You can also sometimes find non-potato fries. Other vegetables or fruits such as eggplant, yucca, and avocado are sliced into sticks and prepared in a similar fashion to classic French fries. You can also find polenta and chickpea variations.
Shoestring French fries are some of the thinnest fries that you can get. They’re best used for dipping in a sauce or tossed with a seasoning. Regular or traditional French fries feature julienned potatoes so they’re fairly thin. They’re best served with a dipping sauce. Crinkle cut fries feature a wavy or ruffled edge. They are usually a medium thickness, and work well for dipping or covering with toppings. Curly fries are cut into a coiled, spring-like shape. They’re fun to dip into a sauce or condiment, but can also work well as a base for heavier toppings. Steak fries are thick and flat, and work well if you want to add toppings to your fries. Waffle fries are thick fries that features a crisscross pattern. They also work well if you want to pile toppings on your fries. Wedges are also extremely thick because the potato is actually cut into wedges rather than slices. They hold up well to heavy toppings.
While traditional tomato ketchup is the classic option for pairing with fries, you can also find a variety of flavored ketchups, such as chipotle or sundried tomato ketchup. A popular variation of ketchup that is often served with French fries is fry sauce. It is a mixture of 1 part ketchup with 1 part mayonnaise. You can also add a couple of dashes of hot sauce if you want to make it a bit spicy.
Ranch, blue cheese, and 1000 island dressings are other condiments that may make tasty dipping sauces for your fries.
A classic aioli, which is essentially a mayonnaise that’s heavily flavored with garlic is an ideal dipping sauce for your fries if you want to give your meal an elegant twist.
You can add whatever cheese you like to your fries, but cheddar, monterey jack, pepper jack, mozzarella, and gruyere all melt well. Give your cheese fries a kick by adding chopped jalapenos to the sauce or to the shredded cheese before melting it. Chopped crispy bacon and green onions make ideal garnishes for a plate of cheese fries.
You can serve the gravy on the side if you prefer to dip your fries. In Canada, French fries smothered in brown gravy is called poutine. However, cheese curds are traditionally added to the dish as well.
To make meat-topped fries even tastier, melt some shredded cheese over the meat and fries before eating them.
Give your French fries even more flavor by mixing fresh chopped herbs, such as parsley, rosemary, or thyme in with the oil and cheese. Instead of plain parmesan, you may also consider truffle and parmesan seasoning.
Other spice blends that you may want to consider for your fries include steak seasoning and barbecue seasoning, as well as aromatic and flavorful garam masala or hot and spicy African-inspired berbere blend. You may also try garlic powder, smoked paprika, or go for a simple mixture of salt and freshly ground pepper.
Malt vinegar has a very strong flavor, so start with a small amount on your fries and only add more once you’ve tasted them.
