As I type, I have just about 100 hours of my meatless Lent left. I would love to tell you that I’m seeing it out peacefully and in a place of greatly centered spirituality.
The reality is that I have more than half of my meals planned next week, and I can’t wait. I’m trying desperately to keep things as herbivorously interesting as possible for these last few days.
It was in this spirit that I went into Publix looking for something interesting to fry with the boys’ chicken sandwiches tonight. Thought I might find some onion rings. Then I saw Arby’s Seasoned Curly Fries ($3.19), and that got the nod.
Arby’s curly fries are a viscerally gustatory time warp straight back to high school for me. We hung out there quite a bit. Those fries are also some of the only fast food items left that taste like they did in 1988. It’s a high bar indeed to get over with me on this frozen grocery store freezer case item. Hope it doesn’t disappoint.
I found the appearance out of the package a bit jarring:
I expected the fries to be pale, but a perusal of the package reveals why they’re not. The only provided instructions for preparation are to bake them in the oven at 450º. So basically, these are already cooked—you’re warming them and giving them a little patina of crisp.
I deep-fried them instead. Because fries. I went four minutes in canola oil at 375º. Here they are cooling:
The moment of truth was very satisfying. Dudes and dolls, I can tell you with conviction that those are, essentially, Arby’s curly fries sitting in your grocer’s freezer. These are them for less than half the price, and without you having to put pants on.
The only probable deviation from how they do it at the restaurants, and the only minor deduction in my rating, has to do with them being already cooked when they come out of the bag.
But because they are, I’m confident in my assumption that following oven instructions will result in a highly palatable product, just as my unsupported deep fryer path did.
Go for it. They’re worthy.
9/10
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I can attest to the fact that the oven instructions yield similar results 🙂
Thanks for the testimonial, Beth! That’s good to know for when I don’t feel like messing with the oil, etc.
This product utterly surprised me. I baked the potatoes on a sheet lined with foil~ flipping them all once mid-way. They were delicious! Not only did they look EXACTLY like the bag pictured {truth in advertising? Score!} but if you had handed me these fries in an Arby’s box, I’d never know the difference!
It’s a ridiculously good product. I’m with you, Amanda Lynn. I’m not sure I could tell the difference head-to-head.
Now, if I can find the cheese sauce….
Never thought about that! ‘Course, that’s something you could experiment with at home and probably get close. I would guess Cheez Whiz and sugar would get you a lot of the way there.