Frites with Mayonnaise
Photo: cyclonebill · CC BY-SA 2.0

History

Belgian-style double-fried frites arrived in Amsterdam in the post-war period. Vleminckx De Sausmeester opened on Voetboogstraat in 1957 and codified the city's frites format: thick-cut chips, fried twice for the crisp shell, mayonnaise the default sauce. The cone wrapping is the convention, eaten on the alley pavement. Heertje on Herengracht runs the modern hand-cut version.

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Common allergens: Egg

Make it at home

Yield 4Hands-on 25 minTotal 45 minDifficulty Easy

Ingredients

  • 1.2kg Bintje, Maris Piper or other floury potatoes
  • 2L beef dripping (the Vleminckx fat) or sunflower oil for frying
  • Sea salt flakes
  • For Dutch frietsaus mayonnaise: 1 large egg yolk, 1 tsp Dijon mustard, 1 tsp white wine vinegar, 1 tsp lemon juice, 250ml neutral oil, 1 tbsp boiling water, sugar to taste

Method

  1. Peel and cut the potatoes into 1cm by 1cm batons, 8cm long; rinse in cold water until the water runs clear, then soak 15 minutes.
  2. Drain and dry the chips thoroughly on a clean tea towel; any surface moisture spits in the fat.
  3. Heat the dripping or oil to 140 degrees Celsius. Blanch the chips in batches for 6 to 7 minutes until soft but pale; drain on a rack and rest at least 10 minutes.
  4. Make the mayonnaise: whisk the yolk, mustard, vinegar and lemon juice; pour in the oil very slowly in a thin stream, whisking, until thick. Whisk in a tablespoon of boiling water to lighten; a pinch of sugar takes it from French to Dutch.
  5. Reheat the fat to 180 degrees Celsius. Fry the chips a second time in batches of two handfuls for 2 to 3 minutes until deep golden brown and crisp; drain briefly.
  6. Tip into a deep paper cone, shower with sea salt flakes, top with a thick blob of the mayonnaise.
  7. Eat with a small wooden fork while still hot enough to burn your fingers.

Tip from the editors. Beef dripping is what Vleminckx uses and is the structural difference between Dutch frites and supermarket fries; if you cannot source it, ghee mixed half-and-half with sunflower oil approximates the flavour.

Where to eat frites with mayonnaise

Frites with Mayonnaise in Amsterdam

Vleminckx De Sausmeester ★ 4.5

€ Belgian

Vleminckx on Voetboogstraat is the Amsterdam frites counter, since 1957, double-fried Belgian-style chips under 6 euros, the daily queue starting at noon.

TryFrites with mayonnaise or 28 other sauces

Directions

Heertje Friet ★ 4.2

€ Street food

Heertje on Herengracht serves Amsterdam hand-cut frites the proper way, double-fried, salted, paired with mayonnaise or one of two dozen sauces.

TryHand-cut Dutch frites

Directions

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