What's your favorite thing to dip french fries in?

[thegirlwholovestoeat]

I like a spicy aioli but don't have a good recipes to make it myself. Any ideas or alternatives?

[rlb1251]

Strawberry malt, yum

[arktos]

Homemade tartar sauce, and the mayonaisse has to be the Japanese Kewpie brand.

-White onions, finely chopped
-Japanese Kewpie mayonaisse
-Dill pickle relish
-Lemon juice
-Worchestershire sauce
-Brown mustard
-Tabasco sauce
-Garlic powder, pinch
-Salt & pepper

[exvaxman]

My kid thinks that I am crazy, but I do a home sauce of Mayo, garlic juice (I do my own), and horseradish. Works for me. My kid just does ketchup.

When I fry in duck fat, I only use salt.

[DonShirer]

I've always been a ketchup dipper, but today at Penny Lane Pub they served a peppery mustard/mayo sauce with their excellent sweet potato fries that may be my new winner. Brought some home to see if I can figure out what's in it and to try out with other foods.

[aynrandgirl]

Mayo with chopped raw garlic. Gotta be raw, no bite or burn otherwise.
Olive oil with chopped raw garlic, fresh ground black pepper, and rosemary.
Habañero or jalapeño ketchup. Chopped fresh peppers are superior to bottled, but bottled will do in a pinch.

[nyxpooka]

I like butter. Hee hee. I know I am bad, but its yummy. lol

[Passadumkeg]

Lard!
Masokeg

[Passadumkeg]

Sate sauce.

[amyzan]

I'm in the mayo camp. Plain, garlic, basil, chipotle, or parsley, any kind of mayo really.

[Roarasaur]

My favorite would have to be wasabi or garlic mayo. But when I have it at home, I usually load my mayo with a little more wasabi than when I have it outside. YUMMMM. I'm getting hungry just thinking about it now...

[Passadumkeg]

Chile con queso dip w/ lots of green chile; FF's are better than tortilla chips!

[FoodFuser]

(May I assume that your "FF's" are taters, and not crispy deep fried FoodFusers?)

I've done tater FF's in a dip that is slurried
from green chiles enfolded in mayo.
And though I love cheese
I haven't yet tried them
dipped in a capsicum queso.

[Passadumkeg]

Fried Food Fusers are confusing
Dropped dough is prone to bruisiing.
Has good taste, but is tasteless
Though descended from the Duke de Pillsbury
Is definitely not a "fried" French

[FoodFuser]

I prefer to keep thread
away from fry-bread
even though might be lineage
from the Pillsbury Duke.

We're talking of taters that slide down the gullet
with a good dip facilitating that glide of the Russet.
I'll wager that mayo
is smoother than queso.

Whether or not the dip contains chilis.

[Passadumkeg]

I've eatin' mayo on my pomme frit Since "78,
So don't have a fit.
In Norway, it
Is the only way.
Served on moules frit too.
Pannestekked torske tonger ogso.

Mayo of fried cod tongues and chips.

[jmcarthur8]

There are little packets of some kind of hot sauce for the chili at Wendy's that DH and my son ask for just to dip their fries in.
It's actually pretty good. Don't know what's in it.

For me, probably mayo. Malt vinegar. Tartar sauce. Ketchup if I'm at a burger joint.

[EWSflash]

Oh, is that the chili seasoning? Haven't had that in years but I just love it. It would be awesome with fries, or nearly anything

[stilldontknow]

Depends on the style of chip but my favourites are:

Salt and Vineger
Salt and Sauce(Edinburgh thing, British spicy brown sauce diluted, vinegary and spicy)
Brown Gravy
Chinese Curry Sauce
Mayo
Ketchup

[chefathome]

Totally forgot about dill dip.

[srsone]

heinz ketchup...
dukes mayo....
tartar sauce..
brown gravy wet fries...

and when we go to disneyworld we always get fries at raglan road in downtown disney...
they have a cheese and bacon sauce thats awesome...

[mamachef]

Homemade tomato mayonnaise (sometimes we toss in a little crunchy bacon bits), garlic aioli, sriracha, or malt vinegar and salt.......
In truth, the malt-n-salt is my true favorite. (Salivating)
(Edit) I also love to dip them in the yolk of my medium fried egg. And they're great with Hollandaise, too.

[chefathome]

Bearnaise
Cumberland sauce
Wasabi mayo
Roasted garlic aioli
Homemade papaya ketchup
Malt vinegar
I also make truffled salt which is lovely to sprinkle on fries when in the mood

[L987]

bearnaise and ketchup (just kinda mixed on the plate)

homemade mayo (flavored with something good)

[VeggieHead]

It depends on the fries. When I was a teenager, I worked at a place that had big steak fries and I LOVED scooping up tartar sauce with them! Still like tartar sauce on my fries, but a doctored up ketchup with garlic, black pepper, and, preferably, chipotle hot sauce gets the nod, nowadays... or a spicy aioli. Still like a good crisp fry, sprinkled with a bit of black truffle salt.. so do the kids. My son.. not a dipper and turned my 8 yr old niece onto the truffle salt now.

[italia84]

sriracha mixed with mayo. if I'm in Amsterdam, I love the Samurai sauce, which is essentially the same thing. Failing that, malt vinegar or even mustard. I also love the wasabi mayo at trader Joe's.

and OMG my parnter does the chocolate frosty thing, too!!!

[alliegator]

Sriracha!! Normally, I'm not much a fries gal, but I'll take anything that can get sriracha from the bottle into my mouth.

[Passadumkeg]

Red chile powder or for a meal, red chile & pork gravy topped w/ grated cheddar cheese and diced red onion.
Every thing's better w/ red chile on it.

[cimui]

Mmm... anyone else try pesto as a dip? It's not my VERY favorite, but it's very good!

[CreativeFoodie42]

If you make fresh pesto, add a little Greek or plain non-fat yogurt to make it more of a creamy dip. Adding mayo is another idea.

[EWSflash]

I LIKE the idea!

[mamachef]

You can also make a creamy cilantro pesto, and season the fries with cumin and a dash of lime.

[DishDelish]

That sounds delicious, especially since my fav. place to eat fries here in AK makes them with fresh garlic, and cilantro (and I like to order with cheese as well). Cilantro is perfection on fries!

[Lucia]

Mayo

[Warmsandz]

Ancho or Chipoltle mayo!!! Slurrrrrp!!!

[DishDelish]

Mayonnaise!!! Sometimes mayo and ketchup and sometimes mayo and bbq sauce or just by its lonesome is wonderful too. Mmmmm-mmm! Of course this is very fattening so I try not to overdo it. Of course I do love garlic as well but my fav. place to get fries at ( The Bear Tooth Grill) already puts a generous amount of fresh garlic on my fries.

[mattyjaco]

147 replies and no Big Mac Sauce? I order a whole kid size cup

[ktmoomau]

Hummus- good hummus from a lebanese deli or homemade, not store bought needs to be creamier than store bought.

Old Bay and malt vinegar.

[sebetti]

mayo

But if I could go back in time and get fries from Suzanne's Frituur in rural Belgium, I'd get them with the meat sauce (and mayo) and eat them EVERY DAY. (Of course, I would also need to have that teen-age metabolism again too.)

[sighmesigh]

Maybe I missed it, but in all these replies, I've not seen my favorite dip for french fires, tartar sauce.

[ktmoomau]

It's up there somewhere...

[Clobberella]

Sriracha & mayo
Honey mustard
Homemade ketchup

[amethiste]

My usual ff dip is ranch dressing. However, if I am having a bacon cheeseburger with rosemary garlic fries at my favorite local Belgian style brew pub, I dip my fries in the excellent mayo that comes on the side.

[racer x]

"What's your favorite thing to dip french fries in?"

My mouth.
(French fries should be eaten naked, with salt but no sauces to distract from their natural deliciousness.
If someone held a gun to my head and forced me to choose some kind of dip, it would be whipped garlic butter or a sweet, spicy, non-vinegary barbecue sauce.)

[EWSflash]

Cocktail sauce, as in chili sauce/lemon/horseradish/pepper

or A-1 sauce. It doesn't take much and adds a lot of flavor.

[EWSflash]

Or a fabulous mayo (a homemade garlic sounds wonderful), or Arby's horsey sauce, or Arby's sauce, or a good BBQ sauce, I must be hungry.

[cathodetube]

Dijonaise - dijon mustard combined with mayo. It is even sold in squeezy bottles over here in the UK. I also love just regular French's yellow mustard.

[vorpal]

My *absolute* favourite was McDonald's Arch Deluxe sauce way back in the day... my favourite sauce for any type of fast food (great on burgers, for onion rings and fries, etc). I'm so sad that it doesn't exist anymore :(. I mix mayo and deli style mustard to get similar results, but it's not quite the same.

[alkapal]

vorpal, according to this, use 1T mayo to 1/2 t grey poupon specialty peppercorn mustard
http://www.scribd.com/doc/2251198/Arch-Deluxe

this blogger uses french's "hearty deli" brown mustard rather than grey poupon
http://recipes.calputer.com/mcdonalds-arch-deluxe-recipe.html

and, if you've forgotten, here is the arch deluxe assembly diagram: http://recipelist.blogspot.com/2008/0...
(which i gather is most critical to the "experience").

[vorpal]

Thanks so much for the heads up, alkapal! I use French's hearty deli when I make it, but I didn't know the exact ratio. I'll give that a try and see if it makes a difference! My experience so far is that it has been very close to Arch Deluxe sauce and utterly delicious, but just not quite there. (Then again, as a huge binger of Arch Deluxe sauce - I would get a small drink cup full of it every time I did takeout - perhaps I'm just being a bit too picky :D.)

[cerealpancakes]

I've had fantastic horseradish and wasabi mayo dips before.

[KristieB]

Brown gravy.

[jujuthomas]

McDonald's Chocolate shake (when I used to eat there - now I don't)
not really dipping - but covered in brown gravy, ketchup, salt and pepper. YUM! I even got DH to order it for me in a Pub in London - they thought he'd gone NUTS! haha. :)

[ukitali]

Depending on the type of fry I like them soaked in gravy, with ketchup, or with some variant of mayo...favorite one at the moment is a sweet mango chutney mayo.

[ekammin]

It used to be ketchup. Now, it's mayo (preferably the real stuff, made from egg yolks and olive oil, not powdered eggs and mystery oil, like our major commercial brands)..

[Panini Guy]

If it's a really good fry, agree that it's worth it have mayo from scratch.

We got spoiled by a local Belgian joint (Point Brugge Cafe) that's renowned for its frites. So much so that it's ruined me on fries from fast food and fast casual places.

But for those who like sweet potato fries, a roasted cumin/garam masala/yogurt dip works well. And believe it or not, if you take a jar of lime pickle and process until smooth, it's a flavor wallop with the sweet potato (or plantain).

[maria lorraine]

Wow, that sweet potato dip sounds excellent! Have a recipe??
My mouth is watering!

[FoodFuser]

That's two of us... and also a deeper description of a "lime pickle".

[alkapal]

fuser, here's an idea about lime pickle's flavor profile: http://www.bigoven.com/116255-North-Indian-Lime-Pickle-recipe.html
another version: http://www.curryfrenzy.com/curry/recipes/Lime-Pickle.html
also: http://indianfood.about.com/od/picklesandpreserves/r/nimbuachaar.htm

...or you can just order some "patak's" brand lime pickle.

ps, this translation guide for indian ingredients will help you if you find a recipe with the indian word for a spice that you don't know: http://www.wordanywhere.com/spices.html

[FoodFuser]

Thanks. When I saw "lime pickle" my mind got stalled on calcium compounds as opposed to citrus. Those look good.

[Panini Guy]

Patak's is what I use. If you've never had it before, the taste can be over-the-top, but I find the stuff is addicting. I've even used it as a salsa for chips.

For the yogurt dip, I use a 8oz tub of plain yogurt (beaten a little to smooth out), a tsp of cumin seed, toasted then ground in a spice grinder, and an 1/8 tsp of garam masala. Have also been adding 2-3 tsps chopped cilantro. It's a useful dip.

[alkapal]

>>>>>I've even used it as a salsa for chips.<<<<<
~~~~~~
man, panini guy, you are hard core! ;-).

[maria lorraine]

Great, panini guy! Thanks for the recipe and tip on lime pickle --
I can't wait to try them!

[mogo]

gravy and cheese curds.

[1stmakearoux]

My mouth!

[swamp]

Baconnaise, it rocks on french fries and many other things.

[danhole]

Really swamp? I finally gave in and ordered some for myself. I had bought a gift pack for a friend at Christmas and he was going to let me sample the Baconnaise, but never did. Bad boy! I tasted it and thought it was very smoky. Now I have to try it with fries!

Other than that I am not that crazy about fries but if they are served then I like to dip them in Chile con queso, or some kind of gravy. Occasionally I might use ketchup, just a bit, but if I'm at home I like to mix BBQ sauce with ranch and use that. There are so many good flavor combos on this thread I really need to take some notes!

[swamp]

I have to agree with you when it comes to chile con queso, it makes many things good.

[LeahBaila]

One part ketchup, one part ranch dressing.

www.thelunchbelle.com

[hotteacher1976]

Heinz Ketchup

Mustard

On occasion, either of the following:

Ice cream

Ranch dressing

Vinegar

BBQ sauce

[fern]

A chocolate shake.

[markabauman]

Chipotle mayo.

[babette feasts]

Dijon mustard.

[Muskrat]

Not spicy, but favorite things:

1) Ketchup
2) Ranch dressing
3) When I'm feeling British (or Rhode Island): malt vinegar

[CDouglas]

Wow, I totally forgot malt vinegar. Great sprinkled over fresh boardwalk fries but if you want to do it right you dip them, lightly, as you progress through the batch. The fries don't get soggy this way. Good call.

[shatoblanc]

Mayo, no question. But it has to be kewpie, a Japanese mayonnaise found in squeeze bottles at most good Asian markets. That extra touch of MSG is the BEST!

[fmed]

Bernaise
Aioli
Heinz Ketchup
Gravy
Soy plus Mayo
Laksa sauce.

[Caralien]

mayo
aioli (spicy or plain)
wasabi mayo
thick hot sauce (ie Baron's)
relish+mayo (think fried potato salad--very wrong, but very good)
vinagre
curry
ranch dressing

[cimui]

i'm thinking fried potato salad... and it's a very enjoyable thought!

[KaimukiMan]

thank goodness, I was beginning to believe I was the only person in the world who had even heard of wasabi mayo. of course this thread has got me wondering what a wasabi tartar sauce would taste like, or maybe wasabi ranch.
maybe you could do a tricolore thing, siracha pink, horseradish white, and wasabi green.

[CreativeFoodie42]

I've made a spicy ketchup with ketchup, Sriracha, tabasco, and BBQ sauce. It still has the ketchup taste but with a giant bite.

With sweet potato fries, I definitely use a garlic mayo.

[keencook1]

Home made aioli gets my vote, or curry mayo.

[CDouglas]

Since I was a kid I made a joined ketchup-mustard dip that is my fry dip of choice.

[stilton]

Ketchup & mustard here too. I like them in adjoined puddles so that the dipped fry has a ketchup side and a mustard side along the vertical.

I don't know why, but some of my friends get freaked out whenever I request mustard for my fries. Jeebus, it's not exotic cuisine!

[CDouglas]

I do it like this as well. It makes a red and yellow, yin-yang pattern in the ramekin.

[gmk1322]

I'll go ahead and say it...Wendy's Original Chocolate Frosty! The fries are sturdy and salty enough while the Frosty just the right blend of sugar and proper consistency to result in a blissful pairing of salt and sweet.

[food_eater79]

In college it was mayo and ketchup mixed. Still awesome, but now I sub bbq sauce for the ketchup and add some garlic powder or minced into it. YUM, but so bad for you :)

[scuzzo]

Yes on the mayo and BBQ sauce!

[amazinc]

Palomino in Seattle (if it's still there) serves a hubcap sized platter of waffle fries and between each layer they sprinkle crumbles of Gorgonzola cheese. The hot fries melt the cheese and Heaven is in each bite. OMG sheer Heaven!

[alkapal]

that sounds good, amazinc, but i don't find it on their menu, unless it is "Crisp potatoes gorgonzola, béchamel sauce, cracked black pepper" under the "shared plates" section: http://www.r-u-i.com/pdf/menus/Palomino-Seattle-Dinner.pdf

the dish you describe is certainly not what i'd *expect* from that menu description, though. ;-).

btw, they have several locations in various states: http://www.palomino.com/

[Phurstluv]

Aww , that sounds awesome. I wonder if they have an outpost in Westwood?! I will look at their menu!

Oh, happy day, they do!! It's right near my DH's office, so I will be going soon. He's panned the place, but he gets to eat out everyday, not like me!!

[elrik]

I has a secret stash of condiment tubes from germany. It's a ketchup and mayo swirl. I know it's easy enough to do ketchup and then mayo, but having the swirly tube is so cool. For spice I usually add some chipotle/adobo sauce, but after everyone's sriracha comments I will have to use it next time as it is one of my fav hot condiments as is....

[Sal Vanilla]

Bernaise, thousand island with sriracha in it, ranch, gravy - milk or otherwise.

Scuzzo - I am so with you on the Frosty!

[Jelly71]

another vote for 1000 Island w/ sriracha - it's my fave dip for krinkle cut fries.

[LadyCook61]

I've made pickapepper with mayo as a dip.

[alkapal]

i just had for lunch some pickapeppa on my crab-stuffed sole, over some leftover green pea shoots with garlic (from hong kong palace, in falls church, va). http://www.pickapeppa.com/

good on eggs and grits, too, with some hot chopped peppers. (on the right) http://www.hometownfavorites.com/prod...

[juniper77]

Gravy. Proper, Northern England chip shop gravy.

[Scargod]

What's is it? All I can find is that it may be a beef stock based brown gravy. Northern variety?

[Harters]

Not my choice but I understand why juniper77 might pick it.

Chippy gravy is catering gravy - nothing refined and, let's be honest, a bit industrial in its taste - but it's what you what you'd want on top of your Hollands steak pudding & chips.

[juniper77]

Exactly, Harters. And where I was brought up, most of the chippy's were Chinese, so it usually had a Chinese-y aroma - I think I'd probably say now it was a touch of five spice!

[stilldontknow]

Or you could go the whole hog and have chips and curry sauce. The sauce being made from a Chinese maysan curry block.

[heatcrave]

Anything that is creamy and spicy...... homemade ranch dressing with sriracha, blue cheese dressing with sriracha, a spicy remoulade. Nothing like dipping a fat carb stick in more fat. mmmmmmm

[Harters]

Fried egg

[JungMann]

My favorite frites shop in NYC makes a delicious peanut-based "war sauce." But if patatje oorlog sounds a little too exotic, simple melted boursin cheese is also a terrific topping for fries.

[kattyeyes]

"WAR! Good god, y'all! What is it good for?" I would try it. ;)

[linguafood]

I hear ya on the oorlog sauce. I always thought it sounded revolting -- I'm a mayo & ketchup kinda gal myself -- but during a recent trip in/to Amsterdam, I couldn't resist giving it a shot. I'm not saying I can have that all the time with my frites, but something about the combo mayo/peanut sauce/raw onions is just simply awesome.

[JungMann]

Patatje oorlog might be pretty different from Pommeskrieg, but I think we all understand the universal language of lekker!

[linguafood]

Totally!

[newfie29]

Ketchup, mustard and mayo, mixed.

[jfood]

Heinz 57...one for each frie.

[Scargod]

Don't give Heinz 57 to the small fry! (too rich)

[jfood]

That's an interesting question S.

At what point does the frie become so small that you need two of them to justify a dip.

[Scargod]

When you have to use fries like chopsticks, to pick up the small fry, so your fingers don't get wet.

[ipsedixit]

In no particular order:

Ketchup

Ranch dressing

Teriyaki sauce

Honey mustard

[sasha1]

Just honey. Holdover from long ago McD chicken nugget days. But only if the fries are salted and crunchy. It's a yin yang thing.

[janehathaway]

Blue Cheese dressing or brown gravy

[mochi mochi]

Bob's Big Boy Bleu Cheese Dressing and if I'm real bad, nacho cheese sauce, but not together.

[eatemup]

Used to love the Bob's fries and bleu back in the 70's in Pasadena.

[louuuuu]

In Milwaukee at Marc's Big Boy.... Big Boy, fries, side of bleu. Actually it used to come as part of the BB dinner, you'd get the blue for half a head of iceburg lettuce. Then ordered ala carte cuz more fries than with the dinner.

But just had them at the new Bobs in Pasadena (on Lake St.). Still great, especially when there's a small hunk of bleu and a frie with a pointed end that you can stab it with.

West Coast BB dressing diferent than what I had in Midwest, which was more mayo based. Marc's also used to sell the burger in a paper sleeve, that sort of steamed the bun and melded the burger, lettuce, and cheeze.

[maria lorraine]

L'Entrecote secret green sauce.

Bearnaise

Hunts Ketchup

[danhole]

maria,

What is L'Entrecote secret green sauce?

[maria lorraine]

One of my favorite restaurants in Paris is Le Relais de l'Entrecote in the Saint Germain neighborhood. All l’Entrecote serves is steak with the most amazing sauce I think I’ve ever had — I would’ve licked the plate had I been at home — with wonderful, skinny French fries— frites. The frites go with the sauce too, and the two are mindblowingly good together.

My sense that the l'Entrecote sauce is a trumped-up bearnaise -- it's so loaded with finely chopped herbs that it has turned green. Definitely butter-based, and with quite a bit more lemon and shallots than regular bearnaise.

The search for the L'Entrecote steak frites sauce
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/390560

Entrecote Steak Sauce - How to make
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/500786

[danhole]

Thanks Maria. Sounds incredibly delicious!

[fmed]

You don't have to go too far to get this secret green sauce now:
http://newyork.seriouseats.com/2009/0...

[maria lorraine]

good to know...thanks.

[FoodFuser]

If I am at a meal with fried fish and french fries, then no container of tartar sauce is safe from my marauding.

Homemade tartar sauce from Duke's is best.

If no fish, then I dip fries in mayo with heavy coarse black pepper and grated garlic. Also in ketchup, alternating between the mayo and the ketchup.

[kattyeyes]

Subliminal advertising...

YOU WANT SRIRACHA in the homemade tartar sauce. YOU MUST HAVE SRIRACHA in the homemade tartar sauce. YOUR LIFE WON'T BE COMPLETE TILL YOU PUT SRIRACHA in the homemade tartar sauce. DO IT!

Try it, you'll like it, you're FoodFuser, after all! ;)

[Phurstluv]

Oh my! You will turn me into a freak, if you keep it up!!! My next fish fry is not safe....

[scuzzo]

I just bought my first bottle of sriracha tonight, and will probably try it tomorrow. Probably mixed with mayo on a burger.

[Green Omnivore]

I can't believe I have never mixed sriracha and mayo together before. I'm definitely having it on a burger tomorrow!

[scuzzo]

OK, last night I was hungry so I mixed mayo and sriracha with garlic and canned tuna as a midnight snack. It was good. But can anything live up to all the hype? It was hotter than I was expecting, but good.

[kattyeyes]

Sriracha mayo shines with fried treats--crab cakes for one, Cap'n Crunch chicken, for two (the Planet Hollywood recipe). Lots of people have balked at Cap'n Crunch, but from the bottom of my food-lovin' heart, I say please don't knock it till you've tried it. :)

[Scargod]

I guess I'll have to try this (Cap'n Crunch Chicken), just because you say so... Bettered be gooder than a steamed burger!
Oh, it's fried! Should I or shouldn't I? I'll do it for the sriracha!

[kattyeyes]

I used this recipe, using a 2:1 ratio of Captain Crunch to panko (instead of cornflakes). I can almost guarantee you'll like it better 'cause I think you hated that burger, sniff. ;(

http://www.cdkitchen.com/recipes/recs/283/Captain_Crunch_Chicken16213.shtml

Here's the original discussion from March. Thanks to jnk and scubadoo97 for introducing the idea--and for persisting with it despite the naysayers!
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/6025...

[kattyeyes]

LOVE IT--keep it coming, Chowhounds! :)

[Scargod]

It's working! SRIRACHA, SRIRACHA, SRIRACHA. We want SRIRACHA!

[FoodFuser]

I too love the rockin' Sriracha.

However, as humans, we are all fallible. And in this tartar sauce issue, it comes down to the VISUAL appearance of a sauce that has been with me and my fries since early early in my youth. To make pink the beauty of the off-white tartar emulsion creates jarring visual discord with tartar sauce that has been evolving, white, since my youth. (I'm talking a grade school child, happily dispatched by bicycle to the local Big Boy franchise, to return home with a full pint of their famous tartar sauce, because Mom was making real fries. That stuff were'nt pink!)

However, I am open to change on the taste aspect. Since Sriracha is basically chilis, garlic, and sugar, then I'll try this:

I have some capsaicin I've been steeping (ground dried thai chilis in vodka) as use for defense against squirrels and other garden varmints. The pure capsaicin floats as an almost clear film atop the reddish chili/vodka mix. I will siphon off a few drops and incorporate it, and some garlic and sugar, into my next batch of TS. It ain't the same as Sriracha, but at least it ain't pink.

Thank you for pushing my comfort zone. We are here to learn.

[Phurstluv]

Oooo, you are so right, and so poetic about it!!

I can imagine it is good in tartar sauce, but I am an old school new englander who would not dare to mess with the tartar sauce for my fried clams or fish! But it's very similar to adding a dash or two of tabasco, right?!

[kattyeyes]

Close those big blue eyes and enjoy. I know you'll love it (pink or not!). ;) We had it on crab cakes at my mom's and she loved it, too.

And Phurstluv, I have never lived anywhere else than New England (or CT, for that matter)...no excuses. ;) It would be similar to adding a bit of tabasco or other hot sauce. Go for it!

[alkapal]

>>>Close those big blue eyes and enjoy<<<<

funny katty, funny katty!

[Phurstluv]

Oh my, nowhere else but my home state?? That's okay, we love & miss CT!!! Especially the seafood!! My sisters and niece & nephews live close by to you!!

I thought so adding tabasco was the same! So I will not fear the sriracha in my tartar sauce - thank you, K-eyes!!

[Scargod]

Google "aioli". Mayo with garlic powder.

[Antilope]

Heinz Ketchup, ketchup with Tabasco sauce added, ranch dressing, barbecue sauce, thousand island dressing........

[cimui]

Have you seen this? http://www.pommesfrites.ws/menu.htm

I'm a sucker for the curry ketchup and wasabi mayo at Pommes Frites. At home, I make curry mustard mayo, which is just like how it sounds: mix mayo with dijon mustard, "curry powder" and salt to taste. Thin with a bit of yogurt if you want.

Also... aioli really isn't too hard to make at home, though it takes a bit of whisking. http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/foo...

[HillJ]

cimui, that combo is really delicious on roasted cauliflower too!

[cimui]

Really, that's brilliant! Why didn't I think of that, already? Anything cuminy with cauliflower is inevitably delicious.

[kattyeyes]

Curry ketchup goes on wursts chez this cat. ;)

[cimui]

Curry ketchup goes on everything chez this dog. =)

[Phurstluv]

Can't you just whirl in some mayo & chopped garlic in the processor? That's usually what I do.

[cimui]

Ah right, nice trick! (Also like scargod's use of garlic powder, a condiment I love from the depths of my soul.) My dorky confession is that I usually make my own mayonnaise, so aioli is no more work. Making your own is *much* less expensive and you only need to make what you intend to use, quickly... and you get all that exercise, if you whip by hand!

[Phurstluv]

So, why not make the mayo in the processor and throw in the garlic? Seems like an easier way, unless you consider making the mayo by hand part of your workout routine ;)

[cimui]

Sure, why not? There are many paths to enlightenment! =P

[Phurstluv]

That's right. my friend!!

[Will Owen]

Phurstluv, that is exactly what I do almost every time I make mayonnaise in the Cuisinart. Turn on the empty machine, drop in a couple of peeled cloves. Then scrape down the sides and proceed with the mayo. As far as I'm concerned, my favorite vegetable belongs in any mayonnaise I want to eat, especially if I'm going to make potato salad with it … or have it with fries!

[Boccone Dolce]

ketchup with a moderate layer of salt & pepper over the top of the ketchup puddle
roasted smashed garlic (and more salt & pepper)
all of the above eaten with a long handled fork (I just like it like that)

[plumtomato]

Baked fries at home: malt vinegar; garlicky mayo; occasionally tartar sauce.

Fast food fries: McD's sweet and sour sauce! Really. It cuts the excessive saltiness and is yummy at the same time.

[chef4hire]

ditto on the McD's s&s...when at KFC I dip in the cole slaw "juice"

actually, cole slaw is my favorite dip for fries or chips

[Miss Needle]

Ha ha. Me three on the Mc Donalds sweet and sour. I think it's perfect condiment for their fries.

I also like saffron aioli. The bitterness of the saffron cuts into the oiliness of the fries.

[soypower]

If it's available, sweet & sour sauce w/ chinese hot mustard. This is my every dip for fried stuff.

[salsailsa]

Honey-mayo or demi glace

[LoN]

Hopefully someone from Australia will see this thread and come up with the recipe for the chili dip they serve with their wedges....it was killer. I can't imagine that it could be made and I wish I'd brought a jar or two home in my suitcase...unforgettable!

[alkapal]

loN, why don't you start a thread on that board to ask about your dip? i'm interested to have a try, too.

googling to try to find a recipe, i came across this recipe for cajun potato wedges. they sounded good, and i thought the ingredients could be used to make a dipping sauce instead. http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Cajun-Sp...

[micd123]

LoN, sweet chilli sauce and sour cream are commonly served with wedges in Australia. Sweet chilli sauce ingredients generally include chillies, sugar, vinegar, garlic. Does that sound like the chili dip you had?

[HillJ]

Malt vinegar just like Infom. above!

[Phurstluv]

I just discovered mayo & srichaca(?) - it's delicious on anything fried!!

Also love the requisite chili, aioli & mustard sauces!!

[Quine]

Brown diner gravy (wets!), mayo...after that, and ALOT less frequent and available, bernaise.

Now mind ya, this reply is based on, if I get them at MickyD, the diner, etc. Anyplace that has REAL Bernaise, I am probaly not having fries at...or the Most excellent steak has taken all the dipping!

[Foureyes137]

Visit the Twin Cities some time, we have no fewer than 3 very good restaurants that serve top-notch fries with béarnaise (admittedly, it has to be requested at one of them; Ike's).

[janetms383]

hmmm, I'm on the brown gravy wagon! I used to go to this pub by the courthouse called the Hung Jury. They used to have the best steak fries. Asked for them extra well done with a side of gravy...... so good!

[Foureyes137]

Bearnaise. If not available, malt vinegar.

[shopgirl]

The assortment of dips served with frites at "Mondo Frites" in Montreal!! Oh.....I want them right now!

[moh]

Sadly, Mondo Frites is now closed. I too loved their assortment of flavoured mayos...

I love many things as french fry dip. Mayonnaise and mayo-based sauces are my favorites. But I also love good gravies/brown sauces. ketchup, and really garlicky tzatziki, the kind made with really thick Greek yogourt. Dang that's good! I love Arahova's tzatziki (in Montreal), which is really garlicky and thick, but sadly, the fries they serve are only so-so.

[shopgirl]

Mondo Frites is closed!!??? What??? Oh, no!! Where will the students go??? Where will I go...surely not Frites Alor....when did they close? And more importantly, why??

[Infomaniac]

malt vinegar and mayo

[PurpleTeeth]

Spicy, vinegary BBQ sauce and ranch dressing

[plumtomato]

BBQ sauce and ranch together, or separately?

Because they both sound tasty!

[Phurstluv]

ooo, I love that combo too!! Hidden Valley used to have it in their dressing, then the LA markets stopped carrying it. Now I just make it on my own.

[PurpleTeeth]

together is best! It's the whole spicy, tangy, creamy combo that I love

[Phurstluv]

I know! I was so psyched when I found it, now the stores stopped carrying it! How could you not love bbq + ranch??!

[Alan N]

BBQ and coleslaw mixed (more slaw). On baked potatoes and sandwiches too.

[scuzzo]

Mayo. But a garlicy mayo would be good too!

Also, a chocolate frosty from Wendy's!!! Seriously.

[scubadoo97]

Ever since a visit to the Netherlands in '72 I've loved mayo as a condiment for fries. Spicy or flavored works well. These days I don't eat fries but on rare occasion and usually without mayo but it does taste good together.

[kattyeyes]

Right there with you on mayo, esp. garlicy mayo--have never made my own, but don't make my own fries at home, either, so it's not an issue. ;) I still like fries with good ol' Heinz 57, too.

thegirlwholovestoeat--here's a recipe for aioli from Gourmet. This should do the trick:
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/foo...

Phurstluv speaks the truth, by the way, sriracha mayo is stellar on anything fried!

[Phurstluv]

I think I got that idea from one of your posts in "what's for dinner" kattyeyes! It is my new favorite condiment!!

[kattyeyes]

Yaaay--another convert! ;)

[krisrishere]

Still along the lines of mayo - tartar sauce. I only do it if I'm eating fish and chips though :)

[vorpal]

That was my thought, too! I love mayo, but even better, I love tartar sauce!

[Will Owen]

When I have fish & chips I always ask for extra tartar sauce. At the (formerly Hamburger) Hamlet, whose F&C I find quite satisfactory, I also specify the steak fries, perfect for scooping up their very good sauce.

[FoodFuser]

Thick slabs of taters, as in those steak fries,
are such fine sticks of starch that are crisply deep fried.
They are crunchy stout substrate awaiting the gloss
of each fry, scooped singly, into good tartar sauce.

[ajcraig]

LOL! Just yesterday DH and I went through a drive thru and he automatically ordered my favorite fast food meal, french fries and a chocolate shake! It was actually the first meal he ever bought me. That contrast of salty /sweet, hot/cold, creamy/greasy...OOOoooo I want more!

[alkapal]

you mean it was the first meal he bought you when you were dating, right?

[BaltoPhilFood]

That's too funny, a frosty was the first thing I thought of! It's been years and years, but I remember being young and watching my parents laugh at how much I loved the combination.

If I have them now, I'll mix malt vinegar with ketchup, or greek yogurt with either dijon or sriracha.

[sunflwrsdh]

+1 for malt vinegar

[waytob]

A bit off thread, but we did something similar. We used to have a small bhajia place set up in a petrol station near home...they would only serve bhajia's (with a tomatoe and chilli chutney and sweet tamarind chutney) a few chaat items, and vanilla soft serve ice-cream.
Our favourite thing was to eat the bhajia with the ice cream, scooping up the sweet creamy coldness on hot, crispy, salty, spicy potato bhajia......yum

[meateater71]

U read my mind