Peter Aitken wrote:

> <DD@chi-town> wrote in message
> ...
>=20
>>I'm getting my wife a deep fryer for Christmas, so that I can make
>>French (Freedom) Fries with it.
>>
>>What is a good recipe for the oil?
>>
>>We've never owned a deep fryer before. How long can you keep the oil
>>before dumping it? Do you need to keep it in the fridge?
>>
>>I loved the old MacDonald's French Fries. I've heard that some sort
>>of pork sauce was an ingredient in their oil before Mulsims
>>complained. Now their fries are rather tasteless. Does anyone have
>>an idea what their recipe was?
>>
>>Alan
>=20
> I heard that McD's used to use beef fat for fries and changed to veg oi=
l due
> to health concerns.=20

They changed due to protest from the wonderfully well-informed public=20
who thinks that all animal fat is a four-letter word.

> One book I read said that horse fat makes the best
> fries,

Perhaps Jeffrey Steingarten's book "The man who ate everything."

> but I do not think it is available at the A&P! For home frying you
> can use essentially any vegegtable oil - canola, peanut, corn, safflowe=
r,
> etc. You can also use shortening (such as Crisco).
>=20
> As for reusing oil, you'll get various opinions. You can certainly use =
it 2
> or 3 times if you filter it and store it in a airtight container betwee=
n
> uses. After that your fries will start to get that "greasy spoon diner"=

> taste.

Greasy spoon diners get that greasy taste because they use the same=20
oil for *weeks* of daily use in fryers that are on all day long.=20
Usually, they don't filter, either.

Oils used for home frying get a tiny fraction of the usage time that=20
restaurants do. The greater issue is rancidifying merely from time=20
passed after being heated. You should be able to get at least a=20
half-dozen uses with filtering and storage in a filled container (less=20
room for oxygen in the container) in a cool, dark place. But the time=20
elapsed between fryings is significant. The longer you go, the fewer=20
uses you'll get. Heating the oils hastens rancidity, so you need to=20
use it before it becomes rancid. Rancid oil won't hurt you - it's not=20
toxic - but it sure doesn't taste good.

> You may already know - best fries require 2 cookings. First you fry ar =
325
> until the potatoes are limp but not brown - 4 or 5 minutes. Then you dr=
ain
> them and set them aside for up to several hours. Just before serving yo=
u fry
> again at 375f until brown and crisp.

The classic technique. And if you cut them into thick slices rather=20
than square cross sections, you get "pommes gonflees" or puffed=20
potatoes where they inflate. Very cool to see and eat.

But here's another thing to think about that I wrote a while back:

"Try something that sounds utterly wrong. I was astounded the first
time I did it. Cut your potatoes about 1.5 cm square and however long
you want. Rinse them in cold water and dry well. Put them into cold
oil. Room temperature oil. Turn the fryer on to 185=B0C. Every now and
again, either gently stir them or shake the basket (if that's how
you're doing them) to move them a bit and let all sides cook.

"I used just enough oil to fully cover since the potatoes shrink as
they give off their water.

"A short while after the oil reaches temperature, the potatoes will be
done. Takes a variable amount of time, but think in terms of maybe 15
to 20 minutes from the time you drop them into the oil, depending on
amounts.

"I read this in a Jeffrey Steingarten book and it sounded silly. Tried
it. The spuds were wonderful. Downside is that you can't do it twice
in succession. Means that you need to make enough the first time around."=


Pastorio