

The moisture that gets trapped in between the gel matrix is responsible for the fluffy interior of the fry.

The water and heat break the glycosidic linkages between amylopectin and amylose strands, allowing a new gel matrix to form via hydrogen bonds which aid in water retention. The starch granules are able to retain the water and expand due to gelatinization. During the initial frying process (approximately 150 ☌), water on the surface of the cuts evaporates off the surface and the water inside the cuts gets absorbed by the starch granules, causing them to swell and produce the fluffy interior of the fry. Although the potato cuts may be baked or steamed as a preparation method, this section will only focus on french fries made using frying oil.

This is necessary because if the potato cuts are only fried once, the temperature would either be too hot, causing only the exterior to be cooked and not the inside, or not hot enough where the entire fry is cooked, but its crispy exterior will not develop. Chemical and physical changesįrench fries are fried in a two-step process: the first time is to cook the starch throughout the entire cut at low heat, and the second time is to create the golden crispy exterior of the fry at a higher temperature. In fact, McDonald's used a mixture of 93% beef tallow and 7% cottonseed oil until 1990, when they switched to vegetable oil with beef flavoring. In the past, beef suet was recommended as superior, with vegetable shortening as an alternative. The usual fat for making french fries is vegetable oil. It has been the standard for french fries in the United States. Most chains that sell fresh cut fries use the Idaho Russet Burbank variety of potatoes. Starting in the 1960s, more fast food restaurants have been using frozen french fries. Since the 1960s, most french fries have been produced from frozen potatoes which have been blanched or at least air-dried industrially. For example, for 2–3 mm strips, the first bath takes about 3 minutes, and the second bath takes only seconds. The exact times of the two baths depend on the size of the potatoes. They are then placed in a colander or on a cloth to drain, salted, and served. Then they are more briefly fried in very hot fat (190 ☌/375 ☏) to crisp the exterior. In the two-stage or two-bath method, the first bath, sometimes called blanching, is in hot fat (around 160 ☌/320 ☏) to cook them through. Potatoes fresh out of the ground can have too high a water content-resulting in soggy fries-so preference is for those that have been stored for a while. Chefs generally agree that the two-bath technique produces better results. They may then be fried in one or two stages. The potatoes are prepared by first cutting them (peeled or unpeeled) into even strips, which are then wiped off or soaked in cold water to remove the surface starch, and thoroughly dried. Vacuum fryers produce potato chips with lower oil content, while maintaining their color and texture. The standard method for cooking French fries is deep frying, which submerges them in hot fat, nowadays most commonly oil.
