Frites Belgiques
(Belgian Fries) Recipe

Origin: Belgium      Period: Traidtional

Chips (fries) are a classic Belgian dish and you can buy them on every street corner, typically served in conical paper containers with mayonnaise and veiegared mussels. This is the classic Belgian way of cooking chips and though the process is a little involved it does produce the perfect deep fried potato chip.

Ingredients:

Hard vegetable lard (this really does need to be the kind of stuff you buy in bricks)
900g floury potatoes (yes, they really must be 'floury' for this recipe. The following potato types are good: King Edward and Maris Piper and Desiree)
salt

Frites Belgiques
(Belgian Fries) Preparation:

Method:

You really do need a deep fat fryer for this recipe. For crisp fries the steam from the potatoes needs to escape so the fryer should be lidless (but if you have a lidded version just leave the lid open!).

Peel the potatoes then wash them and cut lengthways into even discs of about 6mm in thickness. Take the discs and slice into strips about 6mm thick (discard the curved ends and you will get more even fries). Wash the chips in a sink or large bowl with plenty of water then drain and wash again in clean water. The aim here is to remove all the excess starch, so keep washing until the water no longer becomes cloudy.

Drain over the sink then dry on kitchen towels until the outside of the potatoes are completely dry (water is the enemy of crispness). Now heat the oil in your fryer to 160°C. Cook the chips in small batches until they are done all the way through. Make certain you shake the basked frequently to prevent the chips from sticking. When done the chips should still appear white but you will be able to pinch all the way through a chip with your fingers. This typically can take 15 minutes, but varies. The only way to know for certain is to test.

Remove the first batch of chips and place in a bowl then add the next batch of chips. Allow to cool completely to room temperature before advancing to the next stage of cooking. Now increase the oil temperature to around 185°C (anywhere between 180°C and 190°C will be fine). Put a small amount of the part-cooked chips in the fryer and, shaking the basket all the time, cook until they are a deep golden brown in colour. Transfer to a plate lined with kitchen paper then cook the next batch. Season with fine salt and serve.

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