Description
This recipe shows you how to make perfect crispy French fries that stay crunchy even after cooling. Adapted from Kenji López-Alt's method, it involves simmering the potato fries, a two-step frying process, and a careful drying technique to achieve fries with a fluffy interior and ultra-crispy exterior.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 1 kg potatoes (floury variety like Russet, Maris Piper, or Sebago)
- 2 tbsp white vinegar
- 1 tbsp cooking salt or kosher salt
- 1 litre canola or vegetable oil
Seasonings (choose one or more)
- Salt (table salt or sea salt flakes)
- Shaker fries seasoning
- Rosemary salt
- Nori salt
Instructions
- Cut: Peel the potatoes and slice them into 6 mm (1/4 inch) thick fries using a serrated knife. Keep the cut fries submerged in a bowl of water to prevent browning while you finish cutting.
- Rinse: Drain the fries and rinse them briefly in a colander under running tap water for 15 to 20 seconds to remove surface starch.
- Simmer: Place the rinsed fries in a large pot with 2 liters of cold tap water, white vinegar, and salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, then immediately reduce to a gentle simmer so the surface gently ripples without vigorous bubbling. Cook the fries for 10 minutes, then carefully remove them using a slotted spoon into a colander without tipping the whole pot.
- Dry: Spread the fries in a single layer on two tea towel lined trays and leave them to steam dry for 5 minutes to remove excess moisture.
- Heat oil: Pour 3 cm (1.2 inch) of oil into a deep pot at least 10 cm (4 inches) tall, ensuring there is at least 7 cm (3 inches) of headspace from the oil surface to the pot rim for safety.
- First fry (Fry #1): Separate the fries into three batches for cooking. Heat the oil to 205°C (400°F). Add one third of the batch 1 fries with a slotted spoon, wait 10 seconds, add another third, wait 10 seconds, and then add the remaining fries. Fry for 50 seconds while moving them gently once or twice. Remove the fries onto paper towel lined trays in a single layer; they will still be pale and floppy. Repeat the same process with batches 2 and 3, making sure the oil is back to temperature before each batch.
- Cool: Let the fries cool for 30 minutes completely.
- Second fry (Fry #2): Heat the oil again to 205°C (400°F). Fry half of the cooled fries for 4 minutes, stirring gently twice, until golden brown and crispy. Drain them on paper towels. Repeat with the remaining fries.
- Season and serve: Sprinkle the fries with your chosen seasoning like salt, shaker fries seasoning, rosemary salt, or nori salt. Toss gently to coat evenly and serve immediately. The fries will stay crispy even after cooling.
Notes
- Use floury potatoes (Russet, Maris Piper, King Edward, Sebago) for the best crispy texture and fluffy inside.
- White distilled vinegar helps remove excess starch without making fries mushy.
- If you only have table salt, use about 2 teaspoons instead of 1 tablespoon kosher salt.
- A serrated knife helps create a rough surface for crispier fries but is optional.
- Simmer gently to avoid overcooking and breaking the fries; bubbles should be minimal.
- Make sure your pot is deep enough and has sufficient headroom to safely accommodate oil bubbling.
- Pause 10 seconds between adding fries during the first fry to prevent excess oil bubbling.
- Season fries after frying; they already have some salt from cooking, so adjust accordingly.
- For large batches, you can flash-fry batches for 30 seconds to 1 minute to reheat later.
- To freeze fries, after first fry and cooling, freeze fries spread on a tray. Once frozen, store in bags. Cook from frozen for 4 1/2 minutes during the second fry.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving (about 250 g)
- Calories: 400 kcal
- Sugar: 1 g
- Sodium: 400 mg
- Fat: 20 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 17 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 50 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
