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(Tasting Table)   Anthony Bourdain's humble yet perfectly made Les Halles steak frites were the best fries in New York, and here's his three-step process   (tastingtable.com) divider line
45
    More: Vintage, French fries, Potato, Cooking, France, New York City, Anthony Bourdain, Cookbook, The Culinary Institute of America  
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1078 clicks; posted to Food » on 02 Feb 2023 at 3:50 PM (7 weeks ago)   |   Favorite    |   share:  Share on Twitter share via Email Share on Facebook



45 Comments     (+0 »)
View Voting Results: Smartest and Funniest
 
fatassbastard [TotalFark]
2023-02-02 3:33:55 PM  
* soak in cold water
* cook 6-8 mins at 275
* after they cool down, cook at 350-375 until GBD

I thought everyone knew this?
 
Tyrone Slothrop [TotalFark]
2023-02-02 3:55:26 PM  
The important thing to know is that if you call French fries "steak frites", you can charge ten times the price and people will pay for it.
 
NewportBarGuy [TotalFark] [OhFark]
2023-02-02 3:56:55 PM  
I'm a huge fan, but I don't think anything Anthony did was "best in NY" and he would tell you that.

That's an incredibly bold statement.

But, they do look damn good.
 
tintar [TotalFark]
2023-02-02 3:57:11 PM  
the even hell?!

Fark user imageView Full Size
 
EatHam [TotalFark]
2023-02-02 3:59:06 PM  

Tyrone Slothrop: The important thing to know is that if you call French fries "steak frites", you can charge ten times the price and people will pay for it.


yes, because there is steak
 
FigPucker [BareFark]
2023-02-02 4:11:08 PM  

tintar: the even hell?!

[Fark user image 780x438]


It's like a syphilitic clown blew its load all over someone's lunch.
 
fatassbastard [TotalFark]
2023-02-02 4:14:28 PM  

NewportBarGuy: he would tell you that


Well, he wouldn't now.

/too soon?
//also a fan
 
joshiz [TotalFark] [OhFark]
2023-02-02 4:16:56 PM  
Thanks, I know what french fries are. I hate that every article now has to start with at least 3 keyword-jammed fluff paragraphs.

Fark you Google.
 
Artist
2023-02-02 4:31:01 PM  
I pick a nice, hefty potato that is very even in size-few lumps, bumps, discoloration.
Peel carefully-trimming any rough spots off.
Slice in half.
Large bath of iced water ready.
Each half is cut into even slabs about 1/4" thick, stacked, sliced again to make sticks. Place in the iced water.
Repeat with other half.
Swirl water, will be cloudy, pour that off, it's the starch. Pour in cold water to cover.
Heat oven to 375. Parchment paper on large cookie sheet.
Dry the potatoes well. Place in a large dry bowl. Add good quality olive oil (extra virgin may not stand up well to the higher heat) to lightly coat. Toss to cover.
Place on prepped cookie sheet. Sprinkle with salt. Bake about 15 minutes, check for doneness or if the fries need to be turned. Bake to how brown you want them to be.
 
AlwaysRightBoy [TotalFark]
2023-02-02 4:32:54 PM  
I used to go for the awesome French dip at Les Halles when I worked nearby. That sandwich was so good I don't even remember the fries.
/it was the best hangover lunch in the whole area
 
NewportBarGuy [TotalFark] [OhFark]
2023-02-02 4:33:58 PM  

fatassbastard: /too soon?


He would have already told the joke or been the first one to laugh.
 
justanotherfarkinfarker
2023-02-02 4:34:38 PM  
farkin what? That's how you make fries. Every dumbass knows that. Soak, double fry. You can also freeze if you want that mc'ds goodness. He wasn't that great at the food thing, he was better at rambling on, cheating on his wife with Italian wores and drinking.
 
Serious Post on Serious Thread
2023-02-02 4:38:49 PM  

NewportBarGuy: I'm a huge fan, but I don't think anything Anthony did was "best in NY" and he would tell you that.

That's an incredibly bold statement.

But, they do look damn good.


In nyc I think Pomme Frites is still around. Fries need a good sauce. Wasabi mayo, curry ketchup, just malt vinegar.

I try thought freezing after blanching was preferred.
 
FlashHarry [TotalFark]
2023-02-02 4:45:58 PM  
Been cooking them that way since I got his Les Halles cookbook many years ago. Peanut oil is the best, but it's a bit pricy. I filter it and reuse it though.
 
Evil Mackerel
2023-02-02 4:54:25 PM  
Needs more cheese curds and gravy.
 
olorin604
2023-02-02 5:03:09 PM  

Tyrone Slothrop: The important thing to know is that if you call French fries "steak frites", you can charge ten times the price and people will pay for it.


Even more if you serve them at someplace called a "bistro"
 
REO-Weedwagon
2023-02-02 5:08:00 PM  
Hold on a sec, let me just heat up a gallon of peanut oil.
 
Kavyboy
2023-02-02 5:22:13 PM  

justanotherfarkinfarker: That's how you make fries. Every dumbass knows that. Soak, double fry.


Not In-N-Out. That's why they are how they are.
 
tintar [TotalFark]
2023-02-02 5:34:25 PM  

EatHam: Tyrone Slothrop: The important thing to know is that if you call French fries "steak frites", you can charge ten times the price and people will pay for it.

yes, because there is steak


back in CSFB days, there was some Fronch place not far from Madison Sq. serving mainly steak frites. as a tartare. from actual cuts of steak. decent ones. this was 25or30ish years ago, so the price was even stupidly reasonable.

/no complaints there
 
abhorrent1
2023-02-02 5:36:58 PM  

justanotherfarkinfarker: farkin what? That's how you make fries. Every dumbass knows that. Soak, double fry.


No. Everyone doesn't know that, no matter how many people in this thread pretend they did know that.

I've also seen a video from Meat Church that fry, rest, fry is also a great technique for crispy chicken wings. I love my wings crispy. Mushy wings are gross.
 
Subtonic
2023-02-02 5:42:05 PM  

olorin604: Tyrone Slothrop: The important thing to know is that if you call French fries "steak frites", you can charge ten times the price and people will pay for it.

Even more if you serve them at someplace called a "bistro"


Lol, listen to this plebe who never had activated almond tartare at an authentic gastropub.
 
yakmans_dad
2023-02-02 6:06:34 PM  
I can't take the grease anymore. Chick-Fil-A's waffle fries are my current favorites.
 
justanotherfarkinfarker
2023-02-02 6:12:45 PM  

Kavyboy: justanotherfarkinfarker: That's how you make fries. Every dumbass knows that. Soak, double fry.

Not In-N-Out. That's why they are how they are.


shiatty, that's how they are. Same with 5 guys. Frozen done right are better than fresh single fry

/Fight me with Bourdains belt
 
justanotherfarkinfarker
2023-02-02 6:13:38 PM  

abhorrent1: justanotherfarkinfarker: farkin what? That's how you make fries. Every dumbass knows that. Soak, double fry.

No. Everyone doesn't know that, no matter how many people in this thread pretend they did know that.

I've also seen a video from Meat Church that fry, rest, fry is also a great technique for crispy chicken wings. I love my wings crispy. Mushy wings are gross.


With a temp change, you cook the inside then crisp the outside.
 
Telephone Sanitizer Second Class
2023-02-02 6:19:05 PM  

FlashHarry: Been cooking them that way since I got his Les Halles cookbook many years ago. Peanut oil is the best, but it's a bit pricy. I filter it and reuse it though.


Someone gave me that cookbook years ago and that's how I learned to make fries. It's a fantastic book, and worth it just for his chapter on knives.

I've been using lard for deep frying lately, since we have a whole lot of it we rendered from some local farm raised hogs we bought. You have to watch the temperature a little closer to keep it below its smoke point, but it's farking delicious.
 
FlashHarry [TotalFark]
2023-02-02 6:20:49 PM  

Telephone Sanitizer Second Class: worth it just for his chapter on knives.


Yuuuuup.
 
Telephone Sanitizer Second Class
2023-02-02 6:25:41 PM  

FlashHarry: Telephone Sanitizer Second Class: worth it just for his chapter on knives.

Yuuuuup.


"In a perfect world, cooks who abuse fine cutlery would be locked in a pillory and pelted with McNuggets."
 
FlashHarry [TotalFark]
2023-02-02 6:28:14 PM  
Telephone Sanitizer Second Class:

"In a perfect world, cooks who abuse fine cutlery would be locked in a pillory and pelted with McNuggets."

I literally just took it out and read that line before you posted.

The stocks section also changed my life. I have a freezer filled with assorted game, beef, veal and seafood stocks in my basement.
 
FlashHarry [TotalFark]
2023-02-02 6:30:02 PM  

Telephone Sanitizer Second Class: I've been using lard for deep frying lately, since we have a whole lot of it we rendered from some local farm raised hogs we bought.


I've got a bunch of Mangalitsa lard, which is amazing stuff. But I really like duck fat for reconstituting fries the next day. It's pretty luxurious....
 
Kavyboy
2023-02-02 7:19:44 PM  

justanotherfarkinfarker: Kavyboy: justanotherfarkinfarker: That's how you make fries. Every dumbass knows that. Soak, double fry.

Not In-N-Out. That's why they are how they are.

shiatty, that's how they are. Same with 5 guys. Frozen done right are better than fresh single fry

/Fight me with Bourdains belt


I agree 100%. In-N-Out fries are the only fries I've ever thrown away. 5-Guys are OK if you don't consider them to be French fires and think of them as some other potato dish.
 
Joey Jo Jo Jr Shabadu
2023-02-02 8:39:45 PM  

fatassbastard: * soak in cold water
* cook 6-8 mins at 275
* after they cool down, cook at 350-375 until GBD

I thought everyone knew this?


This particular recipe isn't simply soaking them. They par cook them in the water instead.
 
Joey Jo Jo Jr Shabadu
2023-02-02 8:44:04 PM  

Artist: I pick a nice, hefty potato that is very even in size-few lumps, bumps, discoloration.
Peel carefully-trimming any rough spots off.
Slice in half.
Large bath of iced water ready.
Each half is cut into even slabs about 1/4" thick, stacked, sliced again to make sticks. Place in the iced water.
Repeat with other half.
Swirl water, will be cloudy, pour that off, it's the starch. Pour in cold water to cover.
Heat oven to 375. Parchment paper on large cookie sheet.
Dry the potatoes well. Place in a large dry bowl. Add good quality olive oil (extra virgin may not stand up well to the higher heat) to lightly coat. Toss to cover.
Place on prepped cookie sheet. Sprinkle with salt. Bake about 15 minutes, check for doneness or if the fries need to be turned. Bake to how brown you want them to be.


We're taking about fries here, not bakes.


Though they are admittedly easier to do without the fuss of all that oil. Extra virgin olive oil should be just fine at 375. But I generally prefer a neutral oil. I'd bump that temp up to 400 at least. And if you have convection, turn that shiat on as well.
 
hlehmann
2023-02-02 9:11:34 PM  

fatassbastard: NewportBarGuy: he would tell you that

Well, he wouldn't now.

/too soon?
//also a fan


And never order seafood on Mondays.

/ Loved that book
// Listened to it a second time on a long road trip the day after he died.
/// Yes, more fries please.
 
max_pooper
2023-02-02 9:38:18 PM  

Kavyboy: justanotherfarkinfarker: Kavyboy: justanotherfarkinfarker: That's how you make fries. Every dumbass knows that. Soak, double fry.

Not In-N-Out. That's why they are how they are.

shiatty, that's how they are. Same with 5 guys. Frozen done right are better than fresh single fry

/Fight me with Bourdains belt

I agree 100%. In-N-Out fries are the only fries I've ever thrown away. 5-Guys are OK if you don't consider them to be French fires and think of them as some other potato dish.


This is why McDonalds fries are superior to Five Guys and In and Out. The fresh cut fries is just marketing wank. Poorly made fries made with fresh cut potatoes are still poor. McDonalds does the first two steps at the factory and then freezes them. When the frozen par cooked potatoes hiat the hot oil, the outsides get perfectly crusty while the insides stay nice soft without getting greasy.
 
Swampmaster
2023-02-02 9:39:36 PM  

justanotherfarkinfarker: farkin what? That's how you make fries. Every dumbass knows that. Soak, double fry. You can also freeze if you want that mc'ds goodness. He wasn't that great at the food thing, he was better at rambling on, cheating on his wife with Italian wores and drinking.


"Italian whores and drinking."  You say that like it is a bad thing!
 
Akuinnen
2023-02-02 9:46:38 PM  
I always do 325 for 7 and then 370 until golden brown and have been happy with the results. I'll have to try this.
 
fatassbastard [TotalFark]
2023-02-02 10:02:52 PM  

Joey Jo Jo Jr Shabadu: fatassbastard: * soak in cold water
* cook 6-8 mins at 275
* after they cool down, cook at 350-375 until GBD

I thought everyone knew this?

This particular recipe isn't simply soaking them. They par cook them in the water instead.


The linked article in TFA simply says:

1. Peel and slice potatoes into 1/2 inch sticks and place in a bowl of iced water for at least 30 minutes, or even overnight. Rinse to remove the starch.
2. Deep fry potatoes in batches at 280°F/140°C for 6-8 minutes until semi-translucent white. Remove from oil, spread evenly on a baking sheet and leave to rest for 15 minutes.
3. Deep fry the blanched potatoes in batches in oil at 375°F/190°C for 2 to 3 minutes, until crispy and golden brown. Remove and shake off excess oil.

I think the part in TFA that says "First, he would blanch the potatoes, according to Fine Dining Lovers, followed by double frying them" is mistaken, or at least, none of the instructions in either article actually discuss blanching as part of the step-by-step.
 
dodecahedron [OhFark]
2023-02-03 1:58:44 AM  
Beef tallow or duck fat or GTFO.
 
johnny_vegas [TotalFark]
2023-02-03 8:10:19 AM  

dodecahedron: Beef tallow or duck fat or GTFO.


As is the tradition with Belgian frites.
/Yum!
 
Kris_Romm
2023-02-03 11:11:43 AM  
To be fair, and perhaps this followed him doing it, I've seen this exact series of steps (Soak then double fry) discussed by other chefs as their fry prep.
 
Joey Jo Jo Jr Shabadu
2023-02-03 12:00:18 PM  

fatassbastard: Joey Jo Jo Jr Shabadu: fatassbastard: * soak in cold water
* cook 6-8 mins at 275
* after they cool down, cook at 350-375 until GBD

I thought everyone knew this?

This particular recipe isn't simply soaking them. They par cook them in the water instead.

The linked article in TFA simply says:

1. Peel and slice potatoes into 1/2 inch sticks and place in a bowl of iced water for at least 30 minutes, or even overnight. Rinse to remove the starch.
2. Deep fry potatoes in batches at 280°F/140°C for 6-8 minutes until semi-translucent white. Remove from oil, spread evenly on a baking sheet and leave to rest for 15 minutes.
3. Deep fry the blanched potatoes in batches in oil at 375°F/190°C for 2 to 3 minutes, until crispy and golden brown. Remove and shake off excess oil.

I think the part in TFA that says "First, he would blanch the potatoes, according to Fine Dining Lovers, followed by double frying them" is mistaken, or at least, none of the instructions in either article actually discuss blanching as part of the step-by-step.


Ah, you appear to be correct.  I assumed their use of "blanching" meant parcooking rather than simply soaking, especially since I know other recipes do blanch their fries in boiling water first before frying.  Kenji's McDonald's fry recipe does this (he also freezes them before frying).

So I retract my original reply.  Indeed, I thought this article's method was fairly common knowledge.
 
fatassbastard [TotalFark]
2023-02-03 4:46:07 PM  

Joey Jo Jo Jr Shabadu: So I retract my original reply.


Fark user imageView Full Size
 
fatassbastard [TotalFark]
2023-02-03 4:46:57 PM  

Kris_Romm: To be fair, and perhaps this followed him doing it, I've seen this exact series of steps (Soak then double fry) discussed by other chefs as their fry prep.


Shiat, my parents did this when I was a kid in the 70s.
 
FlashHarry [TotalFark]
2023-02-03 8:54:16 PM  
Made steak/frites tonight because of this thread.

The gross-looking green stuff is a rather tasty arugula chimichurri...

Fark user imageView Full Size
 
fatassbastard [TotalFark]
2023-02-03 9:02:54 PM  

FlashHarry: Made steak/frites tonight because of this thread.

The gross-looking green stuff is a rather tasty arugula chimichurri...

[Fark user image image 850x637]


brt
 
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