Fries are much more than a side - here’s how to turn them into dinner

About halfway down Shop Street in downtown Galway, Ireland, there s often a crowd outside Chipeen, where they serve hundreds of pounds each day of wha...

About halfway down Shop Street in downtown Galway, Ireland, there’s often a crowd outside Chipeen, where they serve hundreds of pounds each day of what they call "proper Irish chips” - chunky peeled potato batons cut thicker than a typical American fry. Crispy and golden outside, with a fluffy interior texture, Chipeen elevates these chips beyond a side dish to make them a meal - and nothing could be bad about that.

Sure, fries love a condiment, and at Chipeen (formerly known as Prátaí, which means "potatoes” in Irish), there’s plenty of inspiration to be had, including a peanut satay sauce and mayonnaise spiked with white truffles or bacon, as well as such loaded toppings as shrimp scampi and sautéed mushrooms that take them to the next level. In December, the shop even serves a holiday-dinner-inspired version topped with Sunday roast gravy, onion and sage stuffing, and cranberry sauce. I’m already starting to think about a fry-centered Thanksgiving.

Poppy O’Toole, author of "The Potato Book” and widely known in the United Kingdom and across social media as the "Potato Queen,” says there’s nothing wrong with using frozen fries (or chips) - but don’t be afraid to try your hand at homemade.

"When making from scratch, you control the surface roughness and fats used, which creates an entirely different texture and crispiness that a frozen chip will struggle to replicate,” O’Toole says. "However, frozen chips are amazing for convenience, especially when used on things like loaded fries, where they act as a base.” When it comes to cooking truly crispy homemade fries, using the oven by preheating the oil on a sheet pan can be a great alternative to a deep fryer. "Oven roasting takes longer overall,” notes O’Toole, "but it’s more hands-off, more accessible and has potential for more crunch.”

Here’s how to give fries top billing in your next meal. - - -Swap fries in for other carbs Wherever you might normally use pasta, rice or bread, try giving fries pride of place. Once we start thinking about them as more than a side dish, the possibilities are endless. Fries make a fiber-full, potassium-rich base for a spicy tomato sauce, flaked canned tuna with tartar sauce or even a tangy kale salad. Imagine them fortifying a frittata, supporting shawarma or transforming a tagine. Here in America, you’ll find Springfield, Illinois, locals lining up for the open-faced horseshoe sandwich, a generous pile of cheese-sauce-drowned fries on top of ham steak (or other meat) and toast, while San Diego’s California burrito features fries inside a tortilla with carne asada, cheddar and, sometimes, guacamole. - - -Get them extra crispy Water is a potato’s best friend, starting with a cold plunge to help remove the surface starch, which allows the spuds to cook more evenly, with better texture. Once they’ve had a good soak, parboiling is key to getting a fry that is crisp on the outside and tender within. "Thin fries can be fried from raw because the heat penetrates quickly,” says O’Toole, while cautioning that "doing this with a thick-cut chip means you’ll brown the outside before the inside is soft.”