Description
My Hunt for the Original McDonald’s French Fries
Ingredients
- 2 large russet potatoes
- ¼ cup white sugar
- 2 tablespoons white corn syrup (Karo)
- 1-2 cups hot water
- 6 cups Crisco shortening
- ¼ cup beef tallow
- Salt to taste
Method
- Peel the potatoes and cut them into shoestrings. They should be about ¼ inch x ¼ inch in thickness and about 4 inches to 6 inches long.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the sugar, corn syrup, and hot water. Stir to dissolve the sugar. Place the potatoes into the bowl of the sugar-water and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- While they’re soaking, pack the shortening into a deep-fryer. If you don’t have a deep-fryer, any sauce pot or dutch oven will suffice as long as you have an appropriate thermometer. Heat on the highest setting until the shortening has liquefied and reads between 375° and 400° F.
- Drain the potatoes then dump them into the fryer (be careful, it will be ferocious). Nudge them around to make sure they don’t stick to one another. After 1 to 1 ½ minutes, transfer the potatoes to a paper towel-lined plate. Let them cool 8 to 10 minutes in the refrigerator.
- While they’re cooling, add the beef tallow to the hot shortening and bring temperature back to between 375° and 400° F.