The Secret Ingredient In McDonald's Fries

It's been a long time since chef Frank Proto worked at McDonald's—but one trick he picked up there has stayed with him his entire culinary career.


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[Zuckerbrot]

Pro tip: don’t inhale the fumes rising from the blender after you blitz the salt 😖

[dyc]

I alwayd wondered how to make the salt sticky for the popcorn, awesome tip !

[soulassassing]

Interviewer: "So, do you have any culinary experience?"

Me: "Yeah, I worked at McDonald's."

[Ian-nlyd]

Working fast food is very real culinary experience. Things move fast! If you can keep up with the pace of a Taco Bell, you can keep up at any restaurant. The difference between a fry cook at McDonalds and a line cook at a fine restaurant is knife skills and a little book-learning.

[GottlikeDamon]

Cool to see his culinary knowledge extends to "minimal" things such as the salt to use and where he learned how to use it 😊.

[YukoValis]

I like calling this "confectioners salt"

[direng]

I grind my salt for popcorn too! Mum thinks I'm nuts, but it tastes amazing. I feel validated. 😊 I grind it in the motar and pestle. It cleans the motar and pestle as well.

[John-lwxc]

They also used to fry them in tallow so much better than they are now

[big_b_wolf]

I was thinking abt that the other day; you get powdered sugar by blending it, but was there an equivalent for salt? Glad I stumbled on this video! Never heard of popcorn salt before lol

[grumpycarl]

Salt to blender -> popcorn salt

White Sugar to blender -> Confectionary sugar

[billysgeo]

Add some MSG in there and you’ve nailed it.

[lemguins]

A mortar and pestle can also make popcorn salt, but you can only realistically make a quarter cup at a time.

[blackdeathnapkin]

I ran out of salt for my salt grinder so I threw some kosher salt in the grinder for regular use. It sucks for sprinkling while cooking, but it comes out really fine like this video!

[naspayne]

I never knew this! I’ll try and hunt down some popcorn salt to put on my fries! Thanks Chef! 🫡

[jacksongrantham]

If you have a mortar and pestle this also works to make popcorn salt, super nice workout too lol

[happyfisherman]

they also use Kennebec potatoes and water blanch them

[rtolas]

Should put some of that salt on that herpe!

[kylelitwack]

I use a mortar and pestle to grind up salt with spices to coat things like fries, popcorn, and breads.

[tomacito]

Frank is the most perfect man ever created, try and change my mind.

[bogdanpanaite]

Pro tip .. buy coarse salt and use a pestle and mortar, works with peppercorns coriander seeds star anise and everything that your heart desires 😅... popcorn salt, are you for real ?😂