Why Do I Need To Use Corn Starch And Vinegar While Making Restaurant Potato Fries? (2024)

FAQs

Why Do I Need To Use Corn Starch And Vinegar While Making Restaurant Potato Fries? ›

Starch, when fried, is what creates that crispy surface we want! Meanwhile adding acid (the vinegar) to the water prevents the potatoes from disintegrating for the 10 minute simmering time required.

Vinegar: Vinegar is used to enhance the flavor of the potato fries. When a small amount of vinegar is added to the soaking water before frying, it can help impart a tangy flavor to the fries without making them taste overly vinegary.

Deep fried french fries are often double fried (once at a lower temp, once at a higher temp to crisp) I found out that the same thing works magically for oven fries! You can make oven french fries so good and crispy. Soak the potatoes in cold water after cutting for at least 30 minutes.

Vinegar is almost always added to starch-based biopolymers to change the molecular structure of the starch, making it stronger and more workable. It helps to disrupt the molecules further, resulting in a hom*ogenous bioplastic.

Starch rich potatoes usually turn soft and crumbly, while frying or baking. So, if you are making delicacies wherein you want the potatoes to be crispy and crunchy, then removing starch is the best way to keep your wafers, fries, crispy potatoes, hash browns crisp and delicious.

Not your ordinary fry, these tangy boardwalk-inspired spuds are soaked in vinegar, refrigerated to allow the natural sugars to develop and then fried to a golden brown finish. Dress the rustic cut potatoes in plenty of vinegar and salt to enhance the already-tangy flavor.

Infusing the fries with starch not only makes them crispier, but also helps preserve the crispiness longer.

It's not so diffierent from putting ketchup on your chips. The idea is that you add something slightly acidic to your rather bland fried potatoes. I sprinkle the vinegar liberally over the fish as well (and the peas,) — but the vinegar is actually a condiment for the fried potatoes.

Vinegar alone as a condiment is unusual in America. Some others have mentioned that the style of fries that people put vinegar on in Britain are not the thin square kind but what Americans call home fries. Home fries are traditionally served at home or at steak joints.

Starching the French Fries

To make up for this, we toss the fries with a little bit of cornstarch, essentially replacing the potato starch we just washed away and forming a crusty film that will be hydrated by the steam escaping from the potatoes.

What does cornstarch do when mixed with vinegar? ›

Cornstarch is a thickening agent commonly used in cooking and baking. It is derived from the starch found in corn kernels. When mixed with a liquid like vinegar, the cornstarch particles absorb the liquid and form a suspension. This causes the mixture to thicken and become more viscous.

Vinegar causes the potatoes to form a thin crust that further helps in retaining their shape. Vinegar increases the acid pH levels of water which further helps the potato just like when you add a little salt to the water while boiling eggs.

This step is commonly missed in making homemade fries, but it might be one of the most important! Soaking your fries in cold water helps remove excess starch, which allows for crispy, golden fries! The cold water bath also helps the french fries retain their shape and contributes to a fluffy inside.

The main reasons to cut the potatoes and pre-soak in water are: To allow the excess starches and sugars to be removed from the outer surface of the fry strips AND to keep the potatoes from browning prematurely from exposure to air. Covering in water helps the potato from turning a dark color.

This process helps remove excess starch and sugars from the potato surfaces. While starch is essential for achieving crispy fries, an excessive amount of surface starch can lead to quick browning during frying, resulting in burnt, bitter, or soggy fries.

Parboiling the fries in a vinegar solution before frying slows the breakdown of pectin in the potatoes to yield fries with tiny, bubbly, blistered surfaces that stay crisp even when cool. It also rinses off excess sugars to prevent over-browning.

Now to French fries, which did not come from France, they originated in Belgium and no one put ketchup on them because ketchup, as we now know it, had not been invented yet. The British put out malt vinegar for dipping their fries. The French themselves tend to just eat the fries straight.

Temperature: Organic potato starch exhibits superior performance at high temperatures, while organic corn starch is more effective at low to medium temperatures. If you intend to cook your dish at high temperatures, organic potato starch may be the more appropriate choice.

If they are still not crispy you might have skipped a step or you might not have let them cool down sufficiently. Make sure to cool them in a single even layer and also make sure that the oil has the right temperature. Or maybe you've used the wrong potatoes to make them.

Fries have a very high starch content. When they are cooked at high temperatures, they absorb moisture which gives them their signature crispy exterior. When they are left out to cool, the starches secrete moisture, which eventually makes the fries' crust soggy.

Is vinegar on fries a Canadian thing? ›

Yes, vinegar and fries is a delight most Canadians love. It's a British thing. Except in French Canada, poutine is fries with cheese curds and gravy.

Condiment – Of course, it goes without saying that splashing malt vinegar on fish and chips helps to add flavour and cut the greasiness of the dish.

malt vinegar on fries. i love it. i'm not going to eat five guys. fries without it.