<P> French fries are prepared by first cutting the potato--peeled or unpeeled--into even strips, which are then wiped off or soaked in cold water to remove the surface starch, and thoroughly dried . They may then be fried in one or two stages . Chefs generally agree that the two - bath technique produces better results . Potatoes fresh out of the ground can have too high a water content - resulting in soggy fries - so preference is for those that have been stored for a while . </P> <P> In the two - stage or two - bath method, the first bath, sometimes called blanching, is in hot fat (around 160 ° C / 320 ° F) to cook them through . This step can be done in advance . Then they are more briefly fried in very hot fat (190 ° C / 375 ° F) to crisp the exterior . They are then placed in a colander or on a cloth to drain, salted, and served . The exact times of the two baths depend on the size of the potatoes . For example, for 2--3 mm strips, the first bath takes about 3 minutes, and the second bath takes only seconds . One can cook french fries using several techniques . Deep frying submerges food in hot fat, most commonly oil . Vacuum fryers are suitable to process low - quality potatoes with higher sugar levels than normal, as they frequently have to be processed in spring and early summer before the potatoes from the new harvest become available . In the UK, a Chip pan is a deep - sided cooking pan used for deep - frying . Chip pans are named for their traditional use in frying chips . </P> <P> Most French fries are produced from frozen potatoes which have been blanched or at least air - dried industrially . Most chains that sell fresh cut fries use the Idaho Russet Burbank variety of potatoes . It has been the standard for French fries in the United States . The usual fat for making French fries is vegetable oil . In the past, beef suet was recommended as superior, with vegetable shortening as an alternative . In fact, McDonald's used a mixture of 93% beef tallow and 7% cottonseed oil until 1990, when they switched to vegetable oil with beef flavoring . Starting in the 1960s, more fast food restaurants have been using frozen French fries . </P> <P> Thomas Jefferson had "potatoes served in the French manner" at a White House dinner in 1802 . The expression "French fried potatoes" first occurred in print in English in the 1856 work Cookery for Maids of All Work by E. Warren: "French Fried Potatoes .--Cut new potatoes in thin slices, put them in boiling fat, and a little salt; fry both sides of a light golden brown colour; drain ." This account referred to thin, shallow - fried slices of potato (French cut)--it is not clear where or when the now familiar deep - fried batons or fingers of potato were first prepared . In the early 20th century, the term "French fried" was being used in the sense of "deep - fried" for foods like onion rings or chicken . </P>

What kind of fat is in french fries