A week to discover Belgian fries!

Today was the start of the Week of Belgian Fries ("Semaine de la Frite") in Wallonia. For the fifth edition of this Walloon initiative, the goal is to highlight 150 places where you can actually eat "real" fries in the south of the country. You can find a list on their website, try them and tell us what you think!

They're worth a museum!

If you really want to know Belgian fries like the back of your hand, you can visit the only museum the world dedicated to them! The Frietmuseum is located in Bruges and can teach you a lot about Belgian fries and their history.

How can you make your own Belgian fries?

Here is an example of recipe that you could use...
1) Choose a more floury type of potato. Usually, Bintje or Nicolas potatoes are being used in Belgium.
2) If you really want to do it the traditional way, use unrefined beef fat ("Blanc de Boeuf"). But you can also use any other oil if you prefer it.
3) After washing the potatoes and peeling them, make sure you chop the potatoes in fries as thick as 1 cm (0,4 inches).
4) Don't rince them again, as it could reduce their taste considerably. Then, dry them a maximum with a towel.
5) You have to pre-cook your fries to make sure the inside of the potato is edible. The oil has to be as hot as 160°C (320°F) and it usually takes around 5 minutes. If you're not sure, you can try to break one of the fries with your fingers, if it's almost immediate, they're ready.
6) The next step is to allow them to cool down for a while (maybe half an hour).
At this step, if you feel like you have too much, you can keep them in a box in your freezer so you can cook them later!
7) Finally, cook your fries at around 170-180°C (340-355°F) to actually fry them, making them crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside, and with an orange colour, around 2 or 3 minutes.
8) Put them in a bowl with a tissue and shake them up and down to make sure you get rid of a maximum of oil.

If you want to look authentic, place them in a papercone or a cardboard tray, with mayonnaise of course! Serve them hot!