Description
Learn how to make perfect crispy French fries that stay crispy even after cooling. This recipe, adapted from Kenji López-Alt's method in The Food Lab, uses a vinegar water blanch and double frying technique for fries with fluffy insides and a crunchy exterior. Great for homemade fries that rival your favorite fast food!
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 1 kg potatoes (floury, e.g. Russet or Maris Piper)
- 2 tbsp white vinegar
- 1 tbsp kosher salt
- 1 litre canola or vegetable oil
Seasoning (choose one or more)
- Salt – table salt or sea salt flakes
- Shaker fries seasoning
- Rosemary salt
- Nori salt
Instructions
- Cut: Peel the potatoes. Cut into 6 mm (1/4 inch) thick French fries using a serrated knife for better texture. Keep cut fries submerged in water to prevent browning.
- Rinse: Transfer cut fries to a colander and rinse under cold tap water for 15 to 20 seconds to wash off excess starch.
- Simmer: Place fries in a large pot with 2 litres of cold tap water, vinegar, and salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, then immediately reduce heat to low to maintain a gentle ripple without boiling bubbles. Simmer for 10 minutes, then carefully remove fries with a slotted spoon into a colander, avoiding tipping to prevent breakage.
- Dry: Spread fries on two trays lined with tea towels and let steam dry for 5 minutes to remove surface moisture.
- Prepare Oil: Pour oil to a 3 cm (1.2 inch) depth in a pot at least 10 cm (4 inches) tall ensuring 7 cm (3 inches) headroom for safety.
- Fry #1 Batch 1: Heat oil to 205°C (400°F) over medium-high heat. Lower one-third of the first batch of fries into the oil and wait 10 seconds, then add another third, wait 10 seconds more, then add the last third. Fry for 50 seconds while gently moving fries once or twice. Remove with slotted spoon onto paper towels and spread in a single layer. Fries will be pale and floppy.
- Fry #1 Batches 2 and 3: Repeat the first fry step for the remaining two batches, making sure the oil returns to 205°C (400°F) before each batch.
- Cool: Let all fries cool for 30 minutes on trays.
- Fry #2: Heat oil back to 205°C (400°F). Fry half the fries for 4 minutes, stirring twice, until golden brown and crispy. Drain on paper towels lined bowl. Repeat with remaining fries.
- Season and Serve: Sprinkle fries with your choice of salt or seasoning, toss to coat, and serve immediately. Fries remain crispy even when cooled.
Notes
- Use floury or starchy potatoes like Russet or Maris Piper for best crispy texture; waxy potatoes will not crisp well.
- White distilled vinegar helps remove excess starch during blanching to improve crispiness.
- If only table salt is available, use 2 teaspoons instead of 1 tablespoon kosher salt.
- Serrated knives create a rougher cut surface which helps make fries crispier but are not mandatory.
- Simmering at a gentle ripple (not a boil) prevents the fries from breaking while leaching surface sugars that cause burnt crusts.
- A pot with sufficient headroom is important to avoid dangerous oil bubbling and spills.
- The 10-second pauses when adding fries for Fry #1 prevent excessive bubbling and splashing.
- Adjust seasoning after adding salt since fries are partially salted during blanching.
- For large batches, flash-fry earlier batches for 30 seconds to 1 minute to reheat later.
- Fries freeze well after the first fry: freeze spread on trays then store frozen. Cook from frozen for 4 1/2 minutes.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving (approximately 250 g cooked fries)
- Calories: 350 kcal
- Sugar: 1 g
- Sodium: 450 mg
- Fat: 20 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 17 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 40 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
