AI-generated image
Frites with aïoli
Twice-fried chips with egg-free Provençal garlic aïoli
Frites are a fixture of French brasseries and street stalls, served in paper cones at markets and beside every omelette and salad in Paris cafés. The secret is frying twice: once gently to cook them through, then hot to make them crisp. In Provence, the dip would be aïoli, a thick, garlicky sauce that gave its name to the region's Friday feast. Our aïoli is made the old-fashioned egg-free way, with a little boiled potato to hold the garlic and olive oil together. Children usually prefer it with less garlic. Chef's tip: dry the cut potatoes thoroughly before frying; wet chips are the common mistake that make the oil spit and leave the chips soft.
- Total time
- 45 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the frites
For the aïoli
Shop this recipe on Amazon
What you'll need
Spices & pantry
Fresh ingredients (4)
Links open Amazon in a new tab. As an Amazon Associate, WhatToEat.Today earns from qualifying purchases.
Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Soak 2 ¼ lb floury potatoes (Maris Piper or Bintje) in cold water for 15 minutes to remove the surface starch, then drain and dry very well on a clean tea towel.
15 minStep 2: Make the aïoli. Crush 3 cloves garlic with ¼ tsp salt in a mortar to a smooth paste. Add 2 ⅛ oz boiled potato and pound until smooth with no lumps.
Step 3: Add ½ cup olive oil a few drops at a time at first, pounding and stirring, then in a thin stream once it thickens. Add 1 tbsp lemon juice halfway. Stop when it is thick and glossy like mayonnaise. Chill until needed.
Step 4: Heat 1.5 litres sunflower or groundnut oil in a deep pan to 300°F. Fry the chips in 3 batches for 6–7 minutes each, until soft right through but still pale. Drain on kitchen paper.
20 minStep 5: Heat the oil to 375°F. Fry the chips again in batches for 2–3 minutes, until deep golden and crisp; they should sound hollow when you shake the basket.
8 minStep 6: Drain, toss with 1 tsp flaky salt and serve at once with the aïoli for dipping.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 520 kcal
- Protein
- 6 g
- Carbs
- 52 g
- Fat
- 32 g
- Fibre
- 5 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does frites with aïoli take?
- About 45 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of floury potatoes (maris piper or bintje)?
- Sweet potato, same weight (sweeter, cooks a little faster).
- What can I use instead of boiled potato?
- Sweet potato, same weight (sweeter, cooks a little faster).
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.
Rate this recipe
Sign in to rate and review this recipe.
You might also like
White sauce
The classic white sauce behind pasta bakes, lasagne, baked vegetables and creamy soups. Butter and flour are cooked together first so the sauce tastes of nothing raw, then milk is whisked in until it turns thick, glossy and smooth. Use it straight away, or keep it covered in the fridge for up to 2 days.
Orkney clapshot
Clapshot is the Orkney way with neeps and tatties: equal amounts of swede and potato mashed together with butter, chives and plenty of pepper, rather than served side by side. Islanders eat it with oatcakes and cheese, with mince, or alongside haggis on Burns Night. It is sweet, earthy and soft-orange. Chef's tip: dry the boiled vegetables in the hot pan before mashing, or the swede makes it watery.
British
Tarte au sucre lilloise
In Lille and across the Nord, a sugar tart is not pastry at all but a flat round of soft brioche dough, dimpled and covered with brown cassonade sugar, butter and a little egg and cream, which bakes into a sticky, caramelised top over a fluffy base. Families buy it from the boulangerie for Sunday breakfast and goûter, or bake one when guests come for coffee. The Nord's own beet sugar, vergeoise, gives it a deep, almost molasses flavour; soft dark brown sugar is the closest swap. Chef's tip: press deep dimples into the risen dough with your fingertips before adding the topping; the sugar and cream collect in them and bake into little pools of caramel.