Properly Prepared French Fries: Twice Cooked

The french fry is one of the greatest of culinary indulgences, appropriately firm and crispy on the outside and fluffy and airy inside.  Getting this combination of textures can be a challenge, witness all the poor examples of fries in restaurants.  But with the proper tools and this two-step technique, you can easily produce delicious fries at home.


We start with the potato.  In this case, we like the starchy russet as the backbone of this creation.  And while skin-on has become very popular and provides a modestly more healthy result, I am a purest when it comes to fries and prefer my potatoes peeled.

We begin with my greatest kitchen indigence, my french fry press:

It's big.  It's hard to store and clean.  But it cuts perfect fries easily and consistently in large batches.  We have outfitted the press with a 1/4 inch cutter head for fries that are roughly the same dimensions as those found at the golden arches.

Now press the potatoes through one by one.

And then quickly into some cold water for a deep soak.  This step prevents the fries from oxidizing and browning, and also removes some of the starch from the exterior of the potato promoting better frying.

Soak them for at least an hour and as long as overnight to hold them to the prep time.  You may want to change the water once.

Now adding wet fries to hot oil is a recipe for disaster, so we need to dry them before we take them to the blanching stage.  And my tool for this?  A salad spinner.  Spin the fries in batches to ensure a most of the surface moisture is removed.

Now onto the fryer.  I have a large, 6-quart, dutch oven that is made of cast iron that I use for my frying.  I fill it halfway with oil, in this case canola oil.  The secret to perfect fries is in the two step process of first blanching the fries at a lower temperature, and then turning up the heat to finish them off quickly at a high temp.

The blanching takes place at a starting temperature of 325.  Work in batches of about two cups per batch.  THE TEMPERATURE WILL DROP.  Don't worry about that.  Just make certain that at each new batch the oil reheats to 325.

Blanch each batch for 4 minutes, then move to a bowl or cookie sheet to cool.

Here is what the fries look like after the blanch:

Not terribly appetizing, but an important step.  At this stage you can freeze or refrigerate these par-cooked treats for use in the future.  Or let them cool for a few minutes before the second fry.

The second fry is started at 375.  Careful.  This is very hot and there is a fire hazard if you get close to the smoking point, so don't leave this pot alone!

Again, in batches, add the blanched fries, string them occasionally with tongs or a spider.  This fry will take less than a minute.  Judge doneness by the exterior color.

Plate and salt.