Double-fried Belgian frites cooked in pure beef fat (ossewit), served in a paper cone with sauce. The street-food staple of Antwerp since 1842.

Belgian frites trace to 17th-century Meuse-valley villages, where fried potatoes replaced the river fish that locals could not catch in winter. Antwerp's Fritkot Max has fried since 1842; the original cart stood on Burchtplein beside the Rubens statue and moved to Groenplaats when the Schelde was straightened. The beef-fat fry is the distinctive Belgian technique, double-fried for a crisp shell and fluffy interior.

Where to eat Belgian frites in beef fat in Antwerp

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Make it at home

Serves 41 hrEasy

Ingredients

  • 1.5kg Bintje potatoes (or other floury potato), peeled
  • 1.5L beef fat (ossewit) or rendered lard
  • Sea salt
  • Optional: Belgian mayonnaise, andalouse, samurai or stoofvleessaus to serve

Method

  1. Cut the potatoes into 1cm batons. Rinse thoroughly to remove starch.
  2. Pat completely dry on a clean tea towel.
  3. Heat the beef fat to 140C in a deep heavy pot.
  4. Blanch the chips in batches for 5 to 6 minutes until soft but not coloured. Drain on paper.
  5. Rest the chips for at least 30 minutes (this gives the crisp shell).
  6. Reheat the fat to 180C.
  7. Fry the chips in batches for 2 to 3 minutes until deep golden and crisp.
  8. Drain, salt immediately, and serve in paper cones with sauce.

Editor tip. The 30-minute rest between fries is non-negotiable: it is what separates Belgian frites from French fries.