French Fries: The Real Thing For pommes frites lovers (who isn't?), great news: This French bistro classic has come to America. Already big on both coasts, the trend is perfectly poised to sweep the whole country. "We've been open less than a year," says Suzanne Levinson, owner of Pommes Frites in New York City, "and even with 30,000 eateries here, it was clear within three months that we'd hit on something big. Matt Halliday owns Benita's Frites in Santa Monica. "My customers are not kids," he says. "They're real connoisseurs who appreciate great food." Neither of these trendsetters serve garden-variety American fries. Their frites are steeped in European tradition. What makes pommes frites so different from American fries is that they're fried, not once, but twice, and served with a variety of sophisticated sauces, the most popular being mayonnaise-based. Converting customers from ketchup to mayo was "no problem at all", says Levinson, whose number-one seller, Frite Sauce, laces a special mayonnaise with mustard and spices. "When I was growing up in Europe, we ate a lot of beef fondue at home," he says. "Our sauces are versions of the sauces I used to love." Most in demand at Benita's Frites are Garlic Mayonnaise, Jalapeno Mayo and Andalouse, a favorite that's basically an aioli sauce flavored with sauteed peppers. If the pommes frites craze hasn't hit your area, try this recipe. It's worth a splurge, no matter how calorie-conscious you are. POMME FRITES FROM BENITA'S FRITES Peel potatoes completely. This is important, because the skin impacts a heavier taste, not the typically light pommes fries flavor. Cut into strips, and soak in cold water from 10 minutes to overnight - you want to soak the starch out so the potatoes don't burn on the outside or become too soft inside. Drain and dry Blanch at a low temperature (250° to 280°F) in vegetable oil until the outside begins to turn white (right before it starts to brown). Drain, then steam in steamer for one minute. Fry at a high temperature (350° to 360°F) until golden brown. Do you have any questions, comments or suggestions? Email: jwdineline@aol.com Copyright © 1998 Inter Active Media Solutions . All Rights Reserved. The interactive components of this site require that you use a current browser version of Explorer; be sure to maximize your window out so you can see the entire page. This page was created by Inter Active Media Solutions.