French fried potatoes – FRIETEN

Strange is the way of eating and serving typical French Fried Potatoes (Frieten) in Belgium. Frieten are  served in a typical bag (frietzak) and the way of presenting the frieten is sometimes disgusting (meat, vegetables, dip sauces and frieten all mixed together). In this chapter you will find some information about the Belgian fries (history – recipe – pictures).
 

Together with delicious Belgian chocolate, the Belgian potato fry is certainly the product that is the most characteristic of Belgian culinary expertise.  Over the years, fries have become known world wide to the delight of adults and children in practically all countries and we can be proud that they actually originate from Belgium.

 

HISTORY

Belgian Fries are part of Belgian culinary and cultural heritage. Even if they are sometimes referred to as French Fries there is nothing French about them. Apparently the name originated due to a linguistic misunderstanding, because in old English ‘to French’ meant ‘cut into sticks’. According to the Belgian historian Jo Gerard, chips appeared on the dining tables in Namur, French speaking Ardennes and Dinant in the latter half of the 17th century. Poorer inhabitants in these towns used to fry tiny fish. When the river froze in the winter the fish were replaced by sticks of potatoes cut to the same small size of the fish.

 

The FRIETKOT and the FRIETZAK

Freedom fries, chips, or frites – whichever name you prefer to use – they’re Belgian! And we take this responsibility very seriously. Made with Belgian Bintje potatoes, cooked twice and served in a paper cone with a side of mayonnaise, these Belgian treats embody potato perfection. A favorite place to sample our fries are at frietkots or fritures, which are outdoor vendors who sell – you guessed it – Belgian fries. There are more than 4000 frietkots throughout Belgium and many carry a selection of over 50 dipping sauces to choose from. The Frietkot (fry shop) was voted the most typical “Face of Belgium”.  Another great victory for our unsurpassed streetfood! The traditional way to eat French fries in Belgium is in a special bag, called the frietzak

RECIPES

RECIPE 1

Peel aprox. 1.3 kg potatoes

Wash them carefully

Cut the peeled potatoes in "chips"
(thick sticks from +/- 12 mm)

Put the thermostat of the deeep frier on 160 degrees Celcius
Use only beef suet (if you want the reel ones)
Bake the chips a first time until they are cooked (5 to 7 minutes)
 

Take them out of the deep frier and let them stand for a few minutes
Heat your deep frier to 180 degrees Celcius
Bake now your chips a second
time until they are crunchy

Don't bake too many chips at the same time, a maximum of 200 to 300 grams

Bon Appetite!

RECIPE 2
 

Follow these instructions carefully and enjoy the wonderful taste of the real Belgian Fries.

Start by peeling some potatoes. Cut them in slices 1 cm (3/8") thick and finally cut them into fries of 1 cm square. Dry the fries well in paper or a towel before putting them into the oil.

Note: some people like to put them in cold water for a few minutes: this washes out much of the starch and tends to make them less sticky after the first frying and more crispy after the second.

Heat the oil in a hot frying pan or deep fryer to a temperature of 160°C (320°F). Put in a handfull of fries: not more at once because the oil will cool down too much. Fry for a few minutes (4-8 depending on the thickness and the kind of potatoes), stir regularly to prevent sticking. Put the fries into a large bowl with kitchenpaper and let them 'sweat' for at least 1/2 hour.

Finally heat to 180°C (360°F) and fry for 2 minutes until crispy and golden brown. This way the fries will be crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, the way they should be!

Serve with a little salt (no vinegar pleeeeease) and some mayonnaise.

A list of No-no's

·         Do not slice them too thin (see below). 1 cm square is the perfect dimension. Try to cut them rectangular: pointed ends tend to burn. You'll need more patatoes of course.

·         Do not put in too many fries at once: the oil will cool down and your fries will be too wacky and greasy.

·         Do not fry them the first time until they become brown.

·         Never put a lid on your frying pan: this makes your fries wacky.

·         Never use frozen fries! Go to a McDonalds if you like them ...
 

 STRANGE PRESENTATIONS

Strange presentation - Friet with vegetables and dip sauces

 Strange presentation - Friet with Flemish beef stew – chicken stew

A complete friet menu

Friet is eaten with the hands
 

Friet in a frietzak with ketchup

The frietzak in a restaurant
 

Friet with mussels – a special Belgian dish
 

Strange

A pizza with friet

STEPPEGRAS

is a quite recent variant of Belgian Fries. It mainly consists of a mountain of thinly cut and crispy fried potato strips. Hidden below the fries is the meat you ordered (preferably steak).
 

DICTIONARY