JIM WELLER wrote to DAVE DRUM <=-
The price of gas has shot up 40% down here in the States. It's costing
my parents $50 a shot to fill their gas tank and being on Social
Security doesn't help them either.
My last fill was at $1.60/L so $6.04 per gallon and that was "old"
gas at the "old" price. I just know it will be higher the next time I
need to fill up, as the tanker trucks coming north from the refinery
will be hauling "new" gas.
YEEEOWTCH!!! My local station just went to U$4.19/gallon yesterday -
which is bad enough.
Thank you Vladimir Putin.
Remember "freedom fries"?
Yes I do. Mattra Fact my friend Les and I had lunch yesterday at the
American Legion's Mess Hall restaurant - where they still list "Freedom
Fries" for pommes frites. "French Fries" is a misnomer anyway. Properly,
they should be "Belgian Fries". Bv)=
https://originalfries.eu/the-best-french-fries
During World War I (1914-1918), American soldiers who
fought in Belgium were introduced to fries, of course.
At that time, the official language in the Belgian army
was French, so the American soldiers - unaware of 3
centuries of Belgian culinary tradition - mistakenly
called the fried potatoes "French fries". Now you know
better: fries are Belgian. That's settled, right?
As Putin sounds a lot like poutine, Quebec restos are renaming that
tasty snack as frites au fromage avec sauce.
Senator Lindsey Graham's comment on "Putain" is one of the very few things
he has ever uttered that I agree with 100%.
MMMMM----- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.06
Title: Authentic Belgian Fries ("French Fries")
Categories: Five, Potatoes
Yield: 8 servings
Hard vegetable fat (the kind
- is not as important as the
- fact it has to be hard not
- oily)
2 lb Floury potatoes * (the kind
- here is subordinate to the
- flouriness)
1 pn Salt
You will need an open (no lid) deep fryer, if you only
have the kind with filters and lids, just don't close
them, the steam has to be able to leave very fast else
you loose crunchiness.
Peel your potatoes , and cut them lengthwise into discs
of about 1/4" thick (they can be a bit thicker if you
like that) . Then slice the discs lengthwise into fries
of the same thickness.
Make sure your sink is clean, and wash your fries in
cold water. Drain the water and wash them again in new
clean water. Repeat this a few times until no starch
comes off the potatoes and the water stays clear. Dry
your fries well so there is no more moisture on their
sides.
FIRST COOKING: Put the thermostat for your oil to
approximately 320ºF/160ºC, not higher. Put a small to
medium amount of fries in the cooking basket (you will
have to do this multiple times, if you put in too much
fries at once you will loose your temperature and your
fries will turn out horrible).
Make sure all fries are under by shaking the basket .
During cooking you can shake the basket a few times so
you know they're not sticking together. Important: To
check if the first cooking is done lift your basket out
and pinch a fry if you can pinch all the way through
they are done (if you do it fast you will certainly not
burn your fingers ), they should still look pale and
white, stay with your cooking for this , timing is
important. (repeat until they are all done, and let your
fat heat up to the appropriate temperature each time).
Take out the fries, shake them and put them in a big
bowl to cool off, once they are cooled to room
temperature they are ok to start the second cooking .
you can keep these at room temperature for hours until
you are ready to serve the meal, in fact leaving them a
bit will only make them better, just put a towel over
the bowl, no need to put them in the fridge (where
condensation would coat them).
SECOND COOKING. Put the thermostat of your oil at
approximately 375ºF/190ºC.
Put a *small* amount of the precooked fries in your
basket . fry them while shaking the basket in the oil a
few times during cooking, you can even take the basket
out a few times to throw them in the air (not really
needed, but supposed to be good tor making bubbles
appear on them :)
They are ready when they are a rich golden brown in
color. I put them in a deep plate with a paper towel at
the bottom, and use a paper towel to quickly rub the
excess fat off them before i serve (paper towel on top
hand on paper towel, make a circular movement, take
out towel). add a bit of fine salt, and serve. best
with a T bone steak or sirloin *grinn* but as you know,
fries go with just about anything :).
A BIT OF ADDED HISTORY: The French will be the first to
say that "les frites" come from Belgium. And it being
true that Belgians have made and perfected the stuff for
years and years, the origin of deep frying potatoes in
oil comes from a monastery in Spain.
Smakelijk (bon appétit).
NOTE: Recently I found out that Bintje potatoes have
become commonly available in the United States . These
are without a doubt the best potatoes to use.
Recipe by Dominique Depreux
RECIPE FROM:
https://www.food.com
Uncle Dirty Dave's Archives
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... Every restaurant has to have a cauliflower dish on the menu these days
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