Fresh-Cut French Fries

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.

Makes

4 servings

Total Time

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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, 45 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, 23 minutes per batch. Transfer fries to rack and season with salt.

Fresh-Cut-French-Fries-Step1

Start with good-sized russet potatoes and cut them into planks. Their high starch and low water content are key to making great fries.

Fresh-Cut-French-Fries-Step2

To ensure the fries cook evenly, cut the planks into uniform-sized sticks. Simply stack the planks, then slice them into ¼-inch sticks.

Fresh-Cut-French-Fries-Step3

Soaking the potatoes in cold water removes excess starch and sugar, and keeps them from sticking together when frying.

Fresh-Cut-French-Fries-Step4

Drain excess water from soaked potato sticks in a salad spinner to prevent the fries from being waterlogged or from splattering when frying.

Fresh-Cut-French-Fries-Step5

To evaporate some of the moisture and to cook the interior of the fries, parcook the potatoes at a low temperature first.

Fresh-Cut-French-Fries-Step6

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.

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