How do you top your french fries?
Is it chili?
Chili and cheese?
Or maybe poutine?
Ranch dressing instead?
Perhaps you prefer "Animal Style" (a la In N Out)?
Or pastrami chili cheese a la The Hat?
Or something else?
Do tell ....
Me? I like my french fries (steak cut) topped with eggs scrambled with tomato, Taiwanese-style.
This, of course, is followed closely with french fries (again, steak cut) topped with marinara sauce mixed with Chinese pork floss.
What about you?
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Funny you should ask as one hour ago I topped my French fries with breakfast. Five Guys is so generous with their excellent fries that I brought home about a pound of leftovers and have had them in the refrigerator. This morning I heated some in a little butter, poured a beaten egg over, and topped this with grated cheese. Five Guys uses super-quality Idahos---their potatoes have such a flavor, and this made a delicious breakfast with buttered toast and hot tea.
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I just tried the Animal Style fries during my first visit to In-n-Out and I have to say they were my favorite selection on the menu. Aonori fries with wasabi mayo is another highlight of my travels out West.
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You know those little packets of hot saucy stuff that Wendy's gives you with their chili? My son and hubby used to save those to dip their fries in.
For me, I'm happy with ketchup, tartar sauce or mayo. Or malt vinegar or cocktail sauce..depends on what I'm eating. I don't make fries at home, so whatever condiments come on my meal get dipped into.
I really don't care for the piles of stuff on top of fries, as I prefer the crunchy ones. Never had poutine, though, nor have I ever seen it in any restaurant I've been to. I would try it, though, just to say I did.
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"french fries (again, steak cut) topped with marinara sauce mixed with Chinese pork floss"
whoa... this sounds good. i have homemade Vietnamese pork floss (homemade by my parents' neighbors, not by me) that could be put to good use this week...
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re: ipsedixit
I have no idea in any technical terms. I grew up eating mostly the store bought Chinese types (clear plastic tubs, with either red or blue labels). It could very well just be that the batch I have is homemade and it won't taste the same as store bought.
The biggest differences that I can tell are in the color and texture. The Chinese pork floss I've had is darker brown, lighter in texture, and more crumbly, if that makes sense; the pieces feel like they collapse in my mouth. The kind I have now is lighter brown, stringier, and has more chew. The stringiness almost reminds me of dried cuttlefish, but not quite.
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Skinny fries just need salt. Steak fries (preferably crisp exterior with a mushy center) get dipped into ketchup that has been salted. Cheese fries are of the skinny ilk with a good mozzarella melted over the top (except back in college and hung over, they were dipped into a horrid orange cheese product).
Growing up on the east coast, I never heard of vinegar on fries until grad school in the midwest. Still think it's gross ;)
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Ketchup, salt and pepper, sometimes mustard
or, if I'm up to it, salt and pepper with vinegar
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Love me some slightly underdone steak fries with a velveeta chili sauce all over with jalapenos. I also like them buried in bacon and cheddar dipped in ranch. Lomo saltiado style is good stuff too. And i love them dipped. Ketchup, ranch, honey mustard, malt vinegar, peppered vinegar, tartar, thousand island. You name it. And let us not forget Chick Fil A waffle fries in the Polynesian sauce. Goo and good fer ya.
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So apparently today is National French Fry Day? And here's a slide show of some of the more interesting ways to top a fry
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Never top, only dip. No soggy fries for me, please!
Going on the assumption here that salt is a "no duh" ----
- @home / as a side for a burger: ketchup & mayo.
- @a Greek restaurant as a side for souvlaki, gyros or any other meat I'm ordering and have already treated the same way: a generous squirt of lemon juice.
- @as a side for steak: sauce béarnaise
- as a side for currywurst in Berlin: ketchup & curry powder
- as a remedy for recreationally induced hunger pangs in Amsterdam: oorlog sauce = mayo, peanut sauce, raw diced onion... but you generally can't choose to dip there, they just pour it all over (ditto for the currywurst fries, sadly)
- as a side for fish & chips: malt vinegar
Think I covered it all.... ?
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I love a good well-seasoned curly fry. Also, fries sprinked with Old Bay. Yum.
For regular French fries, a sprinkling of salt is nice. Otherwise, I'm a dipper. I like to have an assortment of dippings, if possible. Ketchup mixed with hot sauce (Sriracha, preferably) or curry powder is my favorite. Honey mustard, spicy mustard, chipotle mayo, ranch dressing, BBQ sauce - all fit the bill.
However, when at Ben's Chili Bowl in D.C., chili cheese fries are a must. Particularly if it's 2 a.m.
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I like mine plain and salty, but if I'm dipping I like tartar sauce or Heinz ketchup.
If I've got calories (and arteries) to spare then it's got to be carne asada fries...carne asada, shredded cheese, pico, guac, sour cream and salsa rojo.
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re: fldhkybnva
If you're savvy and encounter a cooperative taco shop, you can get them custom made anywhere!
I did that once here in Chicago. After noting that they had fries on the menu, I basically talked the cashier and cook through the assembly! She wasn't sure how to charge me and ended up doing it as fries plus a bunch of side orders.
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I am currently obsessed with Chinese carryout crinkle fries but when made at home I love pepper and old bay on fries.
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re: Jelly71
I don't think so and they are not fancy by any means. I think they literally open a bag of Ore Ida crinkle fries and dump them into the frier. They are usually on the generic American-style Chinese takeout menu up at the top with the other random things like fried chicken wings and you probably just overlooked them. It might be that they are fried in oil used to fry other delicious carb/fat/sugar laden foods but they are always piping hot, crispy and by far my favorite fries. I can't get enough of them. I'd check out your menu - all the menus here just say "french fries" and you probably never thought to order them as it's somewhat random. But, I highlight they are nothing out of the ordinary but your standard freezer fries but to me they are delicioso so in case you are disappointed...
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re: Jelly71
If you've ever had deepfried tater tots, the flavor/texture is similar: super-crispy exterior, steamy interior. Totally different from baked Ore Idas. It's the difference between a bag of generic pork rinds and hot cracklings fresh from a pot of boiling lard. It's like there's a county fair in your mouth and everyone's invited!
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re: fldhkybnva
I only recently noticed fries offered at my fav Chinese take-out joint. I'll never order them because there's too much other great stuff on the menu, but I do consider this an unsual and probably rather recent development. Never saw 'em at a Chinese place before a couple of months ago.
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re: Perilagu Khan
Yea it has become somewhat problematic. I start with the fries of course as they arrive hot and crispy and want to get in as many as possible in their top notch shape, but then there is the rest of the meal and I'm also a big fan of standard American Chinese food and so there is often some belly-rubbing at the end of the night. My SO usually has to cut off my fry intake and focus me towards other things...
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re: Jelly71
Chinese carryout fries seem to be primarily an inner-city, older suburb Chinese carryout item, particularly places that do a brisk lunch business in non-Chinese items like fried chicken or subs. I haven't seen them so much in outer suburbs or small towns, so I suspect it depends on where you're looking. But combine a hi-capacity fryer with hot oil that's been used to do eggrolls and toss in some Ore-Ida crinkle cuts (which are almost impossible to mess up) and you're in for a real treat.
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For chili fries, only Tommy's will do.
Chili cheese fries, The Hat.
Those are the only two places that I get chili fries, I think.
Everywhere else, I tend to ask for Ranch dressing for dipping. Sometimes Thousand Island if I know the restaurant has one that I like. Then I like to add a little sriracha to the 1000 Island to spice it up.
Sometimes I use mayo or a mayo ketchup mixture. I would use straight mayo all the time, but I eat a lot of fries and I can't justify using eating that much more mayo than I already do.
When at Jack in the Box, I get Ranch Dressing and BBQ sauce and mix them together. Then I dip my fries in that tasty concoction.
Krinkle cut is my favorite cut. Especially at Del Taco if you get them fresh out of the fryer. Those can't be beat.
Strangely enough, I do like ketchup and I love it on hash browns. But never on fries. And I would never use any of my french fry dipping sauces mentioned above on hash browns. I think my mouth and brain just expect certain tastes when presented with certain foods.
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I generally prefer to dip, not top, although I will gladly eat a plate of steak fries smothered in melted cheese and bacon or chili. For dipping, I like:
blue cheese salad dressing (especially with sweet potato fries)
mayo (and all of its variations, including garlic, chipotle, etc.)
a 50/50 blend of Arby's Sauce and Horsey Sauce
malt vinegar
mustard-mayo sauce
non-sweet BBQ sauceI am open minded to new sauces for fries, but there is one thing that will NEVER touch a fry on my plate: ketchup. Vile brew.
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At home, salt, or salt and ketchup, or salt and ketchup & gravy, depending on what's available at the time.
For me the ultimate french fry is a Winnipeg french fry with chili from one of the greats...The Red Top, Juniors, or Dairy Whip. Sadly, I don't live there anymore, so it's a rare treat.
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At home, with a steak, just salt and the steak juices.
Takeout fries - dipped in mayo or ketchup, or both.
Sweet potato fries at home – a dusting of salt, cinnamon and cayenne
But my favorite is sweet potato fries with an Etouffee Gravy for dipping, that is served at a Cajun restaurant we visit occasionally. I have tried, but have never managed to replicate that gravy at home - probably for the best, as I could eat a whole pot of it in one sitting.›6 Replies -
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I'm curious, does any put butter on their fries?
Seems like it would be a natural pairing given, esp. if you like butter and top it on things like mashed potatoes, baked potatoes, etc.
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re: ipsedixit
Ghee maybe.Salt yes.
I twice fry in animal fat,duck,goose,beef and pork or sometimes peanut oil and really like the taste and texture.Two places I order fries,for the fries,one uses lard and the other peanut oil and are divine with just salt.
Before I went the butter warmer route with fries and ghee the menu would need to be ?,bivalves,shellfish etc.
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If I'm getting Chinese carryout fries, it's saltpeppaketchup.
If I'm in a Baltimore diner, it's gravy.
If I'm at Ben's Chili Bowl or Checkers, it's chili and cheese.
If I'm at an Irish bar, it's malt vinegar.
If I'm at home, salt.
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re: ricepad
The Chinese restuarant near our house has better french fries than all of the subshops in our town, isn't that sad?
They are just regular crinklecut frozen fries but they are a perfect 10. Maybe it's the hot oil, I don't know.
I always feel silly ordering them with our takeout there but they are to die for! And we aren't the only ones who get them either; we've seen pupu platters with sides of french fries there! The only difference is people ask for the brown gravy instead of using the packs of ketchup (no bottles in the restaurant lol).
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re: thedryer
Amen to this! A friend of mine thinks it might be that they are always double fried vs handcut and more "gourmet" type fries which often only get a single fry. I am with you however, I haven't met a better fry from another takeout place and most restaurants in my city. Embarrassingly enough my Chinese restaurant knows me and whenever I start the order with fries, they know what else I want.
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re: thedryer
It's cuz they fry them in the same fryer as they do the egg rolls, the pork and shrimp for the sweet and sour dishes, etc.
The oil picks up all those itsy bitsy bits of flavorings from all those other deep-fried goodies, and then imparts them onto the fries ...
Same principle holds true for the griddle tops that Mexcian taquerias use, which is why those stands always make the best burgers ... the patties pick up all the juices and flavorings from the carne asada, pollo, etc that were there before it.
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re: fldhkybnva
Ours don't come in styrofoam! They come in the typical Chinese box that folds at the top, except they don't close it and the fries are full up higher than the top of the box.
Come to think of it, a Chinese restaurant further away were the best fresh onion rings we ever had (not on the menu but you can ask for them).
We were also there once for St. Patrick's Day and had spucky rolls and boiled corned beef sandwiches. Seriously better than some Irish places we've been (we couldn't get into one that day, it was a Saturday afternoon and they were packed early!). Who woulda thunk the Chinese restaurant was making corned beef?! Add a little hot mustard (first time ever doing that!) and it was awesome!
Now I'm in the mood for Chinese food but I want a side of french fries, onion rings and corned beef lol!!
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re: thedryer
Corned beef, fries AND onion rings? Holy moly, I need to start hanging out at more Chinese restaurants.
The only Chinese restaurant that I go to is really "authentic" Chinese food. I hate when people go on about "authentic" but in this case, it is. The mom is from Northern China and makes all the noodles and dumplings by hand. It's pretty awesome. But anyway, because I am so spoiled by this place, I don't seek out Chinese food elsewhere, for the most part. That is going to change really soon.
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re: thedryer
I once tried to ask them to poke holes in the styrofoam container but that didn't translate well so I gave up on that endeavor and just know that since they deliver fairly quickly I can pop open the styrofoam quickly when it arrives. However, they do seem to always overstuff the containers of sweet and sour chicken which I imagine is an attempt to prevent sog.
Corned beef...hmmm, not sure that's on my menu but I will certainly have to check.
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Mmmmm, lots of ways (all of those so far sound good, except maybe the gravy/ketchup combo, and I'll take some of the ideas).
My absolute favorite, though, is green chile cheese fries. I can make a meal of these. Unfortunately, some places don't do it well. Fries cooked tough or soggy, goopy or yucky sauce, fake cheese, poorly distributed toppings, etc. They can be fantastic with either chopped green chile or green chile sauce and lots of real cheddar. A little sour cream on top is a nice bonus. I'm lucky to live where this is a common menu item, though I don't order them often enough to have chosen a favorite (my old favorite being defunct).
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Once cooked right I do not 'top' french fries as find makes them soggy before can eat. Instead I prefer to season immediately after cooking when sticks then 'dip'.
I most often like my fried potatoes golden brown and crispy on the outside soft almost mashed on the inside. Especially love steak cut. While cook other shapes similar.
NOTE: Feel fresh is best, but if unable to consume them all I re-heat in the oven (find give a less soggy re-heat). It is best to not make too many french fires so all get consumed when make.
SUGGESTION: Sometimes it is fun fun to batter fried potatoes for a twist.
P.S. Tots are a good, but wonder what is added that makes them so greasy. Most-often stick with home cut potatoes instead of something out of a bag here.
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re: cacruden
This is good. I will also add ketchup and pepper sometimes.
I also like mayo or mayo and horseradish sauce.
I don't like chick fil a fries but they are ok with their sauce of the same name.
I like zesty or curly or zesty curly fries too. Sometimes I dip in cottage cheese or the sauce in my coleslaw.
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hot beef gravy on the side to dip into
a specialty of the house here:
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