Blonde Ale Air Fryer Crispy French Fries
We have been playing around with our air fryer lately, trying to make foods that are bad for us a little healthier. It’s healthier in that it uses significantly less oil for cooking. We are still eating French fries, so I am aware of the portion control issue as I shovel these crispy bad boys into my mouth! Making beer fries was a no brainer, as it draws out the starch, making them more rigid and less likely to stick together, thus Blonde Ale Air Fryer Crispy French Fries. The end result was indeed a crispy delicious French fry!
The Brewery
I am really excited to tell you about this brewery. Arcadia Brewing Co. was established in 2020, during all of the pandemic mess. I met Darren, the owner when I would attend local cask nights at Arcadia Bar, the pub he owned before he established the brewery. I loved visiting Darren and hearing about his progress in building his brewery. Then Covid hit, and I had to watch his progress as he posted updates on social media.
As you can read on the website, Darren was sitting with his parents in a pub in Northern Ireland when he got the idea of creating his own place with the same laughter, comradery, and joy. Flashforward, his dream was to create that same atmosphere and environment: a place where strangers could become a community. We aren’t able to be together yet in his new brewery, but if it’s any indication of how I felt when he ran the pub, it was exactly that: where strangers came together and became a community.
Since he has been open, I was able to visit to check out the new place (complete with Northlands Coliseum retro seats), grab a growler, and say hi. I can’t wait until we can visit, sit in those retro seats, drink a pint, and cheer on the Oilers with that community again! Check out more about Darren and Arcadia Brewing Co. on his website, Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.
The Beer
I am just as excited about this beer as I was to tell you about the brewery! Coliseum Blonde Ale was used to make these Blonde Ale Air Fryer Crispy French Fries. This beer pours a clear straw yellow with a decent sized line of white fluffy head. The smell is of bready malts, some hints of citrus and light floral hoppiness. The taste is more bready/grainy malts, some light citrus, some spice notes, a light sweetness and a very light, inoffensive hop bitterness. The mouthfeel is very smooth, clean, easy drinking – one might call it crushable! Overall, this is a great beer that can be enjoyed for any occasion, but my favourite is to enjoy it while watching the Oilers!
The Recipe
Blonde Ale Air Fryer Crispy French Fries
Ingredients
- 2-3 large russet potatoes, hand cut into fries*
- 12 ounce blonde ale*
- 1 tsp peanut oil*
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
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Cut potatoes into 1/4-1/2 inch thick cut fries, leaving the skin on. Place fries in a medium sized bowl and fully submerge in the beer of your choice. Let soak for 1-2 hours.
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Remove the fries from the beer, shaking off any excess. Place in another medium sized bowl and toss with oil, salt and pepper until evenly coated.
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Pour the fries into your air fryer* and set for the timer that your air fryer says for potatoes. Mine is for 32 mins, for example.
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Remove from air fryer and let cool for 5 minutes. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
* I used 2 large russets and 1 yam – they worked well together.
* If you don’t have or want to use peanut oil, you can substitute it with canola or olive oil.
* A lager or even a pale ale would also work well if you don’t have a blonde ale.
* If you don’t have an air fryer, you can bake these in the oven instead with the same golden, crispy result. Preheat your oven to 450 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place in preheated oven for 25-30 minutes until golden crispy. Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 mins.
