French Fries from Scratch

Real Fries Start with a Potato and a Little Patience

There is no shortcut hiding in this one. French Fries from Scratch take two large Russet potatoes, about 30 minutes of actual work, and three and a half hours in total, because most of that time the cut fries are simply sitting in cold water in the refrigerator doing the work for you. That soak is what pulls out the starch, and the starch is what stands between you and a crisp fry.

The other half of the secret is the oil, and specifically the fact that it gets used twice. A gentle first fry at 300°F cooks the inside. A hot second fry at 370°F builds the crust. Once you have made them this way, the frozen bag in the freezer stops being tempting.

Buy Your Potatoes Fresh and Use Them Soon

I call for 2 large Russet potatoes, about 2 pounds, and I would rather you use them the day you bring them home or shortly after. Potatoes build up sugar as they sit in storage, and frying more sugary potatoes increases the risk of cancer, so freshness here is not a quality preference, it is the reason I buy my potatoes for French Fries from Scratch on the same trip I plan to fry them. You can substitute another kind of potato if that is what you have, but whatever you choose, pick the freshest ones in the bin rather than the ones that have been sitting around.

The Cold Water Soak Is Not Optional

Once the potatoes are cut, they go into a medium bowl, about 3 to 4 quarts, filled with cold water. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it rest in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours, and overnight if you can manage it. This is where the starch comes out of the potatoes, and reducing that starch is what lets you reach perfect results at the fryer. It is also the step that makes this recipe easy to plan around: cut the fries the night before, go to bed, and the long part of the work is already done when you want to eat.

Dry the Fries Completely Before They Meet the Oil

This is the step people rush, and it is the one that can hurt you. Drain the water from the fries and dry them on a kitchen towel, then move them onto a second dry kitchen towel to keep drying while you get on with the next step. That is why I list 2 kitchen towels in the tools: one gets soaked doing the first pass, the other finishes the job. Water and hot oil do not get along, and fries that go into the fryer still damp will make the oil splatter. Take the extra minute here.

Fry in Batches So the Oil Stays Hot

For each of the two frying steps, work in batches. Dropping all your fries in at once pulls the oil temperature down, and oil that has lost its heat soaks into the potato instead of crisping it. How many batches you need depends on your equipment: splitting the fries into 2 batches is usually enough for a large or medium fryer, while a small fryer wants 3 or 4. This is also why I want a thermometer in the pot if you are not using a deep fryer with its own controls, so you can watch the temperature recover between batches.

The Right Pot and the Right Amount of Oil

You can make French Fries from Scratch in a deep fryer with frying oil, or in a 6 quart or larger pot holding 2 to 3 quarts of frying oil along with a thermometer for deep frying. The size matters: a generous pot gives the oil room to move and gives you a margin of safety when the fries go in. Alongside that, have your chef's knife and cutting board, a peeler, the medium bowl for soaking, plastic wrap, your two kitchen towels, a cooling rack or paper towels, and a large mixing bowl of about 8 quarts or more for the seasoning step. Having all of it set out before the oil is hot keeps the frying calm.

Drain, Then Season in a Big Bowl

Straight out of the second fry, the fries go onto a cooling rack or paper towel for one minute to shed excessive fat. Then move them into the large mixing bowl, salt and pepper them generously, and mix thoroughly but gently, preferably by shaking the bowl rather than stirring, so the seasoning reaches every fry without breaking the crust you just built. Taste them and add more salt and pepper if they need it. Freshly ground pepper is worth it here, and this final touch is the difference between good fries and fries people keep reaching for.

Peel or Leave the Skin On

Start by briefly rinsing the potatoes under cold water, then cut off the ends, about three-quarters of an inch from each. From there you have a choice: peel them for a clean, classic fry, or leave the skin on if you are after a more rustic look. Both work in this recipe, so it comes down to the plate you want to put down. Make the decision before you start cutting, since it is much easier to peel a whole potato than a pile of cut fries.