Forgot one more fave that hasn’t seem to have come up yet… gravy!
Thanks or backing me up featherlou!
I found another chocolate shake dunker yesterday. We were discussing who’s fries are better and I mentioned this. My boss said he used to do it, and it sounded so good that he went and got fries and a shake for dinner. We also determined that historically McD’s is the best for this combo, although Burger King may be better now since they changed their fries.
I’m with Snooooopy. For years I needed vinegar and ketchup with my fries until one day I left McD’s without ketchup. They are truly the best fries in North America.
Since I had just sat down to eat a big plate of only fries I thought this was the right thread to respond to. I am with AWB on this one, I like mustard and ketchup. Only I just put my ketchup on top of the mustard and dip the fries in it so every fry has a slightly different taste. I have even got my kids eating their fries this way. My husband likes soy sauce on his fries though.
What should go on a French Fry?
It depends. There’s different kinds of fries, made differently, and they all deserve a different kind of attention.
First, there’s the basic fast-food fry, exemplified by McDonald’s fries, for years the best FF fry you could get. When cooked long enough, the McDonald’s fry is sublime - hot, greasy, and salty. This fry doesn’t need any additions, it is perfect in itself. Sadly, what could be a nearly rapturous fry experience is ruined when the fries are undercooked, undersalted, or cold. Mushy, bland, or hard fries are nobody’s idea of a treat. If this happens to you, you may as well put ketchup on them, because at that point, you can’t damage them anymore. Putting ketchup, mustard, or anything else on a good, well-made fast food fry is blasphemous and punishible by dunking the perpetrator in a deep fryer for 3 minutes or until crispy golden-brown.
Next is what I like to call the “standard” fry. Not because it is a standard to measure by, but because it’s what you’ll get at just about any food establishment that doesn’t have a playground attached. It’s thicker, blander, and almost always more undercooked than the fast food fry. These are the fries for dunking, scooping, whatever. My personal favorite is chili and cheese from Tommy’s, which is only in the L.A. area. In the absence of that, ranch dressing is good. In fact, just about any kind of creamy salad dressing is good. Or, I suppose, you could even use ketchup. It’s not like I can stop you, even though you probably should be stopped.
Next on the “fry list” is the wedge. This is a mighty chunk of potato, usually with some skin still attached. These are usually so dry that they cry out for some sort of coating, but their shape can make it difficult to scoop large quantities of whatever liquid fat you like best. Just do what you have to do.
Last, we have “novelty” fries. These range from Jack In The Box curly fries and Carl’s Junior Criss-Cut fries to some of the strangely spiced things they serve at the trendier chain restaurants. And here you’re on your own. I can’t figure out everything for you. As George W. Bush would probably say (if he cared about important things like fries instead of boring and useless stuff like the Presidency), “I trust the American people to make their own decisions.” And I’d add, “even if they are the sick, twisted, violently deranged sort of people who put ketchup on innocent fries.”
- Chili
- Cheese (American)
- Pepper
- Ketchup
I’ll take mustard, A-1, or Malt Vinegar on fries.
The malt vinegar is what’s served with Fish&Chips.
I used to get it on regular fries at a favorite park as a kid, where it was the norm.
Depends on the type of fry.
Limp, lukewarm, greasy McD’s - the other trash in the trash can
Crunchy, warm, tasty BK’s - perhaps a BIT of ketchup
Curly, Spicy, or Spicy Potato Wedge - MMMmmmm, needs no help
Waffle cut - Cocktail sauce, heavy on horseradish
Big, fat, dry fries - A-1
–Tim
Frozen stuff at home: A handful of shredded Cheddar cheese
McDonald’s: BBQ sauce
Anywhere else: Ketchup or BBQ sauce, although I’ve used thousand island dressing, tartar sauce, blue cheese dressing, or whatever else was handy. I’m not picky.
Robin
That’s a tough one!
They always need salt, but they might be served with enough.
With fish & chips, malt vinegar to start, and maybe dip in the tartar sauce.
Otherwise, hot sauce or plain vinegar work.
But nobody has mentioned poutine! That’s porklet’s standard or wedge chips with “cheese curds” (something like dry large-curd cottage cheese), all drowned in gravy. Yes, it’s a cholesterol bomb, but you wouldn’t want those arteries to get all soft and flabby, would you?
There are two things I like on french fries. Those two things are Barbeque Sauce and Honey Mustard Dressing. I don’t like catsup, mustard, mayonaise, or anything like that. Just the Barbeque Sauce and Honey Mustard Dressing. (By the way not the two things together. I like either)
i love Heinz BBQ sauce…aioli is nice too
I agree. mcdonald’s is definitely the best fry/shake combo. others may have the best individual fry, or the best individual shake, but nobody can touch mcdonald’s on the fry/shake marriage.
Also, while the fries are wonderful with any flavor shake, chocolate is definitely the best. Also, a little extra salt on the fries before you dunk ads to the experience.
Second place would be in-n-out, i’d think. i haven’t tried bk in a while. jack in the box is probably the worst.
…and they must only be eaten in a “diner” - the holy land of french fries in gravy.
My pref: ketchup ‘n’ salt OR white vinegar and salt (crinkle cuts only) OR with an assorted hot ‘n’ spicy mix of cayenne, chili pepper, salt and other spices.
Vinegar - usually malt, but white is okay too. Once in a while, for a change of pace, HP sauce.
I love ocean fries, with malt vinegar and Old Bay crab seasoning (damn right I’m from Baltimore). If I have fries with steak (not often, steak needs a baked potato on the side), I’ll dip them in A1 steak sauce. Fast food fries I take plain, but heavily salted. I think my salt sensing taste buds are underdeveloped, since I feel compelled to drown many kinds of foods with salt.
I just eat them any way they come.
It’s like any other form of potato, or for that matter, any other menu item, if the chef thinks it’s an ok idea, or one of my friends, I probably will too. I’m the least-picky eater among any of the people I know.
Tartar sauce or a chocolate freezy drink. Not both together. Ick. I’ve found the best chocolate freezy stuff for fries comes from Wendy’s. Absolute bliss that combination. It’s hot and cold, starchy/salty and sweet/chocolatey all at the same time.
It’s garlic & parsley on fries for me, all the way. VERY finely mince raw garlic and fresh parsley together until they are almost as fine as coarse dust. Sprinkle this mixture on red-hot fries right out of the fryer. The heat from the fries slightly cooks the garlic, taking some of the intensity out of the rawness. In my opinion, nobody does this better than the Gordon Biersch brewery, and there is nothing better than watching a San Jose Sharks game at the GB brewery over a plate of aromatic garlic fries and a couple of their good brewskis.