The Secret of Belgian Fries!

Waffle fries, steak fries, sweet potato fries, loaded fries… fries come in all shapes and sizes. But what’s the perfect fry, the kind we make best here in Belgium? Because it’s Fry Week, we at FRITEL are excited to share our tips for making the tastiest fries. Because everything you make yourself just tastes that little bit better… (Although we do love a fry from the local chip shop once in a while 😉).

Tips & Tricks

Tip 1: The beginning is… easy!
Let’s get started! The perfect fry obviously begins with picking the right potato… Luckily, supermarkets make it super easy these days by labeling whether the potatoes are best for fries or mash. Handy, right? But if you’re still not sure: for fries, you want to go for starchy potatoes.

Tip 2: Happiness is in a small fry
In many countries, people believe the number 13 brings bad luck… but without realizing it, 13 is actually a very important number for Belgians! Because the ideal Belgian fry is about 13 mm thick. So grab that ruler! Just kidding… about 13 mm is just fine! Just make sure to cut your fries into as evenly sized sticks as you can, so they all cook up nice and crispy.

Tip 3: Oven, air fryer or …?
Oven fries or air fryer fries? Real Belgian fries, of course, should be made in a deep fryer! But what makes a deep fryer really good? Have you ever heard of the cold zone? It’s a special feature found in some (and most of our) fryers. The cold zone keeps the oil cooler in the bottom of the fryer. This way, crumbs and small bits that fall off during frying sink to the bottom and don’t burn immediately. Not only does this mean cleaner, longer-lasting oil, but it also makes your fries taste better, without that bitter aftertaste you can get from burnt crumbs.

Tip 4: Greasy tip…
The second-to-last, and probably the most important tip… choose the right oil! The best option is oil with a neutral flavor, so it doesn’t add any bitterness or burnt taste to your fries. While olive oil is healthier for frying, we actually recommend avoiding it. It burns quickly and gives off a bitter taste at high temperatures. Our top recommendation: Vandemoortele frying oil!

But if you happen to be out of oil… solid fat will work too! Just make sure you’re using one of our Turbo SF® or FryTastic® models that have a special feature for melting solid fat. Be sure to follow our instructions for properly (and safely) melting solid fat (link to our blog article about this).

Tip 5: Psst… the secret
I can already hear you asking… What makes these fries so crispy? To get the perfect, crispy fries, the trick is in double frying. How do you do it? Simple. First, fry your fries at 150°C (302°F), then let them rest for a bit. After that, fry them again at 190°C (374°F) until they’re golden brown. It might seem like a bit more work, but the difference in taste is immediate!