French Fries

French fries, also called as finger chips, chips or fries are long finger-like potato pieces deep fried in oil. They are salted, seasoned and served as a side dish or a snack.

While in America long potato pieces that are fried are generally called fries, in Australia, United Kingdom and Canada it refers to only long and thinly cut fried potato pieces. The flatter ones are called chips here. They are known as frites or pommes frites in French. It is called French potatoes as the potatoes are cut the french way. They are cut into perfect juliennes and fried. The color of the fries is golden.

History

French fries are known to have originated in Belgium. They are mentioned in the account of a Belgian journalist, according to which the poor inhabitants of Belgium would eat small fried fish with their meals. But in the winter, when the river was frozen and they could not collect the fish, they would cut potato strips lengthwise and deep fry them instead.  

Method of Preparation of French Fries

For French fries recipe, potatoes are peeled and cut into even strips. They are soaked in cold water and are then fried in heated oil.  They are then removed from oil and re-fried in oil at higher flame till they brown. They are salted before serving.

Serving French Fries
French fries are served salted and hot, usually with ketchup, vinegar, mayonnaise and/ or other sauces on the side. It is served as a side dish or snack.

French Fries Variants

1. Potato wedges are fries cut in thick pieces, with the potato skin left unpeeled.
2. Fries without potato skin are called as called ‘steak fries’ and are the American equivalent of the British chips.
3. Some variants of French fries are coated with other ingredients before frying. This may include onion powder, garlic powder, all purpose flour, paprika, black pepper, spices, etc. When coated with cheese, they are called cheese fries, and when coated with chilli, they are called chilli fries. All these fall under the category of seasoned fries.
4. One French fries recipe uses sweet potato instead of potato. Such fries are available in restaurants in New Jersey, New York, Massachusetts, and Louisiana of the United States.
5. A French variant consists of 3 different types of fries of decreasing thickness. The thick-cut fries are called  "pommes frites", (approx10 mm); thinner ones are called "pommes allumettes" (approx 7mm), and thinnest ones are called "pommes pailles" (approximately 3-4mm)
6. Curly fries are French fries with a spiral shape. This French fries recipe is prepared by cutting the potatoes with a specialized spiral slicer. They usually have a more orange color, as compared to the yellow color of French fries, due to additional seasonings added to them.

Healthy French Fries

Oven fries or oven chips are French fries that have been prepared and coated with oil and baked in the oven and served.

This variation is better than the commercially available fries which are high in fats. One serving of medium fries contains about 20g fat. It contains high amount of trans fats. Each serve has about 5 g trans fats which is higher than the recommended allowance. 

Health and Nutrition Facts

Serving size - 1 medium serve (114g)

Calories - 370 cal, Calories from fat - 180 cal, Fat - 20 g, Trans fat - 5 g, Protein - 4g, Sodium - 300 mg

• French fries are extremely high in calories, fats and trans fats. They also contain high amount of salt which contributes to high sodium. 
• Frequent consumption of fries can lead to increased risks of cardiovascular diseases. It also leads to other chronic hazards like diabetes, obesity, alzheimer's disease, cancer, liver dysfunction and other organ damages.
• It contributes to unhealthy calories as it contain about 40 % carbohydrates and 20 % fats. The amount of fat in fries contributs to 40 % of the recommended day's intake. 
• It is healthier to make oven baked fries to reduce the amount of fat in the dish. Low sodium salt or reduced salt should be added to the fries.

Miscellaneous Facts

• French fries are most successfully made by McDonald's. The potatoes used for making the same are specially grown.