Homemade French Fries with Creole Aioli

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Homemade French Fries will put anything you can get from a fast food restaurant to shame. If you’ve never had them, now is the time to find out what you’ve been missing.

When I was growing up, homemade french fries were a staple at our house. Mama would cook them in an iron skillet naturally. My brother and I would hover over her as she took the first pan full out to drain on paper towels. As soon as they were salted and cool enough to eat, we were shoveling them down. She knew better than to think that first pan would make it to the supper table.

Mama always said that french fries would only brown properly if there was a spoonful of bacon grease added to the vegetable oil. Being a southern cook, I usually have a little bacon grease around and I add it to the oil when cooking fries, but I do know that you can get good, browned fries without the bacon grease (sorry, Mama).

What size is best for homemade french fries?

It’s really a matter of taste, but I personally like the potatoes cut into about 1/4 inch size pieces. In fact, I have a mandoline that has a 1/4 inch julienne blade. If you have one, this is a great opportunity to use it. If you don’t, just try to keep your potato pieces as close as possible to equal size so they’ll all get done at the same time.

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A mandoline is a handy tool to have around the kitchen. Click here to order one, or at the bottom of the post is another link if you’re interested.

Peel the potatoes for homemade fries or not?

I like the peel left on, but I will tell you this. If you are using a mandoline, a peeled potato goes through much more easily. When I cooked the potatoes for this post I left about half of them unpeeled. Again, it’s really a matter of personal taste.

Homemade french fries aren’t as unhealthy as you might think

Now, I’m not trying to tell you that this is health food. It’s really just a simple dish – a throwback to my childhood for me. For some people, it will take you back to a trip to Europe where “frites” are a common dish. But, truthfully, if cooked properly, they aren’t greasy at all. I poured the oil back into a measuring cup when I had finished frying four small skillets of fries. I had only one ounce less than when I started.

To lighten it up as much as possible, be sure to thoroughly drain your fries. Also, the aioli can be made with non-fat yogurt and light mayonnaise and it’s just as delicious.

Creole Aioli makes a fun dipping sauce for homemade french fries

That’s kind of a thing in restaurants in our area these days. Whatever little finger food snack being served is dressed up with an aioli or other type of sauce for dipping. Of course, if you want to go old school you can stick with traditional ketchup, but we think it’s fun to update an old classic and this is a great way to do it. The aioli comes together in just a few minutes. You can kick it up with a little hot sauce, but if heat isn’t your thing just leave that out. It’s still way flavorful. An alternative dipping sauce is Remoulade. Are you a fan? We’ve got a great recipe.

If you love Cajun spices as much as we do check out Gouda Grits with Cajun Spice – just one of several recipes on Biscuits and Burlap using this flavorful blend.

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Tips for Making Homemade French Fries

• Cut the potatoes into pieces as equal in size as possible (use a mandolin if you have one)
• Oil amounts will vary according to the size of your skillet, but you want to have the potatoes covered with oil
• Heat the oil to medium heat before adding the potatoes – if a small piece of potato sizzles when you add it, the oil is at the right temperature
• Add the potatoes a few at the time to prevent the oil from cooling
• Stir a few times while the potatoes fry to promote even cooking
• Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels or other absorbent paper
• Salt while still hot and toss slightly to distribute the salt
• Every stove and pan are going to cook differently, so cooking times and temperatures are approximate, but the short video below shows what the fries will look like when they are browned to perfection

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For the All-American meal with a southern twist, make these fries and our Pimento Cheese Stuffed Burger Sliders. 

Or, how about Crab Cakes with a Cajun Cream sauce? Sounds like the perfect “small plate” meal.

Finish up with something sweet. Mini chocolate chip cheesecakes are just the ticket!

This recipe and lots of other great ones can be found at Meal Plan Monday