Chile claims “authorship” of the most popular accompaniment in the world

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So rich that they unite the oceans, mix social classes and connect eras, it is not surprising that several countries want to claim their invention. First Belgium, which registered them with UNESCO in 2014 as intangible cultural heritage of humanity. It is said that during the winter of 1860, the town of Namur suffered from extreme cold, freezing the waters of the Meuse. Unable to fish and eat fried fish, the residents had an idea: replace them with potatoes cut into sticks.

Second, France, of course. Those who defend this origin claim that street vendors around the Pont Neuf, the oldest bridge in Paris, were already selling them at the end of the 18th century. But the Belgians have an ace in hand to deal the final blow: the recipe for fries appears for the first time in a guide which circulated in Belgium at the beginning of the 20th century, the Treatise on Domestic Economy and Hygiene.

Thus, the French and Belgians have been arguing over the invention for more than a century, but neither of them predicted the arrival of an Andean country as a third participant in the dispute.

The University of Chile has completed a new translation of the book “Cautiverio Feliz” (Happy Captivity, in Portuguese), written in 1677 by the Spanish soldier Francisco Núñez de Pineda. In its pages, they discovered the oldest written reference to this dish. According to the soldier’s account, after being captured by the Mapuche Indians and then freed in 1629, a grand banquet was held at Fort Nacimiento, a defensive structure built by the Spanish Empire in the Bío-Bío region of Chile. It was during this celebration that French fries were prepared, among other delicacies.

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Maybe you don’t need to read the memoir to verify the story; if captivity was enjoyable, chances are they would have offered you fries. In addition to its complex origins, August 20 is celebrated around the world as French Fry Day. The reason for the meeting? There isn’t one. But what do reasons matter when it comes to celebrating one of humanity’s most versatile and universal culinary inventions?

Fries: the secrets to preparing them perfectly

First, if you want perfect fries, you can’t go wrong with potatoes. And it’s not just about going to the greengrocer and asking for a good potato from your trusted supplier, but choosing one that retains little water.

— The quality of a potato, in general, is determined by its water content. To fry, you need a potato with a low water content, which is why you have to choose varieties developed for frying, genetically selected with a low water content — explains Juan Barcos, chef de cuisine at the Madre Rojas restaurant in Buenos Aires.

To achieve this contrast between the crispy skin and creamy interior, double cooking or frying is necessary. — The final frying is done in oil at high temperature to create a crust and color, but we must reach this point with a potato that is already cooked and with a high rate of water loss — advises Barcos.

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It was enough work using two pans and oils at different temperatures until, in the 1990s, English chef Heston Blumenthal, owner of the award-winning restaurant The Fat Duck, complicated things even further. It offers triple baking to obtain a “transparent” crust, which will not soften when cooled, and a soft center. To do this, he added an extra cooking step, the one that starts the whole process: cook the potatoes over low heat for 20 to 30 minutes, then drain, dry and freeze for an hour. Only then are they fried at around 130°C and, before they are golden brown, they are removed from the heat and placed in the refrigerator. They are then fried again, this time at 180°C for seven minutes.

Obviously, this method requires time and space in the kitchen, which is why, even if the result is incredible, not all restaurants offer it. However, Barcos recommends a simpler way to achieve the same result: frying the potatoes in cold oil.

— Cut the potatoes into sticks, place them in the pan, cover them completely with room temperature oil and then heat them. This way, the temperature of the oil increases as the potatoes go through these three cooking stages, he explains.