Cotati baseball fan shares ballpark recipe for Garlic Fries

Just like the sweet flavor of Dungeness crab and the tang of sourdough bread, the fragrant allure of the garlic fries served at San Francisco's AT&T Park has become synonymous with the City by the Bay and its beloved baseball team, the Giants.

The irresistible aroma of the fries wafts through the park and spills over into the surrounding streets, becoming an iconic part of the fan experience and providing the perfect foil for a cold beer and an array of charred meats on a bun.

So when the calendar flips to April and the weather starts to warm up, Candi Burns of Cotati always turns to her favorite recipe for Garlic Fries, which she likes to make at home while watching the game on the television.

“I don't make them a lot, but I make them for company,” said Burns, 66, who retired from Avis-Rent-A-Car last year. “I'll make turkey burgers and garlic fries, like we're at the game.”

Burns grew up in San Mateo and started going to Giants games with her dad when the team was still playing at Candlestick Park.

“Once we took him for Father's Day, and we were trying to tailgate in the parking lot,” she recalled. “A gust of wind blew the onions right off my hot dog. I'll never forget that.”

These days, Burns enjoys taking the ferry to day games at AT&T Park, where she tries to find a seat that's out of the sun, if not out of the wind. Last year, she made it to five games, and before she sits down, she always picks up a turkey burger, some garlic fries and a Miller Lite. “I like American beer, and Miller Lite is real clean,” she said.

The Garlic Fries, which are sold at the ball park by the Gilroy Garlic Fries concession, were first popularized in 1988 by Dan Gordon and Dean Biersch at their first eatery, the Gordon Biersch Brewery Restaurant in downtown Palo Alto. Gordon came up with the idea while studying brewing and brewery engineering in Munich.

“I remember trying them with our first chef, Jamie Carpenter, at his little home kitchen in San Mateo, shortly before the opening of the first Gordon Biersch in Palo Alto,” Biersch said. “The Garlic Fries were a hit at the brewpub from Day One.”

In the early ‘90s, at the request of the Giants General Managing Partner Peter Magowan, Gordon and Biersch introduced the Garlic Fries to Candlestick Park, where they caught on like wildfire in both the national and local media.

“The smell made the sale, and once the fans next to you were eating garlic fries, so were you,” Biersch said. “Well over 3 tons of potatoes are sold per game for the Garlic Fries.”

Biersch now lives in Sonoma and still serves the tasty Garlic Fries at his HopMonk Taverns in Sonoma and Marin counties as well as the Twin Oaks Tavern in Penngrove.

The official recipe for the San Francisco Giants Garlic Fries is available online. But since they are deep fried, that recipe is beyond the reach of most home cooks, who often lack a deep fryer to get the job done right.

With her simplified recipe, which she adapted from a cooking magazine, Burns bakes the potato slices in the oven, then finishes them with a little butter, garlic, parsley and Parmesan cheese.

“The butter is important because it makes them taste better,” she said. “And everything sticks together.”

One of the benefits of eating garlic fries at home is ensuring that you get ‘em while they're hot.

“At the ballpark, by the time you get your food and walk back to your seat, you're lucky if the fries are lukewarm,” Burns said.

The hardest part of making the garlic-laden fries is prepping the potatoes. Burns has used a mandoline, set to the thickest setting, as well as a French fry maker, which creates a square cut for the fries.

“I've even cut them up with a knife,” she said. “You can do it any way you want.”

And, if you're really looking for a short cut, you can pick up a bag of frozen pre-cut French Fries.

To save herself a little time, Burns usually chops the garlic and the parsley in a food processor, then grates the Parmesan cheese by hand.

“It's pretty easy,” she said. “That's the best thing.”

Serve some peanuts and Cracker Jacks as an appetizer, and a turkey burger or a hot dog on the side, and you'll make your guests feel like they're at the ballpark, without the drive and the ferry ride.

Garlic Fries

Makes 6 servings

3 pounds peeled Russet potatoes, sliced

4 teaspoons vegetable oil

1 teaspoon salt

- Cooking spray

2 tablespoons butter

6 to 8 garlic cloves, minced

2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley (or cilantro)

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese (or Pecorino Romano)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Put first three ingredients in a bowl and toss to coat.

Arrange potatoes in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and coated with cooking spray. Bake 40 minutes or until potatoes are tender and golden brown, turning them about halfway through.

Place butter and garlic in a large, nonstick skillet. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly. Add parsley and cheese to the pan, then pour over potatoes and toss to coat. Serve immediately.

Staff writer Diane Peterson can be reached at 521-5287 or diane.peterson@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @dianepete56.