From our friends at Medium Rare...
They may be called french fries, but Americans consume around 2 million tons of them per year. Whether dipped in ketchup, covered in chili and cheese, or served up another way, we just can’t get enough of them. Most of the time people are dining on french fries from restaurants or frozen ones, but for those who want to make their own at home Medium Rare is dishing up the tips on how to make them perfect.
“The perfect fry is really a labor of patience and love,” explains Mark Bucher, co-owner of Medium Rare, with two locations in the D.C. area. “From finding the perfect potato, to the cutting, soaking, drying, blanching, then overnight refrigeration, before the last fry, the process takes will take over 24 hours, just for a french fry.”
Bucher explains that many restaurants have shortened process this by opting to use good frozen fry, such as with many fast-food restaurants. However, at Medium Rare, they prefer the tried and true artisanal French method. They only do two items, steak and fries, so they both need to be the best.
Here are some tips from Medium Rare to help make the perfect french fry:
Potatoes. It’s important to start with the right kind of potatoes. The best kind of potato to use for making fries is a GPOD or Yukon Gold.
Preparation. The best way to prepare the potato is to hand cut into 1/4 inch strips, skin on, then soak overnight in cold water. Then fry in Pure Canola oil first at 225 degrees for 4 minutes, then refrigerate overnight, then fry again at 375 degrees for 2 minutes.
Oil. Making good fries requires precise fryer oil temperature management. Thought has to go into how many fries to place in the fryer at once, how long they should cook, and then how long to wait before putting in the next batch to be fried.
Secret sauce. Some people will eat their fries straight up with just a dash of salt and their favorite dipping sauce. Others like to use a secret seasoning combination. It’s all about finding which one each person prefers.
Medium Rare is known for its “secret sauce” that is used on the steak and frites. Their sauce truly is a secret, with not a single employee knowing what goes into the recipe. To keep it a secret, they have people at various locations make certain parts of the sauce. This way, they don’t know the entire process. Only the owners know the entire process of their secret sauce, and they personally put the finishing touches on each batch, using unlabeled containers.
“When you make your own fries try to make them your own by giving them a special touch,” added Bucher. “That’s what we have done and our special touch has made our steak and frite must-haves in the D.C. area.”
Bucher is a serial entrepreneur, who was the originator and founder of a groundbreaking burger establishment in Washington D.C. area. He started cooking when he was six and has worked some of D.C.’s busiest restaurants and with world renowned chefs. Today his focus is on Medium Rare, which only specializes in steak frites and their secret sauce. The restaurant offers steak and fries served, in a fun and relaxed neighborhood. For more information, visit the site at: www.mediumrarerestaurant.com.
About Medium Rare:
Medium Rare is restaurant that has two locations in the Washington D.C. area. The restaurant specializes in steak frites (steak and fries), and is famous for its secret sauce on the steak. In addition to their popular dinner, they also serve a weekend brunch, and end every meal with a piece of Bazooka gum. For more information, visit the site: www.mediumrarerestaurant.com.
