I don’t know what my life was like before learning how to properly reheat fries. I think out of our whole relationship, the most valuable thing I have learned from Derek is how to reheat food properly.
This recipe will not only show you how to reheat those fries you always end up dragging home with you, but you also don’t have to worry about poaching eggs and having a breakdown like Julie from Julie and Julia. Plus, my recipe for hollandaise gives you a bit of wiggle room in how much butter you add.
Skip to the Recipe
This recipe was created when Derek was coming home from work at midnight with some fries. We really didn’t have dinner plans (we’re still learning to be adults, and you know actually plan ahead). We had some eggs and I was starving (I have a habit of not feeding myself because it seems like so much work to make food for only one person, you know?). After watching a cooking show on eggs benedict I had a serious craving for hollandaise. We don’t have any bread products regularly because Derek is gluten intolerant and GF stuff is expensive. So, I decided we would just use the cold fries he brought home from work as an English muffin substitute. Also, here are several other unique and yummy English muffin substitutes.
Our GF diet
When we found out Derek was gluten intolerant, I decided to go on a gluten-free (GF) diet as well. He really didn’t want to eat GF after watching his mother and sister be GF for 10+ years. When they went GF, there was a lot to be desired in many of the first GF products, but now that’s all changing!
Since he was so reluctant to be GF, it was an obvious choice for me to be GF as well. There’s no reason to make separate meals for only two people in the house. Plus, I wanted to be mindful of how this change would affect him. I knew that if I wasn’t also GF that I would forget about his needs, not look at menus ahead of time, and regularly buy myself gluten filled delicious snacks. So in order to be on the same page as him and to advocate for him, I went GF. Derek isn’t Celiac, although several people in his family are. He just becomes very sick (think lactose intolerant) when he consumes gluten, so it is best for him to not eat it. Since GF foods are expensive we mostly eat a naturally GF diet (eating things that don’t normally contain gluten instead of trying to make food be GF) or we make our own GF gluten items.
If you are gluten-free, you should check out Gluten Free on a Shoestring by Nicole Hunn. Nicole is an amazingly talented GF baker. She has hundreds of recipes for things ranging from bread to noodles to desserts and even dumplings! One word of advice, thoroughly follow her instructions. Since baking is more of a science, if you add or substitute ingredients, it will not turn out. However, if you follow her recipes to a “t”, you will get beautiful GF bread that is tastier and cheaper than the styrofoam that is sold in stores.
How to Reheat Fries
If you would like to just reheat up your fries, place them in a single layer on an aluminum covered baking sheet and pop them into an oven with the broiler on low, or your oven set to 450°F (~230°C). Leave them on low for 2-3 minutes, stir, let them sit for another 2-3 minutes, stir, kick your broiler up to high for a final 2-3 minutes and enjoy! **Your broiler may run hotter than ours, so please watch them until you get a hang of the timing for your oven** If you aren’t using a broiler, leave them in at 450°F (~230°C) for 5-7 minutes, stir, and leave for another 5-7 minutes.
Recipe
Easy Eggs Benedict and Home Fries
An easy way to use up leftover fries for a deliciously classic breakfast.
Ingredients
- 8 eggs (4 for hollandaise, 4 for soft-boiling)
- 1/2 a lemon (~ 1/2-1 tablespoon, strongly recommend fresh)
- 4-6 tablespoons of butter
- a pinch or more of cayenne
- 4 slices of Canadian bacon or good ham (just get Canadian bacon, please, you won’t regret it)
- About 2 cups leftover fries or other potato product (or English muffins)
- Salt to taste
Directions
- Prepare your fries. If using leftover fries, turn your broiler to low or your oven to 450°F (~230°C). While the oven is heating, get out a knife or some kitchen scissors and cut the fries into bite-sized pieces. Place all the fry bits in a single layer on an aluminum covered baking sheet (for easy clean up) and pop those suckers into the oven. You’ll want to stir these a bit after about 10 minutes and pull them out after 20 minutes. This will get the fries extra crispy to combat them being covered in hollandaise. If you would like to reheat them normally, see above. If you are using a type of frozen potato product, heat according to the package instructions.
- Prepare cookware and ice bath. Begin boiling water in a small saucepan or prepare your double boiler. Prepare an ice bath for the eggs and set aside. Also, bring a medium or large saucepan to a boil for your eggs. Lastly, start heating a medium frying pan over medium heat for your Canadian bacon.
- Start your hollandaise while you wait for the pans heat and water to boil. Begin by melting the butter in a measuring cup (or something with a pour spout) in the microwave. While the butter is melting, place 4 egg yolks in a glass bowl (or the bowl of a double boiler) and whisk with juice from half a lemon (~ 1 tablespoon or less if you want less lemon, add a bit at a time, you can always add more later). Whisk for a minute until the mixture becomes slightly thickened. You can cook up your leftover egg whites and add to your meal, or save for later.
- Start cooking your Canadian bacon in the medium frying pan. After about 2-3 minutes or once browned, flip, and cook on the other side for another 2-3 minutes or until browned. While you are waiting for that to cook, continue to the steps below (this is multitasking like a real chef 😉)!
- Boil eggs. Once the large saucepan is boiling, gently place four eggs (I use my bare hands like a monster, but I recommend a slotted spoon) into the water and cook for 6 minutes. This will give you hard whites with runny yolks.
- Finish hollandaise. While the Canadian bacon and eggs are going, start cooking your hollandaise to finish it up. Place the glass bowl with your egg and lemon juice mixture over your small saucepan of now boiling water or use a double broiler. Turn the boiling water down to a simmer and begin slowly whisking the mixture to bring it up to temp. After about a minute of whisking, start slowly drizzling in your melted butter while whisking. If you see a build-up of butter stop adding butter and whisk until it is fully incorporated. If you can’t pour and whisk at the same time, and a splash of butter and whisk until completely incorporated and repeat this until all the butter has been added. Once all your butter is fully incorporated, add a pinch of cayenne and salt to taste. Taste your mixture and add more salt, cayenne or lemon at this point. Keep whisking and watching your hollandaise until thickened (it will turn to scrambled eggs if you don’t keep an eye on it). If your hollandaise gets a little thick, just add a teaspoon or so of hot water and whisk, keep adding hot water until desired consistency is reached (thin custard/pudding).
- Icebath your eggs and peel. Once your eggs are finished boiling, pour off the hot water or scoop out your eggs with a slotted spoon and place the eggs in the prepared ice bath. Let the eggs sit in the ice bath for 30 seconds to a minute. Fish out the eggs and gently peel them. If you gently crack the egg all over, it will help prevent the white breaking as you peel.
- Assemble the dish. First plate up the fries. If you want this dish to be easier to eat, cut or tear your Canadian bacon into bite-sized pieces (or use those trusty kitchen scissors). Place the Canadian bacon on top, eggs next, and finally, top with your hollandaise and inhale.
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