Belgian Frites and Sauces

It’s hard to go anywhere in Belgium and not see frites (fries) – at frites stands, restaurants and on the street. They are actually Belgian in origin and are pretty much the national dish, for good reason. Belgian frites tend to be cut slightly larger than shoestring fries, but the secret to their superiority is that they are double-fried at different oil temperatures. This makes them tender inside and crunchy on the outside. Delicious! You can buy a cone of frites on the street accompanied by a number of dipping sauces. Since real Belgian Frites are not easy to find in America, you can make your own at home without too much trouble. An electric deep-fryer is the easiest way to cook them but a deep pan with a deep-fat thermometer will also work.

Basic Frites Recipe

Ingredients:

2 lbs. Idaho potatoes, peeled and sliced into 1/3” by 1/3” by 3” sticks.

3 inches in pan of vegetable oil (I prefer Canola, but use what you like best

Sprinkling of fine sea salt.

To prepare:

1.    Soak potatoes in cold water for at least one hour and up to six hours. Drain several times until the soaking water remains clear. Remove from water and pat dry to prevent spattering.

2.    Heat oil in fryer or pan to 285º F. Line a baking pan with paper towels for draining.

3.    Fry potatoes in small batches (a little more than a cupful) for three to five minutes, until they are barely colored. Remove with slotted spoon to baking pan and arrange in a single layer. Let the oil come back to 285º before cooking the next round. Repeat until all potatoes are done. At this point, the frites can be set aside for as long as two hours before their second frying.

4.    When you get close to serving time, raise oil temperature to 360º F. Re-fry the frites, turning to cook evenly until they are golden brown and crispy.

5.    Drain, sprinkle with salt and serve immediately with the sauce(s) of your choice. And, in Belgium, there are lots of choices.

A Multitude of Condiments

Do Belgians eat ketchup with fries? The answer is yes. But creamy homemade mayonnaise is really their favorite dipping sauce. Try it before you knock it. I’m a convert. But, above and beyond ketchup and mayonnaise, there are a lot more sauces that will expand your horizons as far as fry-dipping goes.

Andalouse Sauce is a combination of mayonnaise, onions, peppers and tomato. Pili-pili Sauce is amped up with chili peppers (Hot!). Curry Ketchup is what it sounds like – ketchup with Indian spices. Brasil Sauce is made with pureed pineapple, mayonnaise, tomato, and spices. Samourai Sauce combines mayonnaise with Tunisian chili, some spice, tomatoes and bell peppers. Pitta-pitta is an aioli sauce with hints of dill, lemon and garlic. There are many more frites sauces, such as Green Goddess, Sauce Gribiche, Tartarre Sauce, BBQ Sauce, Soy Chili Sauce, Lemon Aioli, Honey Mustard, Korean Dipping Sauce, and Roasted Garlic Chipotle Mayonnaise, to name a few.

 How to Make Them at Home

Mayonnaise. Let’s start with the most basic frites sauce, which is also the base ingredient for many of the other sauces. When you make it yourself, you can control the consistency. You don’t want stiff gelatinous mayo, like most commercial brands. You want a soft, creamy texture with a nice tang. To make it:

  • 1 cup olive, sunflower or canola oil

  • 2 egg yolks

  • 1 Tb lemon juice

  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard

  • ·¼ tsp salt

Using a hand-held blender or food processor, mix the ingredients until they thicken to your preferred consistency and serve.


Andalouse Sauce is another very popular sauce. Mix together:

  • 1 cup homemade mayonnaise

  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste

  • 2 tablespoons minced red onion1 tablespoon minced red bell pepper

  • 1 tablespoon minced green bell pepper

  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste

  • 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

  • Salt to taste

Curry Ketchup is an amped-up version of ketchup that adds a good bit of zing. Mix together:

  • 1 cup of Heinz Ketchup

  • 4 teaspoons of good curry powder

  • 1 teaspoon of chili powder

  • 2 teaspoons of Worcestershire sauce

  • 2 teaspoons of honey 

  • 2 teaspoons of sweet paprika 

  • 1 teaspoon of water

Samourai Sauce is one of my favorites on frites. This is an easy version you can whip up in minutes.

  •  1 tablespoon homemade mayonnaise

  • ·1 teaspoon North African harissa sauce

  • 1 teaspoon tomato paste

 All these sauces should be made ahead and stored in the fridge to allow the flavors to harmonize.

For other sauce recipes, Google some of the names shown above.

Bon Appetit!

Charlie GottenkienyComment