C – I LOVE FRIES!
I know I have told you this before … but I had to say it again. If they’re not on the plate, you know something is missing when you have a burger. It’s one of my guilty pleasures … even on a diet or a health kick. Fries must be on my plate. Oh, glorious French fries!
Sadly, I have never really perfected them. UNTIL NOW!
I have made fries hundreds of times. But, they were never super crispy. They never even stayed crispy. They usually ended up soggy well before the burger was done. I was determined that this had to change. Once and for all, I needed to perfect making fries.
After some research and asking myself, “what would Luke do?” I started to draw some conclusions:
- Cut even pieces of potato, so they can cook evenly.
- Soak them in water to get the starch out. Starchy potatoes mean soggy fries.
- Add salt to the water to make them flavorful and draw more starch out.
- Strain and pat dry. Make sure to dry the potatoes completely. Wet potatoes can lead to splatter and, also, soggy fries.
- Cook them twice. First, in lower temperature canola oil. About 280 degrees to make them soft.
- Second, fry them at 330 to 350 degrees to make them crispy.
- Of course, always salt the fries immediately after pulling them out of the fryer to drain.
- If you are not ready to eat them immediately, place them in the oven at 200 degrees to make sure they stay warm and crispy until ready to eat. That’s what the restaurants and the fast food chains do.
I guess this whole process made me appreciate making fries a whole lot more. These fries were so good. Nice and crispy on the outside. Tender on the inside. I loved that the salt brine made it flavorful all over.
| How to Cook the Best Fries |
- 4 Russet potatoes, peeled and cut into ¼ inch strings
- 5 cups canola oil
- ⅛ cup salt, plus more for seasoning after frying
- Place cut potatoes in warm water. Add ⅛ cup salt. Let sit for at least 30 minutes. Drain and pat dry completely with paper towels.
- Preheat oven at 200 degrees
- In a shallow pot, place oil and heat to 280 degrees. Use a candy thermometer.
- Add potatoes in batches. Do not crowd. Cook until potatoes have softened. Remove and place on paper towels to drain any excess oil. Repeat until all potatoes are cooked.
- Increase heat to 330 degrees. Cook fries in batches. Do not crowd. Cook until golden brown and crispy. Remove and drain on clean paper towels. Sprinkle with salt. Repeat until all fries are done.
- Place in oven to keep warm and crispy, if not ready to eat.
- Or, serve immediately.
- Enjoy!
I love making things from scratch. It’s so much cheaper than buying the frozen stuff. I was so surprised to see the cost of frozen fries in the store. I love that there aren’t any chemical preservatives. Of course, my favorite thing about making from scratch is that I made it. It’s just makes it better that way.
Hope you enjoy these perfect fries.