Patent ID: 7090884

Claim:
A method for producing French Fries-Style food containing from about 40% to about 60% moisture, from about 4% to about 8% protein, from about 0.25% to about 0.5% fibers, comprising the steps of: producing a homogeneous dough by blending a mixture comprising from about 65% to about 80% by weight of fresh potatoes, from about 20% to about 35% by weight of at least one of: pinto beans, fava beans, garbanzo beans, or a combination thereof, from about 1% to about 2.5% by weight of modified food starch, from about 1.5% to about 2.5% by weight of at least one of proteinaceous flours, salt, spices, flavoring agents, coloring agents, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidant agents; pumping said homogeneous dough under vacuum into forming heads containing openings designed to deliver extrudate having shape and dimensions; receiving said extrudate on a continuous solid belt conveyor and transporting said extrudate inside a super-heated live steam bath, wherein said extrudate is exposed to live steam for a length of time sufficient to partially cook said extrudate and bring the inner temperature of said extrudate to about 140° to about 190° Fahrenheit; substantially immediately cooling said partially cooked extrudate by subjecting it to blasts of air inside a cooling tunnel for a length of time sufficient to lower the inner temperature of said partially cooked extrudate to a temperature equal to or less than about 45° Fahrenheit; and cutting said cooled extrudate into small pieces with revolving knives; and then packaging said small pieces and storing said packaged pieces under freezing conditions.