Easy French Fries Recipe: How to Make Fries at Home

French fries are a dish made of strips of fried potato. They are made by cutting potatoes into the desired shape before deep-frying them. They can also be double-fried by frying them for the first time at a lower temperature and then again at a higher temperature.

French fries can be made with different types of potatoes, such as sweet potatoes. They can also be cut into different shapes, such as wedge-shaped steak fries, grid-structured waffle fries, or curly fries.

French fries are typically eaten with ketchup and are served as a side dish or appetizer at BBQs or at fast food restaurants alongside burgers, fried chicken, chicken wings, and sandwiches. They can also be served with toppings, such as in the dish poutine that serves crispy fries covered with gravy and cheese curds.

The origin of French fries isn’t definite, but the beginning of popular use of potatoes in dishes began in Spain.

• Origins in the Andes: Potatoes originated in the Andes, with the Spanish first encountering the tuber during expeditions to South America in the 1500s, though the spuds didn’t look like the potatoes of today. While the Spanish initially struggled to grow the potato, the tuber remains important to the country. Patatas bravas, or spicy potatoes, is a popular Spanish dish today.
• Fried potatoes in Belgium: The potato was introduced to Belgium in the seventeenth century when the Spanish controlled much of the country. Belgians typically fried fish as a main dish, but during the winter months when fish was scarce, they fried thin strips of potato. Many consider this to be the origin of French fries.
• Fried potatoes in France: Many also credit the popularity of French fries to French army officer Antoine-Augustin Parmentier, who championed the benefits of the potato in France and in countries across the world. By 1800, France was cultivating potatoes at a large scale, and it was during this time that they either invented or discovered the French fry recipe.