What tool/technique would you use to cut your own waffle fries? My dad wants to make them at home, and my mom wants to get him whatever kitchen gadget is necessary to make that happen as a Christmas present, but we’re not sure how it works. I thought it involved the julienne blade on a mandoline, but I could be wrong. Any kitchen-whiz Dopers care to share?
There’s a whole bunch of cool stuff here:
http://recipegal.com/shopping/handy-gadgets.htm
The waffler is near the bottom of the page.
I have an implement that belonged to my husband’s grandmother, so it is umpty-umpt years old. It’s essentially a wavy blade on a handle. You slice the potato, rotate it 90 degrees for the next slice, and, voila! Waffle-cut potatoes! The trick is to make the slices thin enough that you slice through the “valleys” of your first cut. That’s what makes the holes.
I’ll take a picture of it and post it.
You can also get a mandoline with interchangeable blades, which is nice because you can use it for many more purposes.
I bought a very good one years ago and it has paid for itself many times over.