What the hell is so hard about slicing potatoes

[Markbnj]

... and putting them into a fryer until they are, you know, fried?

Went to this big new Irish pub-type place nearby with my wife on Friday. Excellent burger, perfectly cooked and seasoned, great bun, real cheddar, some nice slaw... accompanied by a pile of nasty, ready-made fries with that clear coating on the outside to make them fake crunchy. More and more places around here seem to be serving these abominations now. When I order fries I want a goddamn potato, cut up, and fried. If you can't fry a potato take them off the menu, or better yet close the doors, go home, and wallow in fail.

/rant_off
/first_world_problems

 

[Iron Woode]

I understand.

*offers hug*

 

[squarecut1]

You walk two miles most days
of the week. Don't eat fries

Or maybe because you walk so much, you can..

 

[Markbnj]

You walk two miles most days
of the week. Don't eat fries

Or maybe because you walk so much, you can..

I don't really diet. If I want it, I eat it. Overall I eat a pretty healthy mix of foods, because my wife loves to cook chicken, fish, and pasta, lots of veggies. We go out and eat at restaurants maybe six times a year, and when I do, if I happen to order a burger I want real damn french fries. You're on notice, pub owners.

 

[TheSlamma]

You got pub food, lol

 

[rsbennett00]

Is this the origin of the "pub crawl"? Fries so bad you crawl home?

 

[nageov3t]

I'm trying to think of the last time I went to a pub, dinner, or any other low-end restaurant and got fries that didn't come out of the deep freezer and I'm drawing a blank.

maybe it's just not worth the time/prep work to slice enough fries to feed a hundred diners?

 

[darkswordsman17]

I'm not sure I entirely understand what you're talking about with regards to the fries you got. Just like really plain waxy almost fast food fries? Or crinkle cut or?

But yeah, it's not like it takes much. It's not like there's even any reason for frozen potatoes to not be pretty good. But the effort to keep fresh potatoes stocked on hand and the extra bit of cutting them is apparently too much for a lot of places now. Hell just take a can of the spray olive oil and coat the outside of the potatoes sliced however and then throw it on the griddle/skillet/in the oven/wherever and they'll still turn out pretty damn decent for no more effort than that takes. And of course if you fry up a lot of bacon or something then you could use that add some extra flavor to say nothing of all the other things you could do (sauces, spices, etc).

 

[midwestfisherman]

Nasty fries? Someone should be flogged!!

 

[Dirigible]

The fries that result from just cutting up a potatoes and throwing them in a fryer for a while are not good. Good fries take more work than that.

 

[her209]

Its like asking, "What the hell is so hard about grilling a steak?"

 

[Paratus]

I make fresh fries at home with one of these.

 

[Perknose]

' We go out and eat at restaurants maybe six times a year, and when I do, if I happen to order a burger...

You go out to eat just six times a year, and on even one of those rare times you're out in the wide world of culinary goodness, you'll order . . . a burger?

Dooooood, epic imagination fail!

 

[OverVolt]

I actually don't know why french fries have the reputation of being unhealthy. French fries from fast food with 8g trans fat, yes they will kill you dead by age 30.

Russet potatoes fried in fresh soybean oil... lightly salted...actually not that bad for you. I don't get it.

 

[OverVolt]

You go out to eat just six times a year, and on even one of those rare times you're out in the wide world of culinary goodness, you'll order . . . a burger?

Dooooood, epic imagination fail!

First rule of eating dinner out is you order what everyone else is ordering so its fresh. Its actually rule #1. It is never broken. If you want calamari from a steakhouse out of the back left corner of the fridge go for it, but it'll probably have pink mildew freezer burn on it.

 

[nageov3t]

The fries that result from just cutting up a potatoes and throwing them in a fryer for a while are not good. Good fries take more work than that.

yeah... if the restaurant can't manage to throw frozen fries into a fryer and get tasty fries as a result, I fail to see how cutting/seasoning the potatoes themselves would help the matter.

 

[Markbnj]

The fries that result from just cutting up a potatoes and throwing them in a fryer for a while are not good. Good fries take more work than that.

Yeah, well just cutting up a potato and throwing it in hot oil until brown beats the frozen crap this place was serving. You can put as much creativity into yours as you like. I just want real fries.

 

[Markbnj]

You go out to eat just six times a year, and on even one of those rare times you're out in the wide world of culinary goodness, you'll order . . . a burger?

Dooooood, epic imagination fail!

You are obviously unaware of the burger's exalted standing in the hierarchy of culinary arts.

 

[Carson Dyle]

Good fries are an art form. (Or an industrial process challenge, if you happen to think McDonalds fries are great.)

I think you'd be surprised (and not in a good way) by how much of the food in the typical bar & grille comes exactly like it looks on your plate, frozen and pre-packaged from Sysco or U.S. Foodservice.

 

[MtnMan]

I remember when you could see them cutting potatoes in a similar machine at McDonalds, straight into the fryer basket, which went strait into the fryer, which was filled with lard.

And a bag of fries cost 9¢, and they were good.

 

[Perknose]

I think you'd be surprised (and not in a good way) by how much of the food in the typical bar & grille comes exactly like it looks on your plate, frozen and pre-packaged from Sysco or U.S. Foodservice.

I wouldn't (be surprised.) The thing is, they've been getting better at the taste and quality all the time. It's all relative, I know, but you can go into a lot of bars today and, at least not gag if you're hungry, too.

 

[Perknose]

I remember when you could see them cutting potatoes in a similar machine at McDonalds, straight into the fryer basket, which went strait into the fryer, which was filled with lard.

And a bag of fries cost 9¢, and they were good.

And you could sexually harass a woman and get away with it. Ahhhhh, those were the good old days!

 

[IronWing]

I make fresh fries at home with one of these.

I get the handle being in the UP position but how does it change the casting to DOWN when lowered?

 

[OverVolt]

I get the handle being in the UP position but how does it change the casting to DOWN when lowered?

You're finger has to be touching the potato as you close the lever all the way for it to change.

 

[squarecut1]

I get the handle being in the UP position but how does it change the casting to DOWN when lowered?

Down is on the other side