French Fry Diary 735: Fries on the Grill

The last week or so down here in Florida, besides being in the middle of a drought, the weather has been spectacular.  So, we've been grilling pretty much every day.  And if know me, or if you're a regular reader of this blog, you know there's going to be French fries in the mix. 

Now the brave among you will want to do them from scratch, that's not a problem. Cut the potatoes however you want, as fancy or as simple, with or without skin to your taste. Remember, small and thin will cook quicker, and also may fall between the slots of the grill, just as thicker might not, but will take longer to cook. I would advise coating the taters with a bit of oil and/or nuke them a little beforehand as I did here. They might take a bit longer, but they'll be delicious.

Even though Ore-Ida no longer makes its Grillers which were, as the name implies, perfect for the grill, and even if you don't make them from scratch, you can still have fries on the grill.  Any frozen fries, onion rings, or any potato product can go right on the grill.  And they cook faster than scratch, because they're already partially cooked when you buy them by the magic of par-fry.

Use a grill pan or basket if you're afraid they'll fall through.  A good one can be had for just a few bucks if you don't get fancy.  I use basically just a sturdy but disposable screen I got at the local Walgreens for a dollar.  If you choose, veggie baskets can get pricey, but it all depends on your needs.  I wouldn't use aluminum foil as some folks suggest, unless you like getting burned trying to retrieve those fries once they're done.

If your grill has a temperature gauge you can stay close to the instructions on the package, but remember with the lid closed, the grill is more like a convection oven than a traditional oven.  If no gauge, just keep an eye on them, but remember, the thinner the fry, the quicker the cook.  Golden brown is always good. 

Enjoy! 

Random Tater Pic of the Day #156

This Somebody Else's Fries edition comes from my big sister Ginny, on the Facebook.

She dined recently at the Connecticut Avenue Hilton in Washington DC. They brought these 'hand rubbed' fries to the table in this basket as a side to an excellent crab cake. That's a lemon in the yellow netting there, what my sister thought was a nice touch. Indeed, they know how to do it at the Hilton.

Thanks, Ginny!

French Fry Diary 131: French Fry Cupcakes

My good friend Nancy Whitcraft of Pink Sheep Style referred this one to me. I'll let her take it from here:

"This cupcake idea is from the book, "What's New, Cupcake?: Ingeniusly Simple Designs for Every Occasion" by Karen Tack and Alan Richardson. Love it.

"For the cupcakes I baked, I changed a few things. Instead of 'plating' the fries on a plate, I bought French fry baskets at a local restaurant supplier. I then added wax paper to the baskets. For the ketchup holders, I went to a fast food restaurant and 'borrowed' some of their containers. (After making a food purchase)

"The 'French fries' are pound cake and the ketchup is red dyed frosting. You put extra frosting in the squeeze bottle. You can squeeze frosting onto pound cake or dip it in the ketchup containers."

Wow, that's something, Nancy, and props to you, and Karen and Alan's book of course. Thanks! And don't forget to check out Nancy's work at the websites above!