How To Make Smiley Fries Without Terrifyingly Droopy Faces
If you were in elementary school during the '90s, chances are you remember eating smiley fries at lunch. A staple in cafeterias, the smiley face-shaped fries were often served instead of regular French fries. However, when it comes to making these at home, you may be familiar with the issue of forming and keeping the perfect smiley face intact during and after the cooking process.
Instead of the smiley face retaining its shape, it often droops or distorts as a result of the frying process. Yes, the fries will ultimately taste the same and shouldn't change too much of the texture; however, let's face it, a droopy face is much more terrifying than a smiley one. And on top of that, what's the point of having smiley-faced fries if they are completely ruined? Luckily, there's an easy way to prevent this from happening so you can enjoy your deep-fried snacks to ultimate satisfaction.
Turn that frown upside down (or rather, faceside down)
A smiley face is just two dots and a curved line, but when you add potatoes into the equation, it gets a little more complicated. For the eye holes, you want to make sure to make them big enough so they remain defined even when you fry them. The same goes for the smile — use a spoon for the best results. Just be aware that if the eye or mouth slits are too big, your smiley fries will be challenging to handle and may fall apart in the oil.
To get the classic smiley fry look, fry your pieces facedown. As the first part of the mashed potato dough hits the heat, the smiley face will essentially get locked in, preventing the distortion that usually happens during frying. If your smiley face still gets distorted, you can try to reshape it using a skewer, but act fast because the dough will crisp up as it cools.
What causes the smiley face to droop?
They might be called smiley fries, but they can also be similar to potato croquettes. Whereas fries are made up of cut potatoes, croquettes are made up of potato-based dough. In addition to mashed potatoes, there's also starch or breadcrumbs and sometimes extra herbs and spices. And while fries and croquettes are both deep fried, they cook differently. Whereas fries retain their general shape, croquettes and smiley fries can expand, hence why it can be so challenging for the smile to stay in place.
The hotter the filling gets, the more a croquette or smiley fry will stretch, and it's for this reason that they're meant to be fried quickly for a few minutes, in just enough time for a crust to form. Once done, transfer them to a plate with a paper towel and season to taste. Now, any fear or worry about your smiley fries adapting a strange facial expression are long gone.