Gravy question & Temeraire

Can someone explain to me the idea behind gravy fries? For me, the point of fries is the crispy, saltiness of them. Drowning them in gravy ruins the crisp and ends up oversalting.

I finished His Majesty's Dragon this morning while the car was getting worked on (recall notice for the hoses, plus an oil change). I'm resisting the urge to squee like a fangirl, because the book was very well done. Immediately afterward, I started Throne of Jade. Gotta go check Novik's website to see when Black Powder War will be released and get other series information.