What is the best way to reheat fritters?

Before you reheat the fries, allow them to come to room temperature for about an hour. If you don’t have the foresight to pull them out of the fridge, don’t stress. Doing so simply helps them reheat extra-evenly later on.

Our favorite reheating technique is pretty simple. All you need is your trusty large nonstick skillet, olive oil and salt. Here’s what you do. Heat a few tablespoons of the oil in a nonstick pan over medium heat just until it starts to shimmer. Think about covering the entire bottom of the skillet in oil, erring on the side of using more oil than less. The oil helps to “fry” the French fries a second time and get them extra crispy.

Put the leftover fries in the hot oil in a single layer, making sure not to crowd the pan. Work in batches if need be.

Cook the fries undisturbed until they’re warmed through, then toss in the skillet until they’re crisp. At this stage, you can choose to add a few fun extra toppings to your fries. Think: dried herbs like chives or oregano, freshly grated Parmesan cheese, cracked black pepper, truffle oil or Old Bay seasoning.

Remove the fries from the oil and drain on a paper-towel-lined plate. Taste one to decide whether or not you’d like to sprinkle on a bit more salt.

If you’re trying to quickly reheat a big batch of fries, we recommend you try our oven method: First, bring the fries to room temperature if you have time. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Crumple up a large piece of aluminum foil and spread it over a sheet tray so it covers the entire surface. The small bumps in the surface of the crumpled-then-smoothed foil will function the same way as a wire rack, exposing more surface area of each fry to the oven’s heat so they get extra crisp. Using crumpled foil in place of a wire rack is a great trick when you A) don’t feel like cleaning a wire rack or B) are baking something small that it might fall right through the holes in a wire rack.

Next, spread the fries out acoss the foil so they’re in a single layer, and spray them with cooking spray. Pop the fries in the oven and bake them until they’re golden and crispy, 5 to 10 minutes.

Remove the fries from the oven and taste test one to see if you’d like to top them off with some additional salt. Transfer them to a serving dish by grasping the foil (which doesn’t hold heat) and using it to funnel in the French fries. And don’t forget to break out the ketchup and fancy mayonnaise, like Guy's roasted garlic aioli.

DINING

Memphis Commercial Appeal

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Whether it's leftovers or to-go orders, know that the microwave is not always the best way to reheat every dish.

The general rule of thumb is to reheat food in the same way it was originally cooked. For example, soup should be reheated in a pot on the stovetop and a roast chicken in the oven.

To ensure foods like casseroles and roast meats do not dry out while reheating in the oven, just cover them with foil. Use a low-temperature like 350 degrees Fahrenheit and cook until the dish is just heated through, depending on the item this could be anywhere from 8 to 20 minutes.

Here are some tips to warm up items that traditionally are difficult to reheat.

Fried foods

Fried foods have the best chance of getting crispy again in dry heat. Place in an oven or toaster oven preheated to 400 degrees. It’s best if you can reheat them on top of a rack so the item doesn’t simmer in any excess grease.

Seafood

There is nothing worse than overcooked seafood. Heat fish dishes in a low-temperature oven until just heated through. 

Pizza

If reheating a whole pizza, stick it in the oven directly on the oven rack or on a preheated pizza stone.

If just reheating a slice or two, warm it up in a hot skillet with the lid on. This stove-top technique will give you a crispy crust with melty cheese on top.

Rice

Grains like rice and quinoa reheat best in the microwave. Add a teaspoon or two of water and reheat in microwave. The extra water basically steams the rice.

French fries

Reheat for a minute or two under the broiler, just until crispy. Placing them on a rack will help them crisp up evenly.

Mashed potatoes

Reheat items like mashed potatoes in a double boiler to keep them from separating. If you don’t own a double boiler, simply set a metal bowl over a pan of simmering water. This process slowly warms the dish without scorching it. Also, warm butter and cream sauces this same way.

Jennifer Chandler is the Food & Dining reporter at The Commercial Appeal. She can be reached at [email protected], and you can follow her on Twitter and Instagram at @cookwjennifer. 

More cooking tips to come

For the next few weeks, The Commercial Appeal Food & Dining reporter Jennifer Chandler will post shopping and recipe tips to help you put a delicious and healthy meal on the table. Chandler is the author of four cookbooks, including "The Southern Pantry Cookbook." 

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