Side Dishes
Fresh-Cut French Fries
Making super-crispy french fries at home is easier than you might think. Once you discover the simple secrets to achieving restaurant-quality fries, you may never go out for them again.
Ingredients
CUT:
HEAT:
Test Kitchen Tip
An oil’s smoke point is the temperature at which it starts to smoke when heated. Peanut oil has a high smoke point, making it ideal for frying french fries. Vegetable and canola oils are both good substitutes.
Make-Ahead Instructions
You can cut, soak, and parcook the potato sticks up to 2 hours ahead. Refrigerate the potatoes until you’re ready to do the second fry. Then be sure to heat the oil to 375° before adding the parcooked potatoes. This second fry, at a higher temperature, is essential for achieving that iconic crispness.
Instructions
Cut potatoes lengthwise into ¼-inch-thick planks, then slice them lengthwise into ¼-inch-thick sticks. Soak potatoes in a bowl of cold water and refrigerate at least 1 hour or up to 4 hours. Drain potatoes and dry well in a salad spinner.
Heat oil in a deep pot over medium to 300°. Line 2 baking sheets with paper towels.
Parcook potatoes, in 4 batches, maintaining oil temperature and stirring frequently, until limp, but not brown, 4–5 minutes per batch. Transfer potatoes to prepared baking sheets using a skimmer.
Increase heat over medium-high and bring oil to 375°; set a rack inside a baking sheet lined with paper towels.
Fry potatoes, in 4 batches, maintaining oil temperature and stirring frequently, until golden brown, 2–3 minutes per batch. Transfer fries to rack and season with salt.
Start with good-sized russet potatoes and cut them into planks. Their high starch and low water content are key to making great fries.
To ensure the fries cook evenly, cut the planks into uniform-sized sticks. Simply stack the planks, then slice them into ¼-inch sticks.
Soaking the potatoes in cold water removes excess starch and sugar, and keeps them from sticking together when frying.
Drain excess water from soaked potato sticks in a salad spinner to prevent the fries from being waterlogged or from splattering when frying.
To evaporate some of the moisture and to cook the interior of the fries, parcook the potatoes at a low temperature first.
For perfectly cooked french fries with a crisp and golden exterior, fry the potatoes a second time at a higher temperature.
Nutritional Facts
Nutritional Facts
Per serving
Calories: 299
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 14g 21%
Saturated Fat 2g 10%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 1451mg 60%
Carbs 41g 13%
Fiber 3g 12%
Protein 5g
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.