards we dry it with a cloth or paper towel.
Prepared potato wedges can be fried in oil. To do this, take a fairly deep saucepan or saucepan. Pour a large amount of vegetable oil into it. So that the fries don’t just lie there, but actually “float”. Next, heat it thoroughly.
You can check the readiness of the oil with the same vegetable. Place one of the slices in the dish, if it immediately starts to sizzle, then you can begin the frying process.
We will fry the fries over medium heat until golden brown. Remove the fried potatoes using a slotted spoon and place them on a plate. By the way, it is preferable to cover the plate with a paper towel or napkin.
Salt the fries right before serving. By the way, you can also use your favorite spices. If you did everything properly, then your food will certainly turn out like at McDonald's. Bon appetit!
A few secrets
How to cook French fries at home so that they turn out really tasty? To do this, you need to follow some rules.
- Place the potatoes in cold water for a while - then they will not crumble, since excess starch will leave the tubers.
- Wipe the pieces with a paper towel to ensure the dish is crispy.
- Do not allow any moisture to remain on the food being deep-fried.
- You can use any oil (sunflower, olive, corn, etc.), but it must be refined. Remember: the flavor of the dish will depend on which deep fryer you choose.
- There should be 4 times more oil than potatoes.
- Deep frying must be heated to 180 degrees.
- The oil cannot be reused.
- You need to salt the cubes already in the plate.
- After cooking, place the potatoes in a colander to drain off excess oil.
- It is good to fry the cubes in a special container - a deep fryer equipped with a mesh. Potatoes are placed on it and lowered into oil. When the bars are fried, the mesh should be removed and allowed to drain. If you don't have a deep fryer, use any deep dish that can be placed on the stove.
Cooking French fries in a slow cooker
And we simply could not ignore our electric assistant. I suggest considering the recipe in a slow cooker. Yes, yes, and this electrical appliance for frying potatoes will do. The main thing is to set the correct mode, and the rest is a matter of technique. Well, let's get started...
We will need:
- Potato
- Vegetable oil
Preparation:
1. In this case, I suggest starting frying immediately. I think everything is already clear with peeling and preparing potatoes. The tubers must be chosen to be tough, and the cutting should be the same. And before frying, the cut slices should be rinsed from starch and dried well; these are mandatory conditions.
Well, now let’s move directly to our electrical appliance. Pour vegetable oil into the multicooker bowl. The volume of oil should be no more than half of the dish.
2. Now we set the mode we need: multicook, 170 degrees, 40 minutes. We do not close the lid during the heating process. Otherwise, condensation will form on the surface of the lid, which will later end up in the oil itself.
While the oil is heating up, prepare a sieve for the multicooker. Usually it comes directly with the kit. If you do not have such an accessory, you can use a regular slotted spoon.
3. Next, drop the cut pieces of fries into the heated oil. Fry them until golden brown.
Place the fried slices on a paper towel. Then lightly sprinkle with salt and serve. Fresh vegetables can be served as an additional dish. And of course, don’t forget about the sauce, a rather important attribute when serving this dish.
Potatoes are one of the best delicacies
There is no need to spend a long time preparing this dish, especially if you have deep fryer on hand. This dish should only be eaten hot. If it cools down, even the reheated one will not become so tasty.
Homemade French fries, the photo of which we presented, look very appetizing. She is a wonderful decoration for any table, be it a birthday or New Year's celebration. These potatoes are prepared just before serving.
Potatoes prepared in any way cannot be called a dietary product. But if you do it yourself, you can reduce at least the amount of carcinogens that are formed as a result of frying. Indeed, in most catering establishments they do not even think about changing frying oil in a timely manner.
Potatoes are not a completely harmful product. Those who are on a diet should avoid it, since this vegetable contains a large amount of calories. Other people can get a whole range of vitamins and nutrients from the product. Among them:
- Potassium.
- Iron.
- Magnesium.
- Iodine.
- B vitamins.
- Ascorbic acid.
During heat treatment, the amount of useful substances in potatoes tends to zero, but some remain. To create the most delicious and healthy French fries, you should choose only fresh vegetables. Having been previously frozen, it will not be as tasty. In addition, when freezing, a number of chemicals are often used that are not very beneficial for the human body. To avoid the appearance of carcinogens, when cooking, you need to take into account that the oil must be changed. And it’s worth remembering that French fries are a delicacy. You don't need to eat it often.
How to freeze French fries at home
I suggest preparing the fries in advance, but we will fry them a little later. Agree, it’s very convenient to have such a wonderful preparation in the house. So let's say a quick option. Pour a handful of potatoes into the boiling oil and the side dish is ready. There is no need to waste time peeling and slicing vegetables. Naturally, to achieve such a result, you will need to initially try. This is exactly what we will do now.
We will need:
- Potato
- Vegetable oil
Preparation:
1. Of course, the first thing we will do is prepare the potatoes. Peel the tubers. Next, cut the peeled vegetables into cubes. Observe the size of the cut potatoes.
When freezing fries, it is advisable to choose potato varieties with the lowest sugar content.
The prepared slices must be thoroughly washed after cutting. To get rid of excess starch. And of course dry it. Place a cloth or paper towel on the table and place potato wedges on top in a single layer.
2. We proceed to the next process - blanching. At this stage, we must subject the prepared vegetable to a short heat treatment. We will do this as follows: lower the potatoes into boiling oil for 1-2 minutes, immediately remove and cool.
We kindly ask you not to overcook the potatoes in deep frying. Otherwise, it may be overcooked, and there will be no point in storing such fries.
3. After deep-frying, cool the potatoes. To do this, place it in a bowl in one layer. Do not place slices on top of each other under any circumstances. For cooling, it is advisable to choose a cooler place to speed up the process.
Now place the cooled slices in a dry bowl. Cover it with cling film first. Cover the top with the same film and put it in the freezer for 6-7 hours. After a specified time, take out the fries, put them in a plastic bag and put them back in the freezer for storage.
Everything is ready, now, as needed, we take the fries out of the freezer and bring them to readiness. It should be fried in the most classic way, in a large amount of oil, until golden brown.
By the way, potatoes that have gone through the blanching process reach readiness much faster than raw ones. So there are advantages to this cooking method.
