# French Fry Question



## icgsteve (Jan 9, 2008)

I am working on a business plan for a small fast casual comfort food place. I want to do fresh fries. The other fried food on the menu is beer batter fish,  chicken tenders and onion ring. The tender has some parm in breading, the onion ring is cracker meal coated. I plan to have one fryer dedicated for the par cook and one for the final cook. 

The questions: are the other three fried food items going to flavor my oil too much to run fries through that fryer? If so would you need to get a third fryer or would you make do with trying to use one one fryer for the fries and blanching several sheet pans at a time, leave them in a speed rack, and then turn the temp up thus leaving the second fryer for the other items? Also, is putting a little shredded parm in the breading a dumb idea for any reason? I worked in a place where we did an oven fried chicken with parm but I have never tried to put it in the fryer. 

Thank you


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## left4bread (May 8, 2009)

I've never done fresh fries commercially, just to get that out of the way.

The chicken and fish will flavor the oil, in a noticeable way if you are using the fryers commercially.

Also, you'll ostracize vegetarians (and pescetarians) by using the same fryers for everything.

I'd have a fryer dedicated to potatoes and onions, one for fish, and one for chicken.

On a tight budget, I'd have one for fish and one for everything else.

As far as cheese in the chicken; that cheese is going to shorten the life of you fryer oil.  But, y'know, so will the flour on the onion rings.

I'd skip the cheese unless you are sure that it makes your chicken tenders stand out from your competitor's.

Fryers are relatively cheap.  Buy two and play around with them.


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## chefjohn213 (Jun 1, 2011)

We do hand cut fries at my place, and I used this forum to source ideas and recommendations, so I'll share what I ended up with:

We cut 70 ct Idahos 3/8", rinse them in cold water and let them drain for a bit.  Blanch in peanut oil at 250F until fryer starts to "sizzle" (once you do it a few times, you'll see what I mean).  Remove fries to 4" pan, cool, wrap, and refrigerate.  Fries are finished to order right from the refrigerated drawer to 350F fryer until golden brown.  Crispy and creamy.  Works for me.

I also do alot of haddock with beer batter.  Generally try to keep the two seperated - fries in the left frier, fish in the right.  Haven't had any complaints.  Also, I use peanut oil which I think does not absorb the food flavors at much as lighter oils.


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## steelbanger (May 13, 2011)

Blanching your fries prior to cooking is a good idea. You MUST refrigerate them after blanching. Food safety concern. Use one fryer for blanching first, then turn it up for finishing. Use nothing else in that fryer. Use a trans-fat free oil or shortening, and change it often. I know a guy who uses the old oil to run a diesel generator for his food truck... anyway, I digress. Use the other fryer for chicken, and fish if you must, but ideally you'd have one dedicated to fish if you do a lot of it. I'd skip the parmesan. It'll only foul your oil. Try developing a breading you can bake rather than fry. Your customers will love you for it. Try to get out of deep fryer mode, period! Good luck!


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## denis dubiard (Nov 11, 2008)

The type of potato to use is very important for Fries.

The blanching of the potatoes too and its technique is very important. The degree of the Fryer during blanching about 130 C above it can be a bit to fierce below too low. But all that depends on the type of potatoes too. Over here I use Bintje this days.

There are few ways of making very good fries.

I have practice the following using the right kind of potatoes.

Blanching in a steam oven first then dry them and blanching them in the fry

Or blanching them in boiling water, then drying them and blanching them at low temperature.

And the traditional way mostly common blanching them at low temperature first then after plunging them in high temperature.

*Varieties of potatoes for Fries:*

American varieties:

Russet Burbank_:__ so esteemed for its qualities as a French fry that almost all production goes to processing for frozen fries_.

Nooksack: _It has high solids and makes excellent fresh or commercially frozen French fries._

Gem Russet

Yukon Gold

Yellow Finn: an all purpose potato

Norland

Cascade: making it the perfect shape from which to cut fries

Other Floury flesh:

Agria: variety origin Germany

Bintje: variety origin Holland

Manon: variety origin France

Marabel: Origin Germany

Maris Pipers

The Originals

Bleue Belle

"Oeil de Perdrix" King Edward


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## chefbillyb (Feb 8, 2009)

icgsteve said:


> I am working on a business plan for a small fast casual comfort food place. I want to do fresh fries. The other fried food on the menu is beer batter fish, chicken tenders and onion ring. The tender has some parm in breading, the onion ring is cracker meal coated. I plan to have one fryer dedicated for the par cook and one for the final cook.
> 
> The questions: are the other three fried food items going to flavor my oil too much to run fries through that fryer? If so would you need to get a third fryer or would you make do with trying to use one one fryer for the fries and blanching several sheet pans at a time, leave them in a speed rack, and then turn the temp up thus leaving the second fryer for the other items? Also, is putting a little shredded parm in the breading a dumb idea for any reason? I worked in a place where we did an oven fried chicken with parm but I have never tried to put it in the fryer.
> 
> Thank you


IMHO, I would have one fryer for the Fries, if your going through the trouble of making them Fresh cut, then make them the best Fresh cut fries in town.

Cut potatoes and soak in water over night in reach in refer

Blanch cut fries in 300 degree oil until done, but not brown.

Hold fries in refer until needed

Fry blanched fries in 375 degree oil until brown and crispy

By using one fryer for your fries, you could do all your fries in peanut oil. Make this item a signature item in your new Restaurant.

Best of luck with your new venture.................ChefBillyB

P.S. Buttermilk is great to soak/marinate your other fried items, it gives a great foundation for the breading to adhere to


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## denis dubiard (Nov 11, 2008)

the potatoes cut as fry has to be rinced and washed of all starch!

then kept in water over night!.

as for peanut oil it sound an idea never tried that.

and will never do I think. a powerful alergen. and its taste is powerful too.

but then peanut oil may conterfit the project that the gentleman want to do as well as other stuff he want to fry with other fryer.

cost as well as and storages of 2 types of oil. and How fast an oil can be unusable for frying.

 for good fries over in uk and france that was lard the best ingredient!. just in one places seen it done 3 years ago still with lard! by a Kiwi.

remember doing pomme soufflees with lard and a particular type of potatoes the red variety.

as for the fact as oil can be re-used filtered and making Diesel. that is a major point about old oil. I gave mine this year to a shape who did make his own diesel for his van to go surfing with and save money.


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## jelgart (Dec 6, 2011)

you should just designate fryers if you have the money, and try frying your french fries in duck fat no doubt people will be coming back for it you cant beat it


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## colombochute (May 18, 2011)

Denis Dubiard said:


> as for peanut oil it sound an idea never tried that.
> 
> and will never do I think. a powerful alergen. and its taste is powerful too.


Hello Denis,

Peanut oil is virtually allergen-free, provided it has been correctly refined.


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## icgsteve (Jan 9, 2008)

I ended up ditching the fresh fry idea...too much trouble. I am using a Sysco coated fry to good effect.


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## chefedb (Apr 3, 2010)

ChefBillyB.

Have you ever heard of blanching the fries in water then drying thoroughly?  I tried it and it works. I got the idea from a food salesman who told me some of the potato procesors do it this way as a way to save oil and cut cost. Other thing I noticed some fries(like Sysco Stealth Fries) are made from extruded potatoes which are pressed and formed . They taste pretty good for a processed product.   Ah modern technology.


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## nebraskabeef (Nov 8, 2011)

If you have ever been to a five guys burger and fries, what they do with fries is great. in the back they cut the potatoes and soak them. up front they drop them in oil (par cook) then they just sit in this area between the par cook fryer and the finish fryer, still in a fry basket. when they get an order the line cook drops that same basket of par cooked into the finish fryer. No idea what temps, but i know they use peanut oil. I have worked in alot of restaurants and ate my share of fresh cut fries, and to be honest I have never had a better fry than at five guys.


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