What kinds of cooking oil do restaurants use to cook french fries?

Question

I want to cook french fries like the big boy restaurants do. Not like Mc D's and B.K. I'm really trying to get a crisp and non greasy french fry. Does the type of potato matter? Should I buy a deep fryer?

Answer 1

Definitely get a Deep Fryer.
Some places use Peanut Oil, some use Lark, some use Corn Oil, some Canola Oil.

Peanut oil has the highest smoking point too. So, it can get hotter which makes the fryes get done that much faster.

Answer 2

I do not know what is used...but the type of potato will matter more than the type of oil. A lot of restaurants use peanut oil because it has a high burn temperature. The temp of the oil is most important so that the food fried is not overly greasy. Most foods are fried at about 350 degrees Fahrenheit, so if you don't have a deep fryer, you should at least invest in a thermometer.

Answer 3

What you want to do is buy russet potatoes and cut them uniform so they all fry at the same time, put them in ice water for about an hour so some of the starch is eliminated then take them out of the water and pat dry, You want to do a "Double fry" on them by first heating your deep fryer to 300 degrees and fry for 2-3 minutes until the fries are limp then remove and place on paper towel and then heat the fryer to 350 degrees and fry until golden brown, This is how chefs do it, Some even go as high as 375 degrees for the second frying. Then salt right after fries come out. I dip mine in a number of things including Mayo, Shiracha mayo, Brown gravy, Brown gravy and cheese, Ketsup., Chilli and cheese etc..

Answer 4

I am not Vegan, but Vegetarian..and I won't eat anything cooked with meat or in oil that meat has been cooked in. For that matter if I were to even get a baked potato that has had bacon on it, I won't eat that either. The meat has touched it. I would send it back. I always ask if thing fried or whatever have been in the same oil as meat...but I don't eat fried food too often anyway.

Answer 5

You have good suggestions from the others. The only thing I can recommend is that you fry them just until lightly browned (to cook and steam the insides). Then remove from the oil and put away until ready to have them for dinner. Then put them for a second time into the oil to color them. That keeps them from getting oily tasting as well as allows them to cook all the way through without getting too dark.

I've even heard of people lightly par-boiling their potatoes to speed up the actual cooking of the spuds so they don't absorb so much oil. But you need to be sure to dry them totally after being in the water or they will spit in the oil.

Answer 6

peanut oil is the best for deep frying such as deep frying turkeys and can be filtered , stored and reused . I like to cut potatos like the size of steak fries and use crisco in a skillet on the stove top until brown then remove and salt immediatley to taste

Answer 7

The cheapest one.