The sun on your plate

How can one resist the humble apple of the earth when it becomes a radiant French fry? Several countries are trying to claim it for themselves and make it into one of their great specialities. The British honour it with their Fish and Chips sign boards. We envy the Belgians on account of their mussels with French fries. The French remain loyal to their steak frites. The Spanish have elected it chaperone of the tortillas. Have you any idea where the French fry, which features at every popular festival, made its first appearance? In Paris, say the French who, in the sphere of the cuisine, think they have invented everything. In the 19th century pedlars in the Pont‑Neuf district of Paris offered passers‑by who were in a hurry, a quickly prepared meal which consisted of crisp, hot French fries and a few slices of cold meats. We still have the "pomme Pont‑Neuf” to remind us of this first success.

There are those killjoys who would like to banish the French fry from our gastronomic festivities with the pretext that they are somewhat fatty and therefore catastrophic for our arteries. Enough has been said about these exaggerations which generate from a misunderstanding of dietetics. 

Neverthless, we should be careful and choose the fight crunchy ones, golden as the sun's rays.
Look at the way they are prepared in the Land of the Bintje. The feather‑weight potatoes lire ousted and only the heavy‑weights, which can be cut into very long strips, are kept. The quality of their flesh is tested to ensure they have a high starch content. Those which have produced too much sugar and have reddened in the deep‑fryer are rejected.

In this way, potatoes of the highest quality are selected. They are then cleaned, peeled, washed, very carefully inspected in order to get rid of any remaining defects, and cut into sturdy strips.