French Fries 101 Recipes

CRISPY BAKED FRENCH FRIES - FRESH OR FROZEN

Steps:

• Start with a couple of medium russet potatoes (about one pound). That will make four servings. Preheat oven to 425° convection. If you don't have convection, you can use 450° or stay at 425°, and it will take a bit longer.
• Scrub the potatoes and if using russet potatoes, peel the potatoes. Cut your fries 1/4 to 3/8 inch thick. I suggest a mandoline, but a knife will do.
• Place in cold water in a large bowl and soak for 20 to 30 minutes.
• Drain, rinse the fries with cold water several times, place them on a paper towel and dry well.
• Dry the bowl, put fries back in, and stir with about a tablespoon of oil.
• Prepare a baking sheet with aluminum foil and a rack. Spray with PAM. Spread the fries on a prepared rack. Do not overlap, but they may touch a little. Give a light sprinkle of coarse salt.
• Bake until golden brown-about 30 minutes. Season again while still hot.

FRENCH FRIES 101

Steps:

• Line a sheet pan with aluminum foil.
• Place the potatoes in an even layer on the prepared pan.
• Transfer to the oven and cook until the potatoes are cooked through but still firm, about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven.
• Carefully transfer the fries to a large bowl. Add the oil and salt, and season with pepper to taste. Toss carefully with your hands or tongs until the fries are well coated in the seasonings (see note).
• Replace the foil on the sheet pan with a clean piece. (Fresh foil is important because the first cook released sticky starches, so don't skip this part!) Spray with the oil spray. Place the fries on the pan in a single layer.
• Return the pan to the oven and cook until crisp and browned, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Carefully remove the pan from the oven, transfer the fries to a plate or bowl, and serve with your favorite dipping sauce.

PERFECT FRENCH FRIES

Steps:

• Peel and rinse the potatoes. Then cut them into sticks by cutting the potato in 4 or 5 vertical pieces, and then cutting each piece into sticks.
• Place them in a large bowl and cover with cold water. Allow them to soak, 2 to 3 hours. (You can also stick them in the fridge and let them soak overnight.)
• When you're ready to make the fries, drain off the water and lay the potatoes on 2 baking sheets lined with paper towels. Blot with paper towels to dry them.
• Heat a few inches of oil in a heavy pot to 300 degrees F. In 3 or 4 batches, cook the potatoes until soft, 4 to 5 minutes per batch. They should not be brown at this point! You just want to start the cooking process. Remove each batch and drain on new/dry paper towels.
• Once all the potatoes have been fried at 300 degrees F, turn up the heat until the oil reaches 400 degrees F. When the oil's hot, start frying the potatoes in batches again, cooking until the fries are golden and crisp. Remove the potatoes from the oil and drain on paper towels.
• Sprinkle with sea salt and dive in!

FRENCH FRIES

Steps:

• Peel the potatoes and cut into 1cm-thick batons. Put into a bowl of cold water and leave to soak for at least 2 hrs to remove the starch from the potatoes - this will help them crisp while frying.
• Drain the potatoes well and pat dry with kitchen paper. Fill a deep pan no more than a third full with oil and heat to 140C, or until a cube of bread dropped in browns in 60 seconds. Fry the French fries in batches for 6 mins per batch until golden straw-coloured, cooked through and lightly crisp. Drain well on kitchen paper.
• Turn the heat up until the oil reaches 180C, or a cube of bread browns in 30 seconds. Fry the French fries again for 2-3 mins per batch until lightly golden and really crisp. Drain on kitchen paper and immediately season with sea salt.