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What happens to a potato when you fry it?
When cooked at high temperatures, sugars react with amino acids, including asparagine, in a chemical process known as the Maillard reaction. The reaction is what gives fried potatoes their prized flavor and color, but it is also what produces acrylamide.
Why do French fries stick together?
Overcrowding your frying pan with raw potatoes, especially if they’re not at room temperature, causes it to lose heat quickly and recover that heat slowly. By the time it has stabilized, it’s typically too late, and the fries have stuck irreversibly to your pan. The jury’s out as to exactly why this happens.
Why do homemade fries turn brown?
Starch granules on the surface absorb the surface moisture and expand. In contrast, fries made with lower-starch/higher-moisture potatoes get brown before they lose all their moisture. They tend to turn limp after standing a short time because of the steam trapped under the surface.
Why do my potatoes stick together?
The surface tension of water helps it form a hermetic seal between flat surfaces. That causes potato chunks to stick together from the start. During cooking, that bond is further welded by starches and proteins. They seep out of the cut cells.
How do you keep potatoes from sticking to each other?
Remove them from the water and let them air dry on paper towels. Once they are completely dry, pan-fry them on medium heat using a few tablespoons of oil to make sure that they crisp up and don’t stick. (Pro tip: Use clarified butter for extra flavor and richness.)
Why do you soak potatoes before making fries?
The soaking, Mr. Nasr said, is the secret to the crisp texture of the fries. It draws out the starch, making them more rigid and less likely to stick together. The cooks fry them twice, first blanching them until slightly limp in peanut oil heated to 325 degrees, and again in 375-degree oil to crisp and brown them.
Why do you put french fries in cold water?
Soaking peeled, washed and cut fries in cold water overnight removes excess potato starch, which prevents fries from sticking together and helps achieve maximum crispness.
Why do my fried potatoes stick together?