Hamburger by Andrew F. Smith

Author:Andrew F. Smith
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Reaktion Books

You Want Fries with That?

Side dishes for the hamburger have varied over the years. French fried potatoes were the recommended accompaniment for Hamburg Steak, so they naturally became the standard side dish for a hamburger sandwich. During the nineteenth century in the United States, potatoes were usually fried in lard. By the 1870s, fried potatoes were standardized into particular shapes and sizes: in America, paper-thin rounds of potato, fried until shatteringly crisp, were called Saratoga chips, or potato chips; thicker sticks of potato, which remained soft on the inside, became ‘French fried potatoes’, which was shortened to ‘French fries’ by 1918. In Britain, a different terminology developed: long rectangular strips of potato became ‘chips’, and thin, crisp-fried potato slices were ‘crisps’.

By the early twentieth century, French fries were occasionally found on café and diner menus. Easily eaten with the fingers, at their best when fresh and hot, they would become a perfect fit for the fast-food culture. But French fries didn’t catch on right away; it’s surprisingly hard to make them well, and the process requires time and attention. Huge numbers of potatoes have to be peeled and cut several times a day, according to demand. A big pot of fat – lard, shortening, or oil – has to be kept at a constant temperature of 340–70°F (170–90°C), ready for the next batch of potatoes. Just having that boiling fat on the stove is a hazard to everyone in the kitchen. The frying must be carefully timed and the fries served right away before they turn limp and soggy. Cooks needed special training to get all this right and, even then, accidents involving hot oil convinced many hamburger-stand operators and managers that French fries just weren’t worth the trouble.

During World War II, when meat was rationed, hamburger-stand operators had to find alternatives for the scarce beef hamburger. Potatoes were not rationed, and they were abundant and cheap, so during the war French fries became a staple on restaurant menus. Even after the war, when rationing ended, the demand for French fries increased. The combination of hamburgers and French fries was just another version of the ‘meat and potatoes’ combination that has been at the core of the American diet since the eighteenth century. Still, some hamburger chains, such as White Castle, stopped making French fries before World War II because of the hot-oil hazard. In the 1950s, with the invention of new, safer commercial fryers, it became much easier to turn out perfectly cooked French fries; by the 1970s, fryers included automatic timers and lifts that produced superior French fries with little risk to the kitchen staff.

In the United States, French fries are usually salted and then dipped in ketchup. In some European countries, notably Belgium and the Netherlands, mayonnaise is the sauce of choice, and Indonesian-style peanut sauce is also popular. In Great Britain chips are often sprinkled with malt vinegar.

French fries became the flagship product at McDonald’s. The founders of the chain, Richard and Maurice McDonald, believed that their French fries were one of the important reasons for their success.

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