Thrasher french fries are a popular fast food item served at Thrasher restaurants across the country. From their crispy exterior to their fluffy interior, Thrasher fries have become an iconic menu item. But how exactly are these delicious fries made? The process involves carefully selecting and preparing the potatoes, precision cutting and cooking methods, and closely monitoring quality control. Read on to learn all the steps involved in creating this delicious fast food treat.
Selecting the Potatoes
The first step in making great french fries is selecting high quality potatoes. Thrasher sources russet potatoes from regional farms close to its restaurants. The russet variety is perfect for fries because it has an ideal balance of starch and sugar content. Russets also have a fluffy texture that gets crispy on the outside when fried while staying pillowy soft inside. Thrasher maintain high standards when choosing potato suppliers and only select potatoes that are:
- Freshly harvested – Potatoes are shipped directly from farms to restaurants within a few days of being harvested.
- Uniformly sized – Potatoes need to be within a certain size range to cut regular fry shapes.
- Free of defects – No green spots, disease, rot or other defects.
- Properly cured – Curing removes moisture from potatoes after harvest for better fry quality.
By sourcing high-quality russet potatoes from trusted regional suppliers, Thrasher ensures exceptional taste and consistency in their fries.
Washing and Peeling
Once potatoes arrive at Thrasher restaurants, they go through a thorough washing and peeling process:
- Washing – Potatoes are sprayed and tumbled in water to remove any dirt or debris from the fields.
- Peeling – They are then fed through an industrial peeling machine that removes the skin using rotating abrasive surfaces.
- Additional washing – Peeled potatoes go through another wash cycle to remove any remaining peel or dirt.
- Defect removal – Workers manually inspect the potatoes and remove any with defects before processing.
Proper washing and peeling ensures Thrasher fries have a uniform appearance and taste consistently great. The peeled potatoes are kept immersed in water after peeling to prevent oxidation before the next step.
Precision Cutting
The secret to perfect french fries is the cut. Thrasher restaurants use specialized high-speed cutting machines to cut peeled russet potatoes into uniform fry shapes:
- Fries are cut to a thickness between 1/4 to 3/8 inches.
- Cutting blades slice potatoes into long rectangular prism shapes.
- Fries are immediately submerged in water to remove starch released during cutting.
- The uniform shape and thickness allows for even cooking.
Thrasher regularly inspects cut potatoes and keeps strict control standards to ensure each fry has just the right proportions for optimal crispy outside and fluffy interior texture.
Blanching
Before the fries are cooked, they are par-fried or blanched:
- Fries soak in hot water for 5-10 minutes to bring all fries to an even temperature.
- They are fried in oil at a lower temperature of 275-300°F for 1-2 minutes.
- Blanching partially cooks fries and helps develop their signature crispy texture.
- Excess oil is drained off and fries are cooled or frozen until the final frying stage.
Blanching is a vital process for achieving Thrasher’s signature crispy fries. It ensures the inside cooks through while the outside gets crispy during final frying.
Final Frying
After blanching, the par-cooked fries are ready for the final frying step:
- Fries go into fryers filled with fresh cooking oil at 350-375°F.
- Fryers have timers to control exact frying duration, between 2-3 minutes.
- Frying makes the exterior crispy and gives fries their golden color.
- Fries are immediately seasoned with a salt mixture after exiting the fryer.
Thrasher restaurants closely control the oil quality, temperature and frying times to perfect the crunchiness and taste of the fries. Frying the fries twice seals in moisture and flavor for the signature Thrasher fry experience.
Quality Control
To maintain exceptional quality and consistency, Thrasher implements strict quality control measures:
- Oil is regularly filtered to remove food debris and impurities.
- Fryer oil quality is tested multiple times a day and changed frequently.
- Fry cook times and temperatures precisely controlled.
- Prepared fries are routinely weighed for correct portion sizes.
- Random fry sampling to check texture, taste and appearance.
Thrasher crews are trained to comply with precise fry preparation procedures. By diligently adhering to quality control steps, Thrasher ensures every batch of fries meets their high standards.
Conclusion
So in summary, here are the key steps Thrasher restaurants take to create perfect french fries:
- Source fresh, high quality russet potatoes
- Wash, peel and inspect potatoes
- Precision cut potatoes into uniform fry shapes
- Blanch fries at low temperature to partially cook
- Fry at higher temperature to get crispy exterior
- Season immediately after frying
- Implement strict quality control
It takes careful sourcing, precision preparation, and constant quality checks to create Thrasher’s signature crispy fries. So next time you enjoy this popular fast food treat, you’ll know the long journey those fries took from farm to fryer. Paying such close attention to each step of the process is how Thrasher restaurants deliver perfectly cooked fries every single time.