When it comes to fries, the options are endless. From sweet to crunchy to hearty, there’s a fry style for every palate.
Shoestring fries are skinny and crispy with a zig-zag shape that adds visual and textural interest. They’re a favorite at fairs and festivals.
Curly fries boast a fun, playful form and are often seasoned after frying, giving them an added pop of flavor. These fries can be found at many fast-food chains and casual eateries.
French Fries
French fries are a staple side dish at restaurants and homes worldwide. They can be served with various condiments, adding flavors and textures to enhance the experience. The most popular type of fries is the standard cut, consisting of fried potato strips until golden brown and crispy. The fry’s signature texture is created by a special alchemy that occurs when the potatoes are cooked, as the starch granules caramelize and expand to form the golden brown exterior we all know and love.
Although they’re named after the country of France, French fries originated in Belgium in the 1600s. This was due to a cold winter that made it difficult for residents to fish in the frozen Meuse River, so they started cutting potatoes into long strips and frying them instead to enjoy with their meal.
The popularity of French fries has expanded to include many classic and inventive variations. Some are cut into various shapes, such as curly fries, which have an irresistible corkscrew shape. These are created using a unique circular cutting technique or a specialized spiral slicer.
Another classic variation is the crinkle cut, which is made by cutting potatoes with a blade that creates a wavy pattern on the surface of each strip. This textured appearance adds visual appeal to a plate of fries, increasing their surface area and helping them crisp up more quickly and evenly.
While they’re often dipped in ketchup or mayonnaise, fries are just as delicious when served plain. They’re an ideal pairing with burgers, sandwiches, and other meat-based entrees. Fries can also be dipped in sauces to add a tangy, sweet, or creamy flavor that complements their crunchy fried texture.
The countless ways in which fries can be prepared and served demonstrate the creativity that exists in the culinary world. Chefs can experiment with new techniques to bring unexpected flavors to this beloved food, such as soaking them in a cabbage brine to give them a pickled tang or placing them on top of hamburgers to emulate a traditional poutine dish.
Crinkly Cut Fries
A defining feature of fries is their shape, and crinkle-cut fries offer more surface area than standard fries for the same volume. This increases the amount of browning they receive and their crispiness. It also creates more crevices to adhere to for salt and dipping sauces. Additionally, the wavy edges of these fries make them easy to grab with your fingers and are easier to eat than long, straight fry sticks.
They can be seasoned in any way you like and are perfect for pairing with various other foods, from hamburgers to sandwiches to soups. A popular combination is cheese fries, which are standard fries topped with melted cheese. The cheese adds a salty, savory flavor to the crispy fries, making them ideal for many dishes.
Another type of crinkle-cut fry is the shoestring fry, which is just as thick as a standard fry but has the width of a pair of scissors. These fries are often seasoned and served with dipping sauces, as they can easily stand up to the richness of a sandwich or entree. They are also a key ingredient in poutine, a Canadian dish combining French fries with cheese curds and gravy.
Crinkle cuts can be made with any potato, but they are particularly popular in restaurants serving burgers and steaks. They can also be seasoned with various ingredients, from black pepper to garlic powder and chili flakes to onion powder. Some restaurants even use a special ketchup flavored with paprika, which adds a tangy sweetness to the fries.
Fries can also be julienned, cutting into long, thin strips that look like matchsticks. These fries are often tossed with seasonings for an extra crispy finish, and some restaurants even offer fries coated in curry or basil. They can also be rolled into balls and covered in a seasoned mixture, such as garlic powder, onion powder, or paprika, for a twist on the traditional fries.
Wedge-Cut Fries
Potato wedges (jojos or oven-baked fries) are a great option if you’re looking for a healthier alternative to French fries. Because they’re baked instead of fried, they’re much less greasy and more nutritious. Plus, they’re super easy to make!
The key to making crispy oven-baked wedges is to cut the potatoes in a specific way. First, halve the potato and then split each halve again to create four pieces. Then, slice each piece into a triangle shape. This gives the fries a crispy edge and leaves plenty of soft potatoes inside.
Another important step is to coat the wedges with a little flour before baking. This helps them brown and crisp up faster in the oven or air fryer. Then, add your desired seasonings to the mix and bake away!
Whether you’re serving them with a juicy burger or as an appetizer, potato wedges are sure to please. They’re easy to prepare, deliciously crunchy, and healthy too. Plus, they’re versatile enough for any meal of the day.
The type of potato you use makes a huge difference in how the fries turn out. Starchy potatoes like russets or Yukon gold are best because they hold up well to long baking times and can withstand frying heat. But waxy varieties, such as King Edward or maris piper potatoes, will also work.
Cavendish Farms Traditional 10-Cut Potato Wedges are made from fresh-cut potatoes lightly coated in a blend of cornstarch and gluten-free flour. They’re low in fat and calories but still taste incredibly delicious. The unique formulation provides better flavor, less oil absorption, and fewer breaks when cooked. They’re perfect for enhancing any menu with the homemade taste customers love. They’re ideal for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or snacking.
Matchstick Fries
There’s no better accompaniment to a juicy burger or crispy chicken sandwich than a seasoned, golden fries. These ultra-thin fries are typically cut using a specialized tool (like this mandoline slicer with a thin julienne setting) and then fried to achieve a perfect crisp. They’re often tossed with salt, white pepper, onion powder, and paprika for a delicious snack. They also make an excellent topping for soups, salads, and other dishes.
Curly fries are a fun spin on the traditional French fry that’s irresistibly charming, thanks to their zig-zag ribbon-like shape. They’re usually sliced from whole potatoes and then shaved or rolled through a spiralizer to create their unique look, and they’re often heavily seasoned for flavor and visual appeal. You can find them at many street fairs and festivals or order a plate when you visit a sit-down restaurant.
Shoestring fries are on the opposite end of the fry spectrum from curly fries, with their slender, delicate texture. They’re also usually cut from whole potatoes and then shaved or rolled through slicing tools like a mandoline to create their distinct look, and they’re often tossed with a simple blend of salts and spices for an extra crispy snack. They’re a good choice for dipping in sauces or coating in homemade condiments like garlic aioli or spicy red bravas sauce.
Matchstick fries are the smallest of all fry shapes and are usually called “chips” in restaurants. They’re most commonly made from potatoes with a high starch content, such as russet and Idaho varieties. They are sliced into uniformly sized pieces that are then parboiled or blanched before frying to ensure they cook evenly. They’re sometimes tossed with herbs or spices like rosemary, thyme, or basil to enhance their natural flavor before frying, or they can be lightly coated in a mixture of flour and cornstarch for an extra crispy coating.
Fries are a classic staple enjoyed worldwide and come in various shapes and styles. The key to making any fry type delicious is choosing the right potato and cutting it into even sizes, which helps the fries cook evenly and develop a crispy exterior. When it comes to frying, choose an oil with a high smoke point so that the fry cooks quickly and doesn’t absorb excess fat. Don’t forget to add seasonings after frying so that the flavor isn’t diluted by over-frying.
