Homemade French Fries

[FishHawk11]

Whats the key to getting homemade french fries to stay crispy after they are out of the fryer? Mine are crispy when I first bring them out but after the oil drains off of them they get a little soggy. I have heard to soak them in vinegar prior to frying, is this true?

[Casey Sunsdahl]

I like to cook them through not golden (6 min at 350 roughly..) then pull them out and let them cool on a rack on the counter or in the fridge... once cool fry them again until they are done.... CRISPY FRIES! Twice Fried .. I hope there are some other good ideas.. I love making fries.

[pushbutton]

try double dipping them, first time about 2 minutes, takeout and set aside till the cool off, then put them back in till desired color.

[Chef]

Tips:

Cut and dry them off (prior to frying) between layers of paper towels to remove H2o and excess starch.

Use Peanut Oil

Fry at 360 degrees

Always fry twice--first to cook them, let cool and then to crisp and brown them just before serving.

Fry in small batches so they stay apart and the oil stays hot.

[Chef]

Ingredients

For the Potatoes:

4 large Russet potatoes, about 2 pounds, peeled

Peanut oil, for frying

Salt

Special equipment: electric deep fryer or large heavy pot with deep-fry thermometer

Directions

Potato Preparation: Fill a large heavy pot with enough oil to reach halfway up the pot being mindful not to overfill the pot. You don't want oil to overflow from the pot when you're cooking the fries. Attach the thermometer to the side of the pan. Heat oil over medium heat until it reaches 325 degrees F.

Meanwhile, fill a large bowl with water. Square off the potatoes and cut them into sticks about 1/4-inch thick and the length of the potato. Place sticks in the water. Drain potatoes and dry well with paper towels. This will prevent splattering of hot oil.

Working in batches, add a handful of potatoes to the preheated oil. Fry for 5 to 6 minutes giving the potatoes a chance to cook on the inside without developing much color on the outside. Remove to a paper towel lined plate. Bring the oil back up to 325 degrees F before adding the next batch. Repeat until all batches are complete.

Let fries cool completely. Meanwhile, bring oil up to 375 degrees F. Add potatoes to oil again in batches until nicely golden, about 1 minute.

[kitchy]

What do think think about freezing the fries after the first phase of cooking? Have you had any luck doing this and still get good quality fries?

[pushbutton]

that is the way you buy them from the stores, or the way restaruants are serving them to you.

[Chef]

If you can flash freeze them like the commercial ones, they should be fine, but I'd try a small batch first to see exactly what they'd turn out like to see if you like the quality.

There are so many ways the commercial ones are prepped that we can't do, e.g., chemicals, freezing process. A lot of engineering goes into the process that we just can't replicate at home.

If you try it, let us know how it goes.

[SkunkedAgain]

As I've found with hashbrowns (and other potatoes), the key to making them crispy is getting the water out of them. As others have stated, really get them dry before frying. You can also bake them in the oven for the cooking part and then fry them to get them crispy and golden-brown.

[fishit]

I bake them in the oven till they are almost cooked through and then throw them in the fryer to crisp them up and serve!!

[FishHawk11]

If your making them from scratch how long to you bake them in the oven befor frying them?

[Chef]

Depeds on how thick they are. If you're making a fry that's about 1/2" thick, pre-bake them after tossing them with Peanut Oil, Salt&Pepper on non-stick foil for about 20-30 minutes at 400 degrees in the center rack of your oven.

[eyemaster]

the key to a crunchy fry is to keep the oil HOT! As said in previous posts cut them and then put them in water. Drain the water (this will take some of the starch out of the fries. Blanch them or partially cook them until the white is completely out of the fries.Cool them and then cook them again. When you cook them a second time make sure your oil is at 375 degrees.