For those who love potatoes, there's nothing more satisfying than one sliced to perfection
and served as a french fry.
Now imagine those crispy, thin-cut potatoes, but even better.
Is that even possible?
According to Chick-fil-A, the answer is yes, and they're called waffle fries.
The "A" in Chick-fil-A stands for Grade A quality.
That means that the Atlanta-based restaurant wants nothing less than perfection in the
food each location serves to its customers daily.
This is especially important for waffle fries, the number one selling item on the menu.
Producing a mouthwatering waffle fry means not settling for mediocre potatoes.
That's why Chick-fil-A sources all of its spuds from the states of Washington and Oregon,
particularly from farms down in the Columbia River Basin where they care just as much about
Chick-fil-A's customers as the restaurant itself.
Chick-fil-A takes great care in choosing its suppliers, ensuring they follow very strict
quality and safety standards.
Creating the country's best-quality potatoes doesn't come easy.
From watering the land to tending the soil all the way through digging, so much care
goes into growing the spud that will one day become a Chick-fil-A waffle fry.
"It's just rewarding to know that we did our part and that's gonna put food in someone's
belly down the road."
What is it about the soil in the Columbia River Basin that makes it such an ideal place
to grow potatoes?
The answer, it turns out, is none other than volcanic ash.
One of the most notable American volcanoes is southwest Washington's Mount St. Helens,
which had a major eruption in 1980.
This eruption disintegrated more than 230 square miles and spewed over 540 million tons
of ash.
To put that into perspective, a midsize SUV weighs about 2 tons.
After the eruption, mineral and nutrient deposits that were in the rock of Mount St. Helens
were then deposited within the surrounding basin.
When ash is periodically added into existing soil, it actually improves soil quality, maintains
moisture, and helps with productivity.
It's crazy to think that such devastation can provide any benefit, but in the case of
potatoes, and the waffle fries they eventually become, it can.
There's something unique about Chick-fil-A's waffle fries.
You probably don't notice it with your first bite, as you're probably distracted by the
crispy outside texture and large surface area that can hold record amounts of gourmet dipping
sauces.
But by the time you get to the end, you'll see it.
Those last few pieces in your waffle fry order are missing something: the holes.
But why would Chick-fil-A put you through that kind of torture and turn something so
beautiful into something that looks like an unbaked potato chip on one side?
According to the chain, the answer is simple.
It's because they use real potatoes.
And since no two potatoes are the same, you might end up with a few of what they call
"potato skin fries."
Some customers may find it hard to grasp, but the no-hole potato skin fry is a Chick-fil-A
staple.
It comes with the territory.
So the next time you order up a side of waffle fries, know that you'll most likely come across
a fry butt or two.
Timing is everything when it comes to the perfection of Chick-fil-A's waffle fries.
If you've ever burnt a piece of toast or pulled chicken off the grill a little too early,
you know that being a little off on the timing can mean disaster.
"How do you want that cooked?
Burnt to a crisp or bloody as hell?"
For a restaurant that serves hundreds of bags of waffle fries a day, consistency is important.
Luckily, Chick-fil-A has the cooking of its most popular item down to a science.
Once the frozen fries are poured into the fry basket, they're then lowered into the
fryer.
At this point, the fry cook only has to press the waffle fry button on the machine to get
the process started.
The button is set to cook for two minutes.
It's really that simple.
After those two minutes, the fries are pulled from the fryer crisp, golden, and ready to
be seasoned.
Chick-fil-A founder S. Truett Cathy said,
"Food is essential to life.
Therefore make it good."
There's no doubt that Chick-fil-A waffle fries are good, but it might surprise you to know
how simple they actually are.
There are just two main ingredients Chick-fil-A uses to bring out that monumental flavor of
these crispy-on-the-outside and tender-on-the-inside treats.
Waffle fries are poured into a fry basket and dipped in canola oil when cooking.
Once the timer goes off, the fries are shaken of all excess oil.
After the oil and before the serving comes one final ingredient: a touch of salt.
Chick-fil-A uses two pumps of sea salt from its special salt shaker to sprinkle over the
waffle fries.
Then the fries are tossed around with that perfect amount of salt to bring out the real
potato flavor in each bite.
Aside from the canola oil and the salt, there are a few chemical compounds for color retention
and anti-foaming.
But that's pretty minimal compared to other fast food fries.
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