Sign me up for old fashioned Church style bleenies. Not enough of those places around but if there were...
A huge mistake is made in all these discussions about “french fries”: they are not french at all: the French have no clue how to make them. They actually are Belgian. The French make fun of us all the time because they are jealous about our unique skill. So please, give us credit and call them appropriately Belgian fries.
4
Weird, McDonalds fries (chips) *are* shoestring, so they apparently come in both 10th and 1st. KFC Chips are the best, but I have no idea what style they are - they're just normal. Whatever they sell at 5 Guys in Kapolei is the best in the US.
1
I was literally ecstatic at the #1 and #2 rankings here. Well done.
1
Just to set the record straight. McDonalds does cook their potatoes twice. They par cook them at the plant. They freeze them and they are cooked a second time at the restaurant. The best fries I have ever had was in Belgium and they use Bintje potatoes not Russets. They along with the process make the best fries.
Bill Sides
1
Nathan's. At Coney Island. From the bag with two pumps of ketchup. End of discussion.
3
Thank goodness someone has finally laid down the law on the FF. Now we can get down to some serious culinary debates, like when is ketchup OK on a hot-dog... answer, if you are over 7 years old, NEVER.
2
For those who are interested in frying their own French Fries, I found these two articles for professional cooks on the web. They categorically state that the potatoes should be blanched before frying. They advocate putting the potatoes into boiling water and blanching for 14 minutes, 30 seconds, and drying them before frying twice: the first fry at a lower heat than the finishing fry. Their goal is to produce a french fry that is good to eat when it is cold.
http://cookingissues.com/2010/04/27/the-quest-for-french-fry-supremacy-p...
http://cookingissues.com/2010/05/12/the-quest-for-french-fry-supremacy-2...
2
Thin McDonald's style fries are NOT French Fries IMO. Euro/Bistro/pomme frites and Steak Fries are the only true fries that should ever be served.
In n Out fries. Peeled potato, cut and fried when you order.
My strong preference is for straw fries.
The ideal is difficult to find, the one described in the detective novel of Maigret ("Les Caves du Majestic", 1942) as crunchy on the outside, and melting in the mouth on the inside.
The big problem is the aftertaste of oil in many of the French fries served in fast-food and more respectable eateries.
I know they're hard to find here but pommes souffles should be on the list. Pommes souffles with bearnaise sauce...doesn't get too much better than that.
3
Oh where oh where are the pommes frites of my youth made from fresh peeled potatoes and deep fried without being first frozen
2
I am grateful that Julia Moskin has declared "Sprinkling garnishes on regular French fries is a fool’s errand" because nothing is more true.
2
Where oh where are tater tots and curly fries? HASH BROWNS! Ugh, so many great cuts left out!
3
Curly fries are on the list. Tater Tots and hashrowns are categorically NOT French fries.
1
@Kiki
They may not be French fries but many people eat Tater Tots as an alternate to French Fries and they should be included.
Shoestring fries are the best.
1
Why no sweet potato fries? These should be in the top 3 at least.
3
oh why the hate on the golden arches? everyone knows that the best fries are the "free" ones in the bottom of the bag when you leave the drive thru.
best fries in europe? easy. after a night of drinking, when the bars close, the best frites are served in the mobile truck across the street from wherever you are. either "een patat met mayonaise" or "een patat met speciaal saus."
7
RE:oh why the hate on the golden arches?
Leftist snobbery. This is the NYT and McDonald's because it's big and multinational must be evil. The same way Walmart is vilified. You can buy everything under the sun dirt cheap rather than pay 2x as much at some mom & pop outfit that is open 10 - 5 and does not have enough parking. I can afford to live in the inner city and walk to the dusty musty mom & pop outfit and pay twice the cost. But a lot of people can't. The media does not understand that. That's why they were so caught off guard by Trump.
Let’s set aside the fries for a moment and acknowledge that McDonald’s burgers are terrible imitations of a burger, a horrid mass produced thing one might imagine Winston eating in the cafeteria of the Ministry of Truth. I have Whataburger—and a thousand superior Mom-and-pop joints to choose from. Nobody above the age of about 7 should “like” McDonald’s.
Did the Times leave out British-style chips?
3
I'd rather have a day old tater tot than a Mcdonald's french fry.
two thumbs up for the garlic fries at pac bell park in sf. those things are orgasmic. go giants! beat LA!
here in brasil they put potato stix (now that's really "canned hay") on pizza. i think it's a version of culinary one-downsmanship. they don't really eat it at home, but just serve it to argentine tourists to discourage them from coming back!
1
Crinkle cut fries should be number 8 or 9, due to them never achieving a crispness. Waffle fries should be number one due to the perfect ratio of crisp skin to inner potato. I don't consider cottage fries appropriate for this list, they are not really a fry.
4
Boardwalk fries are better than the scary McDonald's fries, that, when discovered weeks later in a crack between the seats of my car, look as fresh and tasty as the day they hatched in the laboratory.
And thank you for "les pieds dans le sable." I'm headed straight to Facebook to work this phrase into a post.
Euro-fries! Balathazar, Odeon , magnificent ! Shoe string are always stale, getting cold too soon, tasteless. IMO
1
Google Michael Pollan and Macdonald’s French fries. Watch the video. He knows what he is talking about. If you do not know ho he is, find out.
1
Best fries, in my opinion..... Five Guys.
Crisp outside, fluffy goodness inside, just the right balance with a real potato taste. Very consistent, place to place. Right now, they are the only fries worth the calories.
3
I wish that were true. I'm sure I've had good Five Guys fries before, but the past few times I've gotten them (on business trips in unfamiliar cities), they were soggy and over seasoned, even though they were fresh out of the fryer.
2
Sorry to hear that.. I guess nothing is perfect every time, I'm lucky I haven't had that experience. Still, just expressing my preference at least for my local options (Phoenix area).
I can't believe the author is recommending eating while driving. Distraction is one of the main causes of car crashes. (Others being intoxication, speeding and carelessness.)
5
You completely skipped the category of fresh made hand cut fries. IMO these are the best. Actual potato flavor as they are made from actual potatoes, not some frozen compressed garbage. Bits of skin left for extra texture. A medium thickness, neither as thick as a steak fry, nor as uselessly thin as your "standard" or matchstick fry.
Why any human eats at McDonalds is something I'll never understand.
4
The crinkle-cut fry is a waster of precious potatoes. Thanks for the amusing and fun run-down of fries. Good fries are crispy and hot, and not too greasy. Will you review potato chips next? Another potato addiction!
1
Unless you have eated the frites from Maison Antoine on Place Jourdan in Brussals, you have not eat real Belgian (not French!!!) fries.
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Except they really should be called Belgian Fries, their true origination.......and the best in Europe
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Correction: Not Pringles; Ruffles. I am an American hero.
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PHOTOS. This article needs PHOTOS. :)
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I am a huge fan of #2 Euro/Bistro Fries because I love the twice frying technique. The Standard/Thin Fries are too thin for me because I enjoy the taste of the extra-fried crisp of that second frying.
Of course, any fries that I share with my dearest friend (steal a couple of his always) taste best. I know it's the company that adds to the taste. He's always willing to share something with me; his fries are no exception as he's exceptional to dine with. It's all about what accompanies those fries anyway.
2
Years ago, I started boiling my fresh-cut fries in water for about five minutes, then taking them out and running cold water over them to stop the cooking. Once the potatoes have returned to room temperature, heat your oil to about 335-degrees and then pop them in. Cook until golden brown and crisp. The boiling first brings the starch to the surface, so you get a crisp exterior and a nice fluffy interior. I eat mine with lots of salt, vinegar and mayonnaise. Delicious.
13
This sounds like a slightly healthier version of the bistro fries recipe. I would highly recommend frying at 350 or above.
Correct on all counts. I'm going to use "a sneaky mouthful of hot hay" in as many conversations as I possibly can this summer. Here's hoping it catches on!
1
Mickey-D fries taste like cardboard. Standard American, maybe. But standard American junk.
Don't freeze the potatoes after cutting (that's you Mickey-D).
Cut not quite as large as steak fires.
Soak to remove starch.
Use oils that impart flavor.
Fry at least twice.
Then, of course, there is Nathan's fries. Best ever.
Also, eat frites in Belgium and France (preferably with some Normandy Mussels).
3
Disagree, strongly, about matchstick/ shoestring fries. Have you never enjoyed the George's Bank fish sandwich/ shoestring fries plate at Hillstone? Side of mustard for the fries instead of ketchup and also, dip the fries in the tartar sauce spillage... it is pure heaven...
4
Actually, McDonald’s fries are pre-fried in the factory before they are flash frozen and shipped out.
2
Two suggestions. Get an air fryer and cook your frozen (standard/thin) fries in it with a tiny spray of olive oil. Then dip them in Stonewall Kitchen truffle aoili. Yum.
For the lazy: OreIda Extra Crispy Fast Food Frozen Fries. Potatoes for the couch potatoes for the couch potatoes for the...
1
It would be tough to beat the incredible fries served by 'Monsieur Frites', who operated out of a place that was *literally* a hole in the wall near the train station in Lille, which is tucked in the northwest corner of France, on the border with Belgium.
I made an entire lunch out of Monsieur Frites' fries at least once a week for the year I spent in Lille (early 2000s; I hope he's still there.)
I don't remember how I discovered the place, but fries were all he sold, out of a ground floor window. They were served in a newspaper 'cornet'. I'm sure it was at least half a kilo of fries, for two euros. IIRC, that was the sole item on his menu.
The recipe was unpublished, but in attempting to replicate the flavor and crispness I've concluded that there are three keys:
A potato that begins life with low water content;
Blanching the fries
Frying them, letting them cool, and frying again.
That latter tip was definitely something I saw Monsieur Frites doing. As they say, that hole in the wall 'vaut le detour.'
5
I have yet to taste a fry in the US that is as good as those in Europe. I'm not sure why, though it's probably a combination of the potato (our venerable russet is pretty much the only one used here), and the oil used. Here's a breakdown:
France (Antibes) - wow. The lightest and crunchiest, with wonderful potato flavor.
France (Paris) - fries on St. Michel, and many other places, with a glass of wine, sitting and eating and checking out the chic pedestrians. It doesn't get much better. The fries were great, too, but not a good as the south. However at a Belgian restaurants the fries were awesome (moules/frites and belgian ale)
Italy (Rome) - fries with good but not superlative crunch, but which burst with perfect, not overly sweet potato flavor. Several restaurants.
Italy (Como) - ok, I stuck with pasta
Italy (Amalfi) - The first time I had fries in Italy, and wow were they great. You could taste the potato, and not just starch but flavor. Like Rome, not cloying but earthy and wonderful.
Russia (Moscow) - don't laugh. Not everything they do with potatoes in Russia has to do with vodka! Fries there, served with burgers which don't compare to our US burgers (Sorry, Russia - you know it's true), are more flavorful than the ones here.
Russia (Sochi) - Yep. I tried fries in Sochi. They were really good. But the khinkali is better.
Russia (Novosibirsk) - Like Moscow.
Germany (Berlin) - Awesome fries. Served with sausages, and mustard and ketchup.
Ok, ran out of space!
11
Ever had Nathan’s?
1
I have a question for cooking experts. My mother used to make the best french fries I've ever had. Her trick was to cut the potatoes, and then blanch them for a couple of minutes. plunge them into cold water, and drain them well before putting them into hot oil. They weren't tiny fries, but the inside was very fluffy and the outside was crisp.
I've never seen any directions that suggest that blanching before frying is a good thing. But it worked wonders for her.
Does anyone else do this; or where might my mother have seen that it was a good idea?
7
My mother did the exact same thing. I don't know where she learned it, either, but they remain the best fries I've ever had. She also cooked them twice - the second time briefly, then drained, then on paper towels (very briefly), then served hot.
2
The oil the potatoes are fried in is as important to the flavor as the quality or cut of the potato. Wish that soy bean oil was banned, yet it is used in commercial cooking throughout the U.S. Notice that it is not for sale in grocery stores because home cooks would spurn it. Ah, those fries offered in Belgium cooked in beef tallow! Magnifique! My favorite would be the fries of my childhood sold at any stand in Palisades Amusement Park--they were unique, sprinkled with a little vinegar, nectar of the gods!
3
There's something to that beef tallow. McDonalds used to use it, and yes, it was definitely better. The anti-saturated-fat movement of the late '80s and early '90s cowed McDonalds into changing to vegetable oil (pun intended). Then the anti-trans-fat movement of the early 2000s made them change again. The McDonalds fry is thus a shadow of its former self.
19
I tried some "pommes frites" when I was in Brussels awhile back. They were far better than any fries I had aver tasted. Reslly about the most delicious thing that I ahve ever eaten! They almost never use ketchup there but isntead have a variety of myonaise-based dips.
4
Nathan's or nothin" is my personal fries motto. Maybe it was the anticipation on the Sea Beach Express (now named with an ordinary letter), maybe the salt air, maybe the jostling mobs on Surf Avenue; but eating Nathan's french fries (with more than a dash of salt) was culinary bliss in my childhood and teen years.
7
When a restaurant closed in my hometown, my parents bought a few items. One was a professional "standard/thin fries" cutter that was mounted on the wall at the top of the stairs leading to our basement. As a child, my mother let me hang on the lever and cut the potatoes knowing how much I loved her fries. She had her own technique (yes, it involved cooking them twice - just a fast, hot finish the second time) and I've never found fries that were as good. Too many restaurants serve them up undercooked - making them limp and disappointing. I've learned to ask for mine "well-done," and often experience an enormous improvement.
10
Nothing beats the terrific crunch and the fluffy insides of the triple cooked fries (or thrice cooked chips as we call them here) not being served in the best British pubs.
3
100% correct.
An added bonus to crinkle cut fries is that one can bite off the end, scoop out the potato with the thin, long, wooden fork that the snack bar supplied, then fill them with ketchup from the squeeze bottle.
1
MacDonalds are NOT a standard American fry which is thicker altho about the same length (and not ridged). Correctly cooked IMO extra crisp does not work... and served with mayo flavoured with curry or ketsup and sircha and as a base for gravy but that might be more winter.
When I could not afford fried shrimp, fries and mayo + ketsup did the trick.
I would love to see some pictures of these. I've never even heard of some of them! I wonder if it's just the mobile version.
10
Pattas Bravas should be in the top 3.
1
Julia: I wish you'd explained what FRENCH(ed) fries are -- they're called French because of the technique in slicing the potatoes (Frenching -- long/thin) and not because of their origins. That said, my all time favorite fries are those from Nathan's because that evokes my summers as a kid -- growing up on the beach and if you didn't have Nathan's fries at least once a week (some did them daily) it's just wasn't summer. A couple of us would occasionally cut first period class in H.S., remain on the B64 bus, get off at Nathan's for fries and a beer (yeah, don't ask) then jump back on the bus to get back just after attendance at home room.
Nathan's. omg.
6
What about the claim that they come from Belgium, when the Americans were fighting in Europe and thought they were in France at the time?
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Nathan’s ARE the best, especially the little crunchies at the bottom.
I love all kinds of crisp French fries, but I won't dip them in ketchup. To me that is sacrilege.
2
You my friend, are a heathen!
3
this might be sacrilege but i recently came in contact with something called an "air fryer" it makes a very credible version of "fried" potatoes hot and crispy the only thing missing was flavor of the residual oil from deep fat frying
3
Do you have things known as "Beer batter fries" ("BBFs" -because Australians don't pronounce any word or syllable we don't have to) in America? (Or, if so, are they just considered a variation of the types Julia has rated?)
4
I just had beer batter fries in a small coffee shop in Blythe California. They were the best fries I've ever had in my 75 years of eating fries. At "Courtsey's Coffee Shop".!! Try them. !!
2
I really dislike the fries served in a cone shaped anything. The best ones are only on the top and the ones underneath sog up fast from the weight and heat of the ones above.
3
All I can say is I want to be Julia Moskin when I grow up.
5
Yes, this was good stuff, even when in disagreement with her.
1
What’s up with the increasingly popular “French fry” that’s some kind of extruded mashed potato covered in salt and spices? A disgusting substitute for a hand-cut real potato fried to golden crispy.
14
How are Balthazar fries not considered "Euro/Bistro Fries"? McNally is the long-reigning king of the New York 'nouveau French bistro scene', and these fries are the quintessential bistro fries. They're even served with mayonnaise. I believe this excludes them from the 'Standard/Thin Fries' category.
2
Excuse me, but I wasn't aware that baked potatoes had any unfortunate qualities.
36
I couldn't agree more about the clunky Steak Fries. Maybe if they were fried in duck fat and showered with garlic. Nah, nothing can help them.
14
I am glad to see that this article gives sweet potato fries the respect they deserve.
28
If it ain't fried twice, it ain't French fried. May be very good, but it is what it is, not what it ain't.
19
Duck fat. The only way to improve the good old-fashioned American fry.
6
Beef fat (tallow) makes pretty good fries.
2
Hear, hear, Michael. Came here to say this.