Perfect Pommes Frites Recipe (French Fries) (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between pomme frites and French fries? ›

Potatoes in French are pommes de terre (or “apples of the earth”) and fried is frite. So just like Americans shorten French fries to fries, French speakers shorten pommes frites to frites. Frites also make an appearance on menus in the US to describe thicker-cut fries in the French or Belgian style.

The main reasons to cut the potatoes and pre-soak in water are: To allow the excess starches and sugars to be removed from the outer surface of the fry strips AND to keep the potatoes from browning prematurely from exposure to air. Covering in water helps the potato from turning a dark color.

French fries migrated to the German-speaking countries during the 19th century. In Germany, they are usually known by the French words pommes frites, or only Pommes or Fritten (derived from the French words, but pronounced as German words).

In the Netherlands, fries are popular as fast food and served in vending points similar to the ones in Belgium. Fries are served with mayonnaise or a lower-fat version called fritessaus (fries sauce), although the latter is often also referred to as mayonnaise.

When a small amount of vinegar is added to the soaking water before frying, it can help impart a tangy flavor to the fries without making them taste overly vinegary. The acid in the vinegar can also help to slightly break down the surface of the potatoes, aiding in the development of a crispier texture during frying.

The soaking, Mr. Nasr said, is the secret to the crisp texture of the fries. It draws out the starch, making them more rigid and less likely to stick together. The cooks fry them twice, first blanching them until slightly limp in peanut oil heated to 325 degrees, and again in 375-degree oil to crisp and brown them.

Fill a large bowl with cold water and stir in 2 tablespoons of salt. Place the sliced potatoes in the salt water and let them soak for 15 to 30 minutes. This will help them bake up crispier. When the potatoes are done soaking, drain them, and dry very well with a towel.

And the clear winners are Idaho or russet potatoes.

These potatoes are dense and have less moisture, which is key to avoiding soggy fries. You can also use Yukon gold potatoes, which are an all-purpose potato that can be used for frying. You should avoid waxy potatoes like red-skinned, new, or fingerling potatoes.

Refined peanut oil is the best oil to use for making french fries. You can also use canola or safflower oil. Additionally, restaurant fries are so crispy because, among other things, they use old oil continuously.

If they are still not crispy you might have skipped a step or you might not have let them cool down sufficiently. Make sure to cool them in a single even layer and also make sure that the oil has the right temperature. Or maybe you've used the wrong potatoes to make them.

What is the secret to good fries? ›

A properly made fry must hit the oil twice--once at a lower temperature, and then again at 350 degrees Fahrenheit--to get the perfect creamy interior and crunchy exterior. Before all that, though, the secret is to briefly poach them in boiling water (or "blanch" them) before they go into the hot oil.

Blanching: The Reason Why French Fries Taste Better

Your potatoes need to take two separate dips in hot oil to reach restaurant quality. Oil-blanching is a two-part process that reduces the moisture and starch content in your fries, helping them crisp up.

Pommes frites, 'pommes' meaning 'apple' and 'frite' meaning 'fries' is the name given to French fries in the French language. Why apple, you may ask. There is no knowing why that particular word came to be associated with the dish but it is universally the name for French fries in Belgium and France.

Frites is the French word for French fries. In English-speaking countries, frites is used on menus to indicate that the fries are prepared in the Belgian or French style.

It derived from the Old French word for "apple": pome (12th century; modern French is pomme), which in turn derived from the Late Latin or Vulgar Latin word poma "apple", originally the plural of Latin pomum "fruit", later "apple".

Short for pommes de terre frites “fried potatoes”