*  Exported from  MasterCook  *
 
                           HOMEMADE FRENCH FRIES
 
 Recipe By     : 
 Serving Size  : 1    Preparation Time :0:00
 Categories    : Potatoes
 
   Amount  Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method
 --------  ------------  --------------------------------
    1      pound         Beef fat -- cut in
                         small pieces
                         Vegetable oil
    1      pound         Idaho potatoes
                         Salt
 
 Here are the results of Chicago Tribune Test Kitchen experiments to make the
best homemade French Fries:
 
   1.  To render liquid fat from beef fat, cook it in a heavy saucepan over low
 heat, about 40 minutes or more. Discard pieces of fat which are left over. 
 Add an equal part of vegetable oil to beef fat in pan.
 
   2.  Cut unpeeled potatoes into long strips about  1/4- 3/8-inch wide. Soak in
 a large bowl of ice water for about 45 minutes. Arrange on paper towels and
 carefully pat dry.
 
   3.  Heat oil mixture to 365 degrees.	Add potatoes in batches so pan isn't
 crowded.  Fry until they begin to look partially cooked, about 5 minutes.
 Remove and let oil return to 365 degrees. Return partially cooked fries and
 continue cooking until they are crisp and golden, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer to
 a paper towel to drain. Sprinkle with salt and serve immediately.
 
   NOTES FROM THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE TEST KITCHEN:	When we asked where to find the
 best french fries, no one suggested homemade ones, which start with fresh
 potatoes instead of a bag of frozen sticks. Making french fries from scratch
 is a mighty effort, raising the question of whether the end justifies the
 means, so the Tribune test kitchen endeavored to find an answer.
 
   With no apologies to nutritionists, we decided to follow the conventional
 wisdom that beef fat is the best way to make good-tasting fries and to try
 using less saturated vegetable oil. We got beef fat from the butcher, a big
 bag of Idaho spuds and a bottle of vegetable oil to do some experimenting.
 
   Some basic tenets we accepted as truth: The potatoes would be cut by hand
 with the peels on. They would be 
   soaked in ice water for 45 minutes. They would be painstakingly patted dry.
 They would be fried twice.  The wild cards: What's the best oil to use? Is it 
 worth all the effort? Beef fat won hands down-no contest.  Beef fat fries were
 crisp and delicate. They were not greasy and had a subtle taste. People said
 it smelled as if we were cooking Christmas dinner, which we took to mean they
 were used to standing rib roast for Christmas, not french fries. Those fries
 were gobbled up. On the 
  
  ===============   Reply   26 of Note    1 ================= 
  Board:      FOOD BB Topic:      FOOD SOFTWARE Subject:    Z-MM POTATO MEGA 
   To:	  RNMH52A    JANICE MAGUIRE	   Date:    04/24 From:   RNMH52A   
 JANICE MAGUIRE        Time:	 2:14 PM
 
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