These fries, which started in cold oil, were so good I made them three times within a week or two, the second two times just for myself. It did, however, take three tries before they came out so well. The first try came out nearly burnt, the second were at least edible but still too crisp. Turned out thickness matters.
Mark Guydish |for Times Leader
Look! A genuine 1960s “Veg-O-Matic”! My brother the flea-market fan found one for me as a surprise Christmas gift decades ago, and it sat in a box of unused stuff in the attic since MT & I married, but I dug it up to make French Fries using a “cold start” method that worked great with the thicker-cut fries. Alas, I also realized how much I’ve allowed the attic storage to fall into disarray.
Mark Guydish |for Times Leader
Back in the 60s I loved mom’s French fries and I mocked the Ronco Veg-O-Matic commercials.
In trying this recipe, which begins by placing the cut potatoes in cold oil, I rediscovered the flavor of Mom’s fries. But getting them to taste so good took two failed attempts, prompting me to dig up an old Veg-O-Matic my brother gave me so long ago it was forgotten in a storage box.
If you’re old enough you remember the Ronco commercials “Introducing this year’s most affordable food processor” promising that “Nothing makes mom’s perfect French fries faster or better!”
Veg-O-Matic inspired endless spoofs: comedian Gallagher’s trademark “Sledge-O-Matic”, Dan Akroyd pitching the “Super Bass-O-Matic 76” on Saturday Night Live, and even the animated, Christian-centric Veggie Tales offering the Ronco Forgive-O-Matic.
Why resurrect the relic? Mom had one of those “chipper” devices that sat flat on the counter with a square steel cutter on one end. Put a potato in, press a large lever, and the spud is forced through a grid of blades. They were, by modern fast-food standards, thick-cut fries, but irresistible to me.
Once on my own, I did a reasonable recreation, though I had to cut the spuds with a knife, trying to get them even. That changed with the Veg-O-Matic, which may have been meant as a retro-gift for the shelf but became an actual kitchen tool because it cut fries about the same size as mom’s.
MT and her mom do not deep-fry. Once married, French fries disappeared from my home menu. But when I first saw a chef on America’s Test Kitchen demonstrate the “cold start” method, I was intrigued. Starting with the oil at room temperature substantially lengthens the actual cooking time (though not the overall time), but I had to try it.
The recipe calls for cutting unpeeled Yukon gold potatoes into ¼-inch sticks, and my mandolin had a blade for that, so I made a batch of thin fries using the cold start method, and pretty much tossed them on the compost heap. By following the cooking times, they came out too dark.
I tried a second time, trying to pull them out as soon as they turned golden. These were edible, even tasty, but both MT and I agreed most of them were much too crisp.
The logical assumption — and memory of mom’s thicker fries — prompted me to recover the Veg-O-Matic, which uses two circular blade assemblies to make them more versatile than the old chipper cutter. Set the top blade in one position you get fries (or diced veggies). Turn the top blade and you get “thick sliced” veggies, Turn it again and you get “thin sliced.”
The spud sticks were only about 1/8 inch thicker than the mandolin version, but it proved a game changer. As long as I kept an eye on the cooking taters and pulled them out at golden brown, they tasted great. MT agreed. I liked them so much I kept the oil on the stove and used it to cook up two more batches for myself later that week.
A cautionary coda: I made them a few weeks later and came close to lighting the kitchen on fire. Our old electric stove has no signal warning a burner is still on (the single red light burned out years ago and I couldn’t find a replacement). I inadvertently left the heat on under the oil while I ate the fries and returned to the kitchen to find the oil ablaze in the pot. A few more minutes at it could have spread into disaster. I put the lid on the pot to douse the flames, then vented the house, but it reminded me we had no functioning fire extinguisher in the kitchen. We do now, as well as a fire blanket.
It’s definitely time to stop procrastinating and update the kitchen.
Dobru chut!
Cold-Start French Fries (America’s Test Kitchen)
2 1/2 pounds unpeeled Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into ¼ inch sticks (I cut mine a bit wider)
1½ quarts peanut oil
salt to taste
Combine potatoes and oil in large Dutch oven. Place on stove, turn heat to high, and cook until oil reaches rolling boil, about 5 minutes.
Continue to cook, without stirring, until potatoes start to turn golden and exteriors are crisp, about 15 minutes (Keep an eye on them, time may vary).
Stir potatoes with tongs and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden and crisp, another 5 to 10 minutes (again, watching regularly for proper color).
Transfer fries to paper towel–lined rimmed baking sheet to drain. Season with salt to taste, and serve.
Local journalism matters, and your support makes it possible. You can help sustain this work by making a donation or choosing one of our subscription options. Subscribers enjoy valuable benefits, including full access to our e-edition, a reduced ad experience on timesleader.com, and more.
Your support helps ensure independent, high-quality local news remains available today and for future generations. Thank you for standing with local journalism.
