Q. I saw somewhere that said to use citric acid or vinegar in the water so your French fries won’t turn brown. Which one is better to use and how much do you put into the water?
A. Use 1 tablespoon per gallon of water. Either the white wine vinegar or the concentrated lemon juice will work just fine.
Q. This one is from the Doctor himself… It’s time to re-invent the classic potato dishes instead of tossing them out for untried experimentation… Agree or disagree?
A. I see this all the time now. Take the classic French Canadian recipe for Poutine, with French fries topped with cheese curds and gravy. In today’s Chicago Tribune one location features the fresh made fry dish but with the addition of chicken confit and a spicy curry. Another I tasted recently used chicken thighs as the protein. Korean beef has found its way on top of loaded fries, same thing with shredded pork in a tomatillo Verde sauce. Think about substitutes instead of the thick brown gravy usually added to the Poutine. Just this week I was blown away by a version of Poutine that was all vegetarian, using marinated Portobello mushroom strips instead of meat.
And how about a change in presentation by using a cast iron skillet (to help keep the fries and gravy warm) instead of the typical plate?
Yellow Finn Potato Poutine
Idaho® Potato Poutine
Q. How and why should I remove starch from uncooked fries?
A. Because starch will cause the potatoes to clump together and when starch turns to sugar, which happens when potatoes are stored below 40 degrees Fahrenheit, the fries will turn dark before they are fully cooked. You need to strike a careful balance between high and low starch, because low starch can be a culinary disaster. The best way to remove starch is to soak potatoes in water. It’s difficult to remove too much starch—a potato is about 80% water and 20% starch. When you soak cut potato pieces in water, you are only removing the outer surface of the potato.
Q. What percentage of foodservice sales are line flow French fries versus premium extra-long or long fancy French fries? Also, what is the percentage of private label vs. branded frozen fries for foodservice?
A. Unfortunately, these are statistics that I do not know. Each processor keeps their own records and as far as I know it is not accumulated anywhere that an association or board has access to.
Unsubstantiated opinion… line flow far exceeds the volume of premium extra-long and long fancy French fries. I’d be surprised if the top of the line fries had more than 10-15% of the business. There just are not that many big potatoes under each plant when harvested to create a lot of long fries. Bear in mind, that by far the majority of fries end up in foodservice (used to be about 85% versus retail) and that the largest users of frozen fries are McDonald’s, Burger King and Wendy’s. Even Mc Donald’s specs don’t call for all long fries, even though they know that you can use the same amount of potatoes and long fries will look like a bigger portion.
And, I can’t really help with the private label versus branded. However, the brands Simplot, McCain, and Lamb Weston dominate any fry production and the largest users of frozen fries are boxed under the labels of the operator companies… McDonald’s, Burger King and Wendy’s.
The real issue operators need to be aware of when they try to cut costs and not use long or medium size fries is that the shorter pieces and often lower solids also mean more fry oil uptake.
Q. Can you recommend a way to make those ribbon or wavy ribbon or chip twister cut fries?
A. Yes. Start with an Idaho potato if you want them to turn out crisp. I have had operators tell me they swear by the Idaho Russet Burbank variety. It’s a classic, but there are several other Idaho russet varieties that will work just fine. There is lots of machinery out on the market right now; some even go so far as to sell you a franchise. Know that they will sell them to anyone that has money, no exclusives there. I usually don’t recommend one manufacturer over another but I have to tell you, the NEMCO Food equipment Group has been doing this for a while and they make very good quality products. Check out their web site at http://www.nemcofoodequip.com/
Q. What suggestions can you make to include potatoes on the menu at breakfast time besides the usual home fries or hash brown patties? My clientele is bored with plain breakfast choices.
A. You have come to the right place. First of all, think ethnic. Then potatoes can be easily included as an ingredient. Check out this Breakfast Burrito from Scott Hoffman, The Mason Jar Restaurant, SC:
Breakfast Idaho® Potato Boats are another easy option to use up pre-baked potatoes from the last serving period:
And finally, dressed up hash browns:
Q. Please let me where I can get a machine or tool to do fresh crinkle cut fries.
A. Making homemade crinkle cut fries can be very tricky. Do you have a lot of time? This is the old fashioned way to make crinkle cut potatoes from scratch: http://www.amazon.com/Commercial-Crinkle-Garnish-Vegetable-Stainless/dp/B000K7IHDU
Do you have a lot of money? Mighty Fine Burgers and Fries uses a commercial crinkle cut machine in their operations. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0FqrFEKa3l4
These machines are expensive, typically $5,000 for a basic one that crinkle cuts carrots or potatoes to $25,000 for the Mighty Fine version.
