Originally published on April 30, 2014
French fries. They seem so simple, don’t they? Slice up some potatoes, throw ‘em into a deep fryer, and fry until beautifully golden brown and crispy before dunking them in ketchup. But hold on for just a second. If that’s actually how you go about making French fries, you’ll be extremely disappointed with the hard little potato bits that you’ll end up with. Truthfully, getting the very best French fries is a bit of a process. Do it right though, and you’ll have the same kind of beautiful fries you usually only find at chip trucks in the summertime (only now you can have them year-round at your house!)
Ingredients:
6 – 8 potatoes, with their skins on
Salt
1 – 2 litres of peanut or vegetable oil (depending on how big your deep fryer is) for frying
Directions:
1.) Scrub potatoes clean and then slice lengthwise so you have three or four large pieces of potato. Then, lay flat on a cutting board and slice lengthwise again, creating thick-cut fries.
2.) When all potatoes have been sliced, place in a very large bowl of ice water and leave in the fridge for at least an hour up to overnight. This removes the starch from the potatoes,which will result in crispier French fries.
3.) When ready to fry, fill a deep fryer or a large pot with oil (leaving an inch or two at the top to keep oil from bubbling over) and preheat to approximately 325 degrees (if you don’t have a deep frying thermometer, preheat the oil over medium heat.) It won’t be piping hot, but it should be warm enough to cook potatoes. When hot, add potato slices in batches and fry just until the potatoes are soft, about five to ten minutes. Remove and drain on paper towels before transferring to a bowl.
4.) When all potatoes have had their first fry, turn the temperature up to about 375 degrees (this is medium-high heat.) When the oil reaches the higher temperature, again add potato slices in batches and fry until potatoes are golden brown and crispy, about five minutes. When one batch is done, remove from heat and drain again on paper towels. Season with salt immediately, and continue with the remaining potato slices until all have been cooked twice.
5.) Serve and enjoy!