Description
This recipe delivers perfectly crispy homemade French fries that stay crisp even after cooling. Adapted from Kenji López-Alt's groundbreaking method, it involves blanching the fries in a vinegar and salt water bath, drying, and double frying for ultimate crunch and fluffiness inside. Using starchy potatoes and a careful frying technique ensures fries turn out golden, crispy, and full of flavor.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 1 kg potatoes (floury variety such as Russet, Maris Piper, or Sebago)
- 2 tbsp white vinegar
- 1 tbsp kosher salt (or 2 tsp table salt)
- 1 litre canola or vegetable oil
Seasoning Options
- Salt (table salt or sea salt flakes)
- Shaker fries seasoning
- Rosemary salt
- Nori salt (optional)
Instructions
- Peel and Cut Potatoes: Peel the potatoes and cut into 6 mm / 1/4 inch thick French fries using a serrated knife for a rougher surface that crisps better. Keep cut fries submerged in water to prevent browning while cutting.
- Rinse Fries: Transfer fries to a colander and rinse under tap water for 15 to 20 seconds to remove surface starch.
- Simmer Fries: Place fries in a large pot with 2 liters of cold water, vinegar, and salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to low so the water gently ripples without boiling vigorously. Simmer for 10 minutes to remove excess sugar from the surface.
- Drain and Dry Fries: Carefully remove fries with a slotted spoon to a colander without tipping to avoid breaking. Spread fries on two tea towel-lined trays and leave to steam dry for 5 minutes.
- Prepare Oil: Pour 3 cm / 1.2 inch of oil into a pot at least 10 cm / 4 inches tall, allowing at least 7 cm / 3 inches from oil surface to pot rim for safety and bubbling space.
- First Fry: Separate fries into three batches. Heat oil to 205°C / 400°F over medium-high heat. Lower one third of batch 1 fries into the hot oil using a slotted spoon, wait 10 seconds, add next third, wait another 10 seconds, then add final third. Fry for 50 seconds, moving them once or twice. Remove and layer on paper towel-lined trays. Repeat for batches 2 and 3.
- Cool Fries: Let fries cool for 30 minutes to allow residual steam to escape, which will improve crispness.
- Second Fry: Heat oil again to 205°C / 400°F. Fry half the cooled fries for 4 minutes until golden brown and crispy, stirring twice. Drain in a paper towel-lined bowl. Repeat with the remaining fries.
- Season and Serve: Sprinkle fries with your preferred seasoning or salt. Toss gently and serve immediately. Fries remain crispy even when cooled.
Notes
- Use starchy or floury potatoes for crispy fries with fluffy insides. Waxy potatoes yield less crisp results.
- White distilled vinegar helps prevent fries from becoming mushy by removing excess starch during simmering.
- If only table salt is available, use 2 teaspoons instead of 1 tablespoon kosher salt for the simmering water.
- Serrated knives create a rough surface on fries which enhances crispiness but aren’t mandatory for excellent results.
- Simmer on low heat with gentle rippling, not a rolling boil, to prevent fries from breaking apart during cooking.
- Choose a pot size that allows at least 7 cm headspace above the oil surface to avoid dangerous bubbling.
- Pause 10 seconds between adding portions of fries during the first fry to reduce excessive bubbling of the oil.
- Season fries after frying as they already contain some salt from the water bath; adjust seasoning to taste.
- For large batches, flash-fry earlier batches for 30 seconds to 1 minute to reheat.
- Fries can be frozen after the first fry by spreading on a tray to freeze, then stored in bags. Cook from frozen for 4 and a half minutes during the second fry.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving (about 250 g fries)
- Calories: 450 kcal
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 450 mg
- Fat: 20 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 17 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 60 g
- Fiber: 6 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
