Wingstop is known for having some of the best fries in the fast-food game, but it may be hiding a dirty little secret.
Those who like Wingstop fries generally praise them for their sweet and savory seasoning, crispy on the outside, soft on the inside texture, generous portions, and freshness.
But a Wingstop worker’s behind the scenes look might make you rethink ever adding a side of fries to your wings again.
Nasty fry water
In a viral video with more than 2.2 million views, worker Scatty (@scatty.watty) revealed what really goes on in the Wingstop kitchen when making fries, and it isn’t pretty.
Even to the untrained eye, the back kitchen is giving health code violations left and right.
In the TikTok Scatty showed baskets of fries stacked on top of each other atop a wet and dirty kitchen counter.
When he pans over, you might literally gag. The sinks are full of brown water, and the raw fries are soaking in the nasty liquid. On top of that, there’s a thin white film on the water, like when you leave a beverage out for too long and bacteria starts to grow.
While soaking fries is a common cooking technique, and it does release starch and bubbles, there’s no reason for the once-clear water to become so pigmented just from the potatoes.
@scatty.watty fry water 🤢 #fyp #foryoupage #foryourpage #xybca #wingstop ♬ sad SpongeBob music – michael
Why soak potatoes before cooking?
To make baked or fried potatoes extra crispy it is often recommended that you add an additional step to the cooking process—soaking.
Once you’ve cut your potatoes into the desired shape (be it sticks for french fries or cubes for roasting), dump them in a bowl of salted cold water,
Over time, the water helps remove the excess starches, moisture, and sugars from the potatoes and keeps them from browning after being cut and exposed to air, according to Idaho Potatoes. Too much starch can prevent your potatoes from cooking evenly and even form a gummy or sticky texture on the exterior, Potato Goodness explained.
If you’re in a rush, a quick 15- —to 30-minute soak should do the trick. But if you’ve got time, that’s even better. You can let the potatoes soak for hours at a time or even leave them in the water overnight.
And don’t negate all of your prep work by putting the still-damp potatoes straight in the oven or oil. Make sure to pat them dry before cooking.
Commenters react
“I work at Wingstop and I can confirm they don’t do this at my location,” the top comment read.
“They’re so good, but I never want to eat Wingstop again,” a person said.
“This is normal for fresh cut fries. Where I worked, we washed and scrubbed them, then cut and soaked them,” another claimed.
“Idc it still good I still eat it,” a commenter wrote.
The Daily Dot reached out to Scatty for comment via TikTok direct message and comment and to Wingstop via email.
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