If done right, homemade fries can be very delicious and rewarding to cook. Arguably, the double fry method is the best for achieving fries with fully cooked centers and crispy, golden brown outsides.
While frying twice may seem like such a hassle, it is the surest way of cooking light, yet crispy fries. Otherwise, you may end up with fries that are limp and greasy or undercooked in the center.
For this recipe, you will require potatoes, a large pot, enough vegetable oil to fill about 2 inches of the pot, a slotted spoon, paper towels or a kitchen towel and a thermometer.
While the thermometer is not exactly essential, it is highly recommended for achieving consistent results.
Also, you may drain the oily fries on a cooling rack before transferring them to paper towels for further draining.
The Best Potatoes
High starch potatoes are the best for making French fries. They are dense and contain the least amount of moisture.
Generally, avoid fingerling, red skin and new potatoes since they contain so much moisture that they inevitably hollow out when frying due to their water evaporating.
Preparation
1. Cut the Potatoes
Thoroughly wash the potatoes, and dry them completely. Depending on preference, either peel them or skip the peeling process.
Regardless of preference, how you cut the potatoes is what matters most.
Use a kitchen mandolin to cut the potatoes evenly; however, if you do not have one, a knife will suffice.
Cut each potato vertically, then lay the flat side on your chopping board and cut into quarter-inch or half-inch slices. For matchstick fries, cut the potato slices into sticks of similar width.
2. Soak the Potatoes
Put the potato slices in a bowl and add cold water. Let them soak for 20 minutes or up to one hour.
This step helps eliminate excess starch, producing crisp and fluffy fries.
3. Dry the Potatoes
Drain the cold water and pat the potato slices dry using a clean kitchen towel or paper towels.
Lay them on a flat surface in a single layer for further drying. Remember, the drier the potatoes, the better the fries will be.
4. Fry the Potatoes
Pour vegetable oil, at least 2 inches, in a large pot and heated to around 325°F.
Once the vegetable oil is hot enough, add in the potato slices and fry for about five minutes.
If you are preparing a lot of fries, work in batches because adding too many potato slices in the pot at a go will lower the oil’s temperature and make the fries soggy.
Fry the potato slices just enough to cook them without changing their pale color.
5. Drain And Cool The Fries
Using a slotted spoon, lift the fries from the hot oil. Drain the oily fries on either a kitchen towel, clean paper towels or a cooling rack. Let them drain until completely cool for at least 30 minutes.
If you wish, preserve the completely drained fries and fry them the second time on the next day. Warm them up before frying on the next day
6. Fry the Potatoes a Second Time
Pour at least 2 inches worth of vegetable oil into a large pot, and bring it up to 350°F -375°F.
Check the temperature using a thermometer or by dropping one potato slice. Using the latter method, you will know the oil is ready if it gently sizzles around the fry.
If the oil sputters and sizzles violently, lower the temperature until you get a gentle sizzle when adding a potato slice into the oil.
At just the right temperature, add the pre-cooked fries in a single layer, and fry until they are golden or almost golden brown. This should take about five minutes per batch.
7. Drain the Fries
Lift the fries from the pot using a slotted spoon, and place them on clean paper towels or a cooling rack positioned over a pan to drain.
Since it is best to season fries while still hot, add salt or any other seasoning at this point.
8. Serve Your Fries
Serve the fries in a bowl or platter, while still warm with your favorite seasoning and dipping sauce
