It is okay to indulge in French fries occasionally. Interestingly, you can try certain techniques and work on your ingredient list to make your French fries a lot healthier. One great idea is to prepare your fried treat in heart-healthy olive oil. The problem is that olive oil is not going to provide you with the same temperature control that you get when using vegetable oil. That leaves people wonder which oil is the best.
Best Oil for French Fries
There certainly are a number of options available, but you need to consider several factors before making a choice. Here is more about it.
Vegetable Oil for Temperature Control
Before opting for any oil for frying, you need to know about its smoke point. The smoke point refers to the temperature at which the fat in the oil starts to break down. After this point, the oil starts to smoke and becomes unhealthy. When making French fries, you need to opt for some oil that has a high smoke point. This is important because this ensures the crispness of your fried food.
Vegetable oil is a better option, mainly because it has a smoke point as high as 453 degrees Fahrenheit which is much higher than olive oil. Even if you opt for extra virgin olive oil, it will smoke at only 331 degrees Fahrenheit. Therefore, you will be better off going for vegetable oil, especially if you love golden, crisp fries.
Nutritional Facts
It is important to consider how nutritious your selected oil is. Olive oil is definitely a good choice in this regard, as it contains monounsaturated fat and raises good cholesterol levels. It also has antioxidants that eliminate free radicals from your body and prevent oxidative damage. If your main aim is to get nutrition, you may not get enough from vegetable oil, as it usually comes from less healthful sources. It may even be chemically extracted, which means it may be contaminated with trans-fat which is extremely bad for your cardiovascular health.
Alternative Oils
You may have gathered the fact that both olive oil and vegetable oil have their own set of drawbacks. To find the best oil for French fries, you can look for alternatives that provide you with the nutrition value of olive oil without making you worry about a lower smoke point.
- Sunflower oil provides you with loads of monounsaturated fats, and that is why it is a great substitute to olive oil. Similarly, its smoke point is quite high, around 464 degrees Fahrenheit, which is even higher than vegetable oil.
- Canola oil is another healthy alternative to vegetable oil, as it contains a good concentration of monounsaturated fats and has a smoke point of 468 degrees Fahrenheit. You may want to go for canola oil if you are a bit concerned about the cost – it is usually cheaper than olive oil.
Other People's Suggestions
"I always opt for sunflower seed oil to make fries. The best thing is that it leaves no taste whatsoever. You can also use mixed oils when cooking, but you may not like the fact that it contains strong tasting canola oil. I sometime use peanut oil which has a high cooking temperature and allows me to cook crispier and faster."
"I believe that oils with a reasonable cost and a higher smoke point work perfect for French fries. It is better to put your money on higher refined oils with a rather neutral flavor."
Delicious Recipes for French Fries
Picking the best oil for French fries is definitely important, and you can also try some different recipes to give your fries a nutritional punch.
1. Perfect French Fries
Ingredients
- 5 pounds of russet potatoes
- Peanut oil
- Sea salt
Directions
- Start by peeling the potatoes. Rinse them and then cut into sticks.
- Take a large bowl, put all potato sticks in it, and cover with cold water. Let them soak for a couple of hours.
- To cook, drain off the water and put all your potato sticks on 2 baking sheets already lined with paper towels.
- Heat some peanut oil to 300 degrees Fahrenheit and then cook the potatoes in 3-4 batches. Cook each batch for 4-5 minutes and drain on dry paper towels.
- Turn up the heat to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and fry the potatoes again in batches until they are golden and crisp. Get them out and drain on paper towels before serving.
2. Crispy Seasoned French Fries
Ingredients
- 2 ½ pounds of russet potatoes
- A cup of all-purpose flour
- A cup of vegetable oil
- Half cup of water
- A teaspoon each of garlic salt, onion salt, paprika, and salt
Directions
- Make slices of potatoes and let them soak into cold water for a couple of hours at least.
- To cook, start by preparing the oil. As you already know the best oil for French fries, just take a large skillet filled with the oil of your choice and put it over medium-high heat.
- Sift the flour, onion salt, garlic salt, paprika, and regular table salt into a large bowl. Stir in some water gradually.
- Now, take potato slices and dip them one-by-one into the batter. Then, place them one slice at a time in the hot oil or else they will clump together.
- Keep frying the slices until they are golden brown and crisp. Get them out, drain on paper towels, and serve!