The Perfect French Fry Recipes

PERFECT FRENCH FRIES

Steps:

• Peel and rinse the potatoes. Cut each potato lengthwise into 4 or 5 pieces, then cut each piece into sticks. The thinner these are, the crispier they will be. Place the fries in a large bowl. Cover with cold water, then allow them to soak 2 or 3 hours (or you can stick them in the fridge and let them soak overnight).
• When you're ready to make the fries, drain the water and lay the potatoes on 2 baking sheets lined with paper towels. Blot with paper towels to dry.
• Heat a few inches of vegetable oil to 300 degrees F in a heavy pot. In 3 or 4 batches, fry the potatoes about 4 to 5 minutes per batch, or until soft. They should not be brown at all at this point-you just want to start the cooking process. Remove each batch and drain them on new, dry paper towels.
• Once all the potatoes have been fried at 300 degrees F, turn up the heat until the oil temperature reaches 400 degrees F. When the oil is hot, start frying the potatoes in batches again, cooking until golden and crisp. Remove from the oil and drain on fresh paper towels. Sprinkle the fries with sea salt and dive in with the ketchup-mayo mixture.

PERFECT FRENCH TOAST

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Whisk 4 eggs, 1 1/2 cups half-and-half or milk, 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon sugar and a pinch of salt in a shallow bowl. Heat 1/2 tablespoon butter in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Working in batches, dip 6 thick slices white bread, challah or brioche in the egg mixture and cook in the skillet until golden, 2 to 3 minutes per side, adding more butter as needed. Transfer to a baking sheet and bake until puffed, 8 to 10 minutes. Meanwhile, melt 4 tablespoons butter in the same skillet until browned, about 5 minutes. Drizzle the French toast with the browned butter and maple syrup.

PERFECT FRENCH FRIES

Steps:

• Rinse cut potatoes in a large bowl with lots of cold running water until water becomes clear. Cover with water by 1-inch and cover with ice. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes and up to 1 day.
• Heat the oil in a deep-fryer to 325 degrees F. Be sure not to fill the oil beyond the maximum fill line.
• Drain ice water from cut fries and wrap potato pieces in a clean dishcloth or tea towel and thoroughly pat dry. Add fries, a handful at a time, to the hot oil. Fry, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are soft and limp and begin to turn a blond color, about 6 to 8 minutes. Use the basket to carefully remove fries from the oil and set aside to drain on paper towels. Let rest for at least 10 minutes or up to 2 hours.
• When ready to serve the French fries, reheat the oil to 350 degrees F. Transfer the blanched potatoes to the hot oil and fry again, stirring frequently, until golden brown and puffed, about 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel lined platter and sprinkle with salt and pepper, to taste. Serve immediately.

CHEF JOHN'S FRENCH FRIES

Steps:

• Soak potatoes in a large bowl of water for about 30 minutes. Pat dry thoroughly with paper towels.
• Heat oil in a deep-fryer or large saucepan to 275 degrees F (135 degrees C). Gently add the potatoes in the hot oil for about 5 minutes, stirring and flipping the potatoes occasionally. Remove potatoes from oil with a slotted spoon to drain on paper towel and to cool completely.
• Heat oil in a deep-fryer or large saucepan to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Fry the potatoes again until golden brown, 5 to 6 minutes. Blot with a paper towel. Sprinkle with salt to serve.

FRENCH FRIED POTATOES

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, dissolve the sugar in warm water. Soak potatoes in water mixture for 15 minutes. Remove from water, and dry thoroughly on paper towels.
• Heat oil in deep-fryer to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Add potatoes, and cook until golden, 5 to 6 minutes. drain on paper towels. Season with salt to taste.

AIR FRYER FRENCH FRIES

Steps:

• Cut each potato lengthwise into 3/8-inch-thick slices. Slice sections into sticks also about 3/8 inch-wide.
• Cover potatoes with water and let soak for 5 minutes to release excess starches. Drain and cover with boiling water by a few inches (or place in a bowl of boiling water). Let sit for 10 minutes.
• Drain potatoes and transfer onto some paper towels. Blot off the excess water and let cool completely, at least 10 minutes. Transfer into a mixing bowl; drizzle with oil, season with cayenne, and toss to coat.
• Preheat the air fryer to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Stack potatoes in a double layer in the fryer basket. Cook for 15 minutes. Slide basket out and toss fries; continue frying until golden brown, about 10 minutes more. Toss fries with salt in a mixing bowl. Serve immediately.

PERFECT FRENCH FRIES

Steps:

• Cut the potatoes lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick slices, then cut each slice lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick fries. Put the fries in a large bowl of cold water and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 8 hours.
• Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed medium stockpot over medium heat, or in a tabletop deep fryer, to 325°F Line a baking sheet with paper towels and set aside.
• Drain the fries well and pat dry in batches with paper towels. Fry each batch, turning frequently, for 3 to 4 minutes or until the fries are a pale blond color and limp. Remove with a mesh skimmer to the baking sheet lined with paper towels.
• Increase the heat of the oil to 375°F.
• Fry the potatoes again, in batches, turning frequently, until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove with the skimmer and drain on clean paper towels. Season immediately with salt and serve hot.

BEST BAKED FRENCH FRIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil; spray with cooking spray.
• Place sliced potatoes in a colander; sprinkle sugar over potatoes. Set aside until liquid is released from potatoes, 20 to 30 minutes. Drain liquid and dry potatoes well.
• Mix potato slices, olive oil, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper in a resealable bag until evenly coated. Spread coated potato slices in a single layer, leaving space around each potato, on the prepared baking sheet.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes; flip fries and continue baking until crisp and browned, about 20 more minutes.

PERFECT FRENCH FRIES

Steps:

• Peel potatoes and square off sides and ends. Cut lengthwise into 1/3-inch-thick slices, and then cut into 4-by-1/3-by-1/3-inch sticks using a sharp knife or a mandolin. Place in a large bowl and add cold water to cover by 1 inch, then let soak in the refrigerator at least 4 hours or up to 24 hours. Drain potatoes and spread on a clean kitchen towel and dry completely, patting off as much water as possible.
• Line baking sheets with a double thickness of paper towels. Heat 2 inches of oil in a heavy stockpot over medium heat to 300 degrees on a deep-fry thermometer. Working in batches and using a spider, lower potatoes into the oil (the temperature will drop significantly and slowly climb up again) and stir to separate. Cook just until softened (test one by breaking it in half; it should be almost completely cooked through), but not brown, about 3 minutes. Use a spider or slotted spoon to transfer to one of the prepared baking sheets to drain, spreading in a single layer. Allow oil to return to 350 degrees between each batch. (The potatoes can be blanched and left to drain on the prepared baking sheets for 4 hours in the refrigerator before finishing, replacing the paper towels as necessary.)
• Heat oil to 350 degrees.
• Again working in batches, add blanched potatoes to oil (the temperature will drop to about 340 degrees) and stir to separate. Cook until golden brown, 4 to 4 1/2 minutes; if desired, add the rosemary and lemon zest during the last 20 seconds of cooking. Use a spider or slotted spoon to transfer to prepared baking sheets to drain (replace paper towels if you are using the same baking sheets as above). Allow oil to return to 350 degrees between each batch.
• Sprinkle with salt and serve immediately.