How do I make crispy french fries?

[Chef Maloney]

How do I make my french fries crispy? When I deep fry potatoes, (russets, red, etc) they brown nicely but they never seem to get crispy, even when I fry them longer. What is the secret to getting them to crisp a little? Please help. Thanks

 

[taxlady]

You fry them twice. I'm sure others will give better instructions.

 

[Chef Maloney]

Fry twice? Seems like they would absorb more oil and get soggy? Hmmmm.... H - E - L - P.............

 

[Whiskadoodle]

For crispy browned french fries, Yes you do twice fry. And no, they are not greasy if cooked at the approximate right temps and drain on a paper towel between cooks and again before serving.

I good size russet potato per serving. Cook in small batches.

1. Cut the potatoes into the desired shape.
2. Heat the oil to 325.
3. Add the fries and fry in batches until pale and floppy, about 2-3 minutes, and remove.
4. Heat the oil to 375.
5. Add the fries and fry until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes and remove.
6. Season with salt to taste.

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This is for crsipy Baked French Fries:

1 potatoe, such as russet (scrubbed clean or peeled and cut into your favorite french fry shape)
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt to taste

1. Toss the potato pieces in the oil and season with salt.
2. Place the potato pieces on baking sheet in a single layer.
3. Bake in a preheated 400F oven until golden brown and crispy on all sides, about 30-45 minutes flipping them every 15 minutes.
4. Serves 2.

I see a little disparity between recipes. You get a whole fried potato and only a half baked. No wonder they say baked is healthier.


I have found that 2 Tbs olive oil doesn't look like much when tossing, so I added more. Then as the oil heats in the pan, it thins and there is too much oil, so just cook them a little while, then do an initial toss sooner to lube the potatoes.

 

[Dawgluver]

Whiska, excellent advice.

As I recall, McDonald's also fries them twice, they're the standard as far as I know. Barefoot Contessa and Pioneer Woman also have recipes frying twice.

 

[Kylie1969]

We watched an Aussie Masterchef the other night and one guy was making french fries...he too thought you cook them twice, but when he took them up to the judges, they said they were soggy...so I dont think it is a good idea to cook chips that are that thin, twice

 

[DaveSoMD]

Yes, cook them twice. You need to drain them and let them sit between frying. Also, after you cut the potatoes, let then sit in some cold water to remove some of the starch, just be sure to dry them well before you put them in the oil.

 

[pacanis]

And if you want to add a little pizazz, add some vinegar to the cold water. Don't forget to pat them dry before adding to hot oil.

I typically fry twice, too, but I don't bother with the two different oild temps.

And I have also made them by adding the raw fries to COLD oil and then bringing the oil up to temp and frying them. I don't recall where I read that method, but it works. They are very crispy on the outside and done just right inside.

 

[acerbicacid]

Another twice fried chip fan here. Evidently there are scientific reasons as to why this makes the chip crisp but I don't know them

Heston Blumenthal is famous for his thrice cooked chips!!! Triple cooked chips recipe - Channel4 - 4Food

 

[Rocklobster]

Everybody is right. The standard procedure is to fry twice. First you blanch, you can use a lower temp so they don't brown too much. Then drain and let them sit and finish cooking from their own heat. You can even do this hours before if you want. The second frying can be fried at 350 or a bit higher and should only take about 4 or 5 minute, tops.

Many places that cut their own fries blanch them up in the morning and store them in bins in the refrigerator and use then fry them up as needed throughout the day. They can even be stored overnight. Careful not to overcook them the first time because they will get mushy and fall apart during cooling and storing.

Older oil browns them better. New oil will not brown as well. Some places add a few cups of the old oil to the new oil to help the browning of the second stage. I've seen some places keep a fryer at 325, with new oil, for the sole purpose of blanching. Then, as the oil gets a bit older and dirtier, it is strained and put in the regular line fryers to use for the food orders.

Older potatoes will brown fast and may never crisp up. In my restaurant, I dreaded the late winter when we were still using the last seasons' potatoes. They would be brown and sogg, and there was nothing you could do.

There are a lot of factors that go into a good french fry.

 

[justplainbill]

Fry them twice or bake Ore-Ida frozen French fries.

 

[Addie]

When my first husband worked in the Deli restaurant, down in the basement they had a prep worker. If my husband wasn't doing the work on the prep worker's day off, he was upstairs in the kitchen. I remember him preparing the corned beef and blanching the FF in the fryer. Once they were cooled, they were placed in a large white heavy grocery weight bag in 25#. They were then tossed into the freezer. As crazy as I thought it was at the beginniing, they used to weigh the potatoes for the freezer. It helped the deli keep track of their expenses and supplies. After all, what difference did it make? They were all for the deli. That is when I discovered what cost control and employee theft meant. The deli also had a signout sheet. When you removed a food from the freezer, you marked the time and initialed it. Each food had its own sheet. They knew that on a Friday night, they would sell more FF than on a Monday. Each day a new sheet would go up. Only high volume foods were tracked this way.

The stairs from the basement led right up to the back door. My Aha moment. Employee theft! And yes, the sheets were checked daily. As some employees found out. Sign out one, take two. Toss out second item to waiting friend. No, my husband was not one of them.

 

[powerplantop]

And I have also made them by adding the raw fries to COLD oil and then bringing the oil up to temp and frying them. I don't recall where I read that method, but it works. They are very crispy on the outside and done just right inside.

I had to look that up. And apparently it works and the fries absorb less oil when cooked this way.

Cold eggs, hot oil: Common cooking myths busted - Bites

 

[Cerise]

Bake or roast them. Drizzle/toss w/ oil or Italian dressing, sprinkle w/ Italian seasoning, grated parm cheese & minced garlic. Sweet potato fries is another option.

 

[Kylie1969]

I too have heard to place them in the freezer after cooking the first time

 

[CWS4322]

Whiska, excellent advice.

As I recall, McDonald's also fries them twice, they're the standard as far as I know. Barefoot Contessa and Pioneer Woman also have recipes frying twice.

I fry mine twice. I also dust with corn starch and seasoning before frying. Crispy fries every time.

 

[Oldvine]

I fry them twice. I have sometimes, skipped the first fry and given them a quick ride on the microwave carousel instead but then they have to be watched super closely to prevent being over cooked.

 

[Lardeffect]

You can even cook them three times. First is a boil in water, then a first fry and then a second one. There is a great video here: Heston Blumenthal - Triple-Cooked Chips - YouTube

It is quite labor-intensive, but it's worth it I think.

 

[vitauta]

Fry them twice or bake Ore-Ida frozen French fries.

i know i've mentioned this before, but it deserves repeating: apply a coating of duck fat to your pan of ore-ida fries before baking. wow! i haven't deep-fried potatoes in ages!

 

[LJS1942]

I have read that McDonalds and some others dip the fries in sugar water at some oint prior to the last frying. I have never realized the desired result at home.

Linda