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How To Make Perfect French Fries

Source of Recipe

Melinda Lee


Recipe Introduction

The whole thing about French Fries (aka “Pommes Frites”) is that they must be cooked twice. The first cooking softens them, and thoroughly cooks the inside of the potato pieces, but does not brown them. This step can be done well in advance (as much as several hours ahead). The second frying is accomplished just before serving; it’s the step that makes the fries golden brown and crispy. THE OIL:

The very best oil for making French fries is generally considered to be fresh peanut oil, although ordinary vegetable oil will work fine. For the best flavor, rendered beef suet can’t be beat. Julia Child prefers half beef suet and half pork leaf lard (either or both are rendered as described in the Cook’s Note below). Neither of these solid fats are the most healthful choices – but they are the tastiest!

COOK’S NOTE: Suet is the solid white fat from around the beef kidney; pork leaf lard is the same fat from around the pork kidney. To render it, simply chop it into small pieces and place it with a spoonful or so of water in a covered saucepan. After about 10 minutes, the fat will have melted, and the residue in the bottom of the pan will be lightly browned. Strain the clear melted fat into a jar or other container, pressing the fat out of the strained bits into the container. Discard the residue remaining in the strainer.

THE POTATO:

The best potatoes for making French fries are baking or russet potatoes. Allow about 1 potato per person for a generous serving. Michael McCarty, creator of the famed Michael’s restaurant in Santa Monica, swears that frozen potatoes, pre-cut into 1/4-inch thick fries make excellent and dependable French-style pommes frites. He allows 1/2 pound of frozen potatoes per serving. (P.S. He cooks them in rendered beef suet.)

THE CUT:

Potatoes should be scrubbed and peeled, and trimmed lengthwise into even rectangles for even cutting Slice the potatoes into slices about 3/8 inch thick, and then cut the slices into strips about 3/8 inch wide. The French fries can be as thin as 1/8-inch wide (see Straw Potatoes, below this recipe), but should not be thicker than 1/4 inch wide, for best texture; try to make all four sides the same width, by slicing the first slices, and then slicing the strips, both to the same thickness. Unless you are cooking the potatoes almost instantly, rinse the pieces thoroughly in cold water to wash off their surface starch (otherwise, it will darken and the potatoes will look brown or gray), drain them and pat them completely dry with paper towels.

THE FIRST FRYING:

Preheat the chosen cooking fat or oil to 325-330 degrees (use a deep-fry or candy thermometer to make sure the temperature is correct). Using a basket or “spider” (Chinese long-handled shallow basket) or by hand, gently lower a generous handful of potatoes onto the hot oil. Fry for about 3 minutes, then remove and test one piece. The potato should not be brown, but it should crush easily between your thumb and finger, to indicate that it is cooked to softness inside. When the potatoes have become soft, remove them from the oil and drain them on a brown paper bag or a wire rack, or a sheet pan covered with several thicknesses of paper towels. Continue to fry the potatoes in batches until all are cooked but not browned. Allow potatoes to cool for at least a few minutes – but they may be held before final frying for several hours. Turn off the oil and set the pot of oil aside until time for the second (final) frying.

THE SECOND FRYING:

Heat the deep-fry oil to 365-375 degrees (hotter oil will make a browner French fry). In batches – without crowding the pan – fry the prepared, partly-cooked potatoes for 3-5 minutes, until they have reached the desired degree of brown coloring. (The bubbling of the oil will almost stop completely around the potatoes, indicating that their moisture has almost all escaped, and that the fries will remain crisp.) Remove each batch of finished potatoes from the hot oil. Drain immediately on a fresh brown paper bag, a wire rack, or a sheet pan covered with paper towels. Salt potatoes while they are hot, and serve as soon as possible.