Encyclopedia
French fried potatoes or
chips are long, narrow pieces of
potato that have been
deep fried. The name is often shortened to
fries in
North America.
Name
Usage
Where "chips" is the common term, "French fries" usually refers to the thin variant. In North America "chips" usually means
potato chips , which are deep-fried thin
slices of potato. In
Australia,
New Zealand and
South Africa, "chips" can mean either potato chips or French fries; French fries are also called "hot chips" or "slap chips" .
Origin
The straightforward explanation of the term "French fried potatoes" is that it means "potatoes fried in the French manner": the verb
fry can mean either sautéing or
deep-fat frying, while
French 'frire' unambiguously means deep frying. Thomas Jefferson, famous for serving French dishes, referred to fried potatoes in this way.
There are other, more speculative theories.
It is sometimes suggested that the verb "to french" originally meant to julienne-cut. But this term refers specifically to trimming the meat off the shanks of chops and is not attested until after "French fried potatoes" had appeared.
Other accounts say that they were once called 'German fries' but the name was changed, perhaps because Germany was the enemy in
WWI and
WWII. But there is no evidence that they were associated with Germans before the wars, either.
The
Belgians are noted for claiming that French fries are Belgian in origin, but have presented no definitive evidence; the French have also been cited as possible creators of the dish, though in France they are often thought of as Belgian; the Belgians are the heaviest consumers of French fries. The Spanish claim that the dish was invented in Spain, the first European country in which the potato appeared via the
New World colonies, and then spread to Belgium which was then under Spanish rule. Whether they were invented in Belgium or Spain, they have become Belgium's national dish, making Belgians their "symbolic" creators in Europe.
History
Many possible claims as to the origin of "French fries" exist.
Many attribute the dish to
France, and offer as evidence a notation by U.S. President
Thomas Jefferson. "Potatoes deep-fried while raw, in small slices" are noted in a manuscript in Thomas Jefferson's hand and the recipe almost certainly comes from his French chef, Honoré Julien. In addition, from 1813 on recipes for what can be described as "French fries" occur in popular American cookbooks. Recipes for fried potatoes in French cookbooks date back at least to Menon's "Les soupers de la cour" . The "Feeding America" Web site, a collection of historical American cookbooks, has recipes for "French fried potatoes" beginning in 1882, "Miss Parloa's New Cook Book." The Food Reference Web site gives as an early reference to the name
French fried potatoes as being in 1894 in
O. Henry's
Rolling Stones, where a comical French detective says "Our countries are great friends. We have given you
Lafayette and French fried potatoes."
During the controversy over
Freedom Fries, French people from around the world repeatedly clarified that the food was actually
Belgian. Belgium itself also lays claim as the "origin" of French Fries. Jo Gerard, a famous Belgian historian, claims to have proof that this recipe for potatoes was already used in 1680, in the area of the Meuse valley between Dinant and Liège, Belgium. The poor inhabitants of this region had the custom of accompanying their meals with small fried fish, but when the river was frozen and they were unable to fish, they cut potatoes lengthwise and fried them in oil to accompany their meals. In 1861, a Belgian entrepreneur named Frits is said to have opened a stand selling this product. He is also said to have given it its own name, frites, which is the French name for the dish in Belgium. Even up to today every village in Belgium has several of these fries stands selling fries as the main dish and, in case something extra is desired, a varied choice of fried meat products to go with it.
The Spanish claim for originating French fries claims the first appearance of the recipe to have been in Galicia, where it was used as an accompaniment for fish dishes, and from which it spread to the rest of the country and then to Belgium.
The British also claim the "Chip" was invented in Yorkshire in the 1700s where it is believed that the potato was cut to the distinctive shape so that they may be lined up between two pieces of bread to make a Chip Butty.
French fries have been widely popularized world-wide by
fast-food chains like
McDonald's and
Burger King. This came about through the introduction of the frozen French fry invented by the
J.R. Simplot Company in the early 1950's. Before the handshake deal between Ray Kroc of McDonald's and Jack Simplot of the J.R. Simplot Company, potatoes were hand-cut and peeled in the restaurants, but the frozen product reduced preparation time and aided the expansion of the McDonald's franchise. One of the few fast-food chains which still prepares fresh potatoes on the premises is
In-N-Out Burger.
Food associations
Besides being a popular snack in themselves, French fries are often the standard accompaniment to other foods:
...
s:
moules-frites.
Variants
French fries have numerous variants, from "thick-cut" to "shoestring", "curly", and "waffle-cut". They can also be coated with breading and
spices to create "seasoned fries", or cut thickly with the skin left on to create "potato wedges" or without the skin to create "steak fries", essentially the American equivalent of the British "chip". Sometimes French fries are cooked in the oven as a final step in the preparation : these are often sold frozen, and are called "oven fries."
In France, the thick-cut fries are called "pommes Pont-Neuf", cut about 10mm square. Thinner variants are "pommes allumettes" , 3-4mm square, "pommes pailles" , somewhat thinner, and "pommes gaufrette" , cross cut. The two-bath technique is standard.
In the British Isles, Australia, and elsewhere, the term
French fries is only used by fast-food restaurants serving narrow-cut fries. Traditional
chips in the United Kingdom are usually cut much thicker, typically between 3/8 and ½ inches square in cross section and cooked twice, making them less crunchy on the outside and fluffier on the inside. Since the surface-to-volume ratio is lower, they have a lower fat content. Chips are part of the popular British takeaway dish
fish and chips. In the UK and Ireland, very few towns or villages are without a chip shop.
According to American culinary celebrity
Alton Brown, Belgian
pommes frites are usually fried in
horse fat. Others maintain that traditionally,
ox fat was used, although now nut oil is usually preferred for health reasons.
Belgian fries must be fried twice, and about 10-13mm thick.
Fries with Mayonnaise is a national dish of Belgium, often eaten without any side orders. Even the smallest Belgian town has a
frietkot .
Boardwalk fries, are brine soaked fresh-cut
potatoes, that are quickly deep-fried in 100% peanut oil, served in paper buckets, sprinkled lightly with
salt and malt
vinegar. Perhaps one of the most famous vendors of boardwalk fries is Thrasher's French Fries of Ocean City, Maryland, founded in 1929 by J.T. Thrasher. Thrasher's fries are often enjoyed with Old Bay crab seasoning, made available at the stand. The term "Boardwalk Fries" was registered by brothers Dave and Fran DiFerdinando as a franchising company trademark in 1982. In 2006, they opened two Boardwalk Fries locations in Baltimore's Oriole Park baseball stadium.
In
Australia,
New Zealand and
South Africa, the word
chips is used for both forms of fried potato; although the phrase
hot chips unambiguously refers to
French fries or
chips.
Cooking
Some home cooks who prepare French fries from scratch cook them a single time in a generous amount of oil pre-heated to a temperature around 375 °F until they are golden and slightly crisp. The method recommended by most cookbooks, and used by many restaurants, especially those reputed to have excellent French fries, cooks them in two stages: first at a temperature at around 350 °F , until the fries are nearly cooked but still limp and pale; then, after they have been removed from the oil and allowed to cool, at a higher temperature, generally around 375 °F , until they are golden and crisp, which normally takes less than a minute. A third method, invented by the celebrated French chef Joël Robuchon for the home cook, is to put the sliced potatoes into a saucepan with just enough cold oil in it to cover the potatoes, then cook them over high heat until golden, stirring occasionally. Frozen French fries are widely available in supermarkets; it is not unheard of for them to be baked instead of fried.
The Belgian way of cooking frites is generally in two stages.
- First fries are 'pre-fried' for about 6 to 10 minutes in oil or – traditionally – beef fat preheated to about 130 to 160 °C, to cook the inner part without burning the outside, while most of the moisture is driven out. Then they are taken out, tossed to avoid clumping, and generally allowed to cool down. This intermediate product can be either frozen for "instant" deep-frying later, or as several batches of "pre-fried" fries prepared for rapid frying and almost simultaneously serving later.
- The second stage involves frying for about two to four minutes in oil or beef fat preheated to 175 to 195 °C . The batches must be small enough relative to the quantity of oil or fat for its preheated temperature to stay sufficiently high already during the first half minute of the frying process. Generally the cook is guided more by the color of the product than by timing ; and by experience with the particular variety of potato. As rule-of-the-thumb one might wait till the fries start to float near the surface. Once more the fries are sturdily tossed and preferably also kind of centrifuged , and shortly tossed again – thus removing excessive fattiness and preventing loss of the outer crispness.
- Ideally, the fries have a golden to gold-brown appearance and a bite through the crispy outside reveals a soft inside. For a given depth of the crispy crust, the balance with the soft cooked potato inside is determined by the thickness; no less than 13 mm traditionally to 10 mm towards the end of the 20th century, before frying, are typical for Belgium. Some restaurants may cut as thin as 5 mm. In a good professional friterie stand, the cut is done in a single action by driving the whole peeled potato standing vertically, through a horizontal raster of crosswise sharp blades. This easily removable and exchangeable set of blades defines the thickness of the frites.
Many frozen French fries have been pre-fried, and can be prepared either by frying or by baking.
A number of outlets in Belgium use animal fat instead of vegetable oil when frying, which gives it a taste much like roast potatoes cooked in the juice with a lamb roast).
Accompaniments
French fries are almost always salted just after cooking. They are then served with a variety of condiments, most notably
tomato sauce,
ketchup,
curry, curry ketchup ,
hot sauce, mayonnaise,
tartar sauce,
tzatziki,
fry sauce, Ranch dressing, barbeque sauce,
gravy,
brown sauce,
honey,
vinegar ,
piccalilli,
pickled cucumber, gherkins, or very small pickled onions.
In the
Netherlands, ,
peanut sauce is also popular . The Dutch also use the word mayonnaise to refer to
frietsaus a thicker, less acidic sauce made specially to accompany French fries . Another interesting combination is
Patatje Oorlog , which is French fries with a variety of sauces, a variety that differs from region to region, and even from one snackbar to another. While it sometimes means mayonnaise , peanut sauce and chopped raw onions, in other places it means the fries are accompanied with all condiments available. Dutch snackbars typically offer at least 8 condiments or combinations of them , but some serve up to 40 different styles. The Dutch eat their fries mostly with the famous Dutch snacks such as the
kroket and
frikandel.
The Dutch vending points are often very similar to the ones in
Belgium, though each country has a few typical accompaniments, else usually different and confusing names for them in an otherwise for the Netherlands and
Flanders common language. There are
pickled herring, beef or horsemeat stews,
goulash, a wide variety of deep fried meats as chicken legs, beef or pork sticks, minced beef and/or pork and/or chicken and/or turkey in all shapes mixed with a dosage of fat and condiments to one's preference, usually factory made. An example of an additional on-the-spot preparation is sometimes in Flanders called
mammoet speciaal , a large
curryworst deep fried and cut so as to put chopped onion in the V-shaped length and dressed with mayonnaise and ketchup.
In the
United Kingdom the traditional accompaniments are salt and malt vinegar. More recently, particularly in the North of
England and
Wales,
gravy and
curry sauce are available from some chip shops. In the north of the United Kingdom including northern England and Scotland, Chips, Cheese and Gravy is a popular dish.
In
Australia, chicken salt is widely used in preference to plain salt.
In
Germany, accompaniments are usually limited to ketchup and mayonnaise. These two are often combined, which is commonly called
Pommes rot-weiß . Although mustard may also be available at the same fast food stand to serve with
Bratwurst, it is used to accompany French Fries less commonly. During
Gerhard Schröder's term, some Germans jokingly referred to a combination of salted French fries with ketchup and a large
Currywurst as
Kanzlerplatte because Schröder was said to prefer this kind of fast food. Other "nicknames" are "Bottroper Platte" , referring to the city of Bottrop in the Ruhr area or "Pommes Schranke" , reffering to the common red and white markings on barriers.
In
Denmark the traditional accompaniment to French fries is remoulade sauce.
In the
Canadian provinces of
Quebec and
New Brunswick, French fries are the main component of a dish called
poutine: a mixture of French fries with fresh
cheese curds, covered with a hot
gravy, optionally with browned ground beef and/or a vegetable such as green peas mixed in. This dish is most popular in Quebec fast food chains such as La Belle Province, and Lafleur Restaurants. A similar variant, Disco fries is found in several
New England cities. In
Newfoundland, Canada 'Newfie Fries' are comprised of French fries topped with turkey stuffing, peas, cheese and gravy.
In the United States, fries are sometimes coated with melted cheese, called
cheese fries. Often this is in combination with
chili. Cheese fries are a staple of
New Jersey diners. Variations of cheese fries include fries covered with melted cheese, usually Cheez Whiz,
mozzarella,
Swiss cheese, or
garlic and cheese fries . The American fast-food restaurants
Checkers and
Rallys serve "fully loaded fries": seasoned fried covered in melted American cheese, ranch dressing and bacon bits.
Mid-Atlantic States often put Old Bay Seasoning on fries. These are sometimes referred to as "beach fries."
In
Utah, and the surrounding area, French fries are often served with
fry sauce, a mixture of spices, mayonnaise, and ketchup.
In the
Pacific Northwest, especially the
Seattle area, fries are often served with tartar sauce, which may sometimes be mixed with
mustard. In California, especially San Diego, french fries are covered with cheese, carne asada, sour cream, and
guacamole. These are called carne asada fries and are served almost exclusively in
taco shops.
In the
Philippines they are often served with a sprinkling of cheese powder.
In
Vietnam, restaurants are usually found serving fries with sugar over a dollop of soft butter.
In
Pakistan, they are served on the street with a mint cilantro sauce, pudina ki chutney.
Health aspects
French fries may contain a large amount of
fat from frying and from some condiments or topping. Some researchers have suggested that the high temperatures used for frying such dishes may have results harmful to health . In the United States about ¼ of
vegetables consumed are prepared as French fries and are believed to contribute to widespread
obesity when trans fats are present. Frying French fries in beef tallow, the traditional but recently discarded McDonald's recipe, adds saturated fat to the diet. Replacing tallow with tropical oils such as
palm oil simply substitutes one saturated fat for another. Replacing tallow with partially hydrogenated oil reduces
cholesterol but adds
trans fat.
Freedom fries
- Full article: Freedom fries
On March 11, 2003, the cafeteria menus in the three
United States House of Representatives office buildings changed the name of
French fries to
freedom fries in a symbolic culinary rebuke of France stemming from anger over that country's opposition to the United States government's invasion of Iraq. As of August 2, 2006, they were back on the menu as
French fries in the United States House of Representatives.
Legal issues
In 1994, the well-known owner of Stringfellows nightclub in
London, Peter Stringfellow, took exception to
McCain Foods' use of the name "Stringfellows" for a brand of long thin French fries and took them to court. He lost the case on the basis that there was no connection in the public mind between the two uses of the name, and therefore McCain's product would not have caused the nightclub to lose any sales .
In June 2004, the
United States Department of Agriculture, with the advisement of a federal district judge from Beaumont, Texas, classified batter-coated French fries as a
vegetable under the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act. Although this move was mostly for trade reasons , this received significant media attention partially due to the documentary
Super Size Me is a 2004 [i] documentary film [i], directed by and starring Morgan Spurlock [i] ...
.
Notes
References
- Paul Bocuse, La Cuisine du marché, Paris, 1992.
External links
