In this article
My mother fried every potato twice, and hers stayed crisp until the last one on the plate. Ours at home today, the ones most people make, go soft and bend in the middle before anybody has finished their hamburger. The difference is not the potato or the oil. It is three small things she did every time: she soaked the cut potatoes in cold water, she dried them completely in a dish towel, and she fried them in two rounds at two different temperatures.
The first fry is in oil that is not very hot, 325 degrees. The potatoes cook through and come out soft and pale, with no color at all. Then they rest while the oil heats up to 375 degrees, and the second fry turns them deep gold and crisp in just a few minutes. Salt goes on the second they come out, while they are still shining, because salt will not stick to a cold fry. Those two oil temperatures are the whole recipe, and you need a thermometer to hit them.
Why this homemade french fries works
- Soaking. Cold water washes off the starch on the outside of the cut potato, which otherwise browns too fast and turns gummy.
- Drying completely. Water on a fry makes the oil spit and steams the potato instead of crisping it.
- First fry at 325 degrees. Low oil cooks the inside soft and fluffy without browning the outside.
- Second fry at 375 degrees. Hot oil crisps and browns the outside fast, while the inside is already cooked.
- Salt while hot. Fresh from the oil, the fries are slick enough for salt to cling.
Ingredients
Serves 4 as a side. The measurements are in US cups and pounds with grams in brackets.
- 2 pounds russet potatoes, about 4 large (900g)
- Vegetable, peanut or canola oil for frying, about 2 quarts (2 liters)
- 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons fine salt, or coarse salt to taste
Russets are the right potato: high in starch, low in water, fluffy inside. Waxy red or gold potatoes make a heavier, softer fry. Use a heavy pot at least 5 quarts deep and a deep-fry or candy thermometer.
How to make homemade french fries
- Peel the potatoes or leave the skins on, as you like. Cut them into sticks about 1/3 inch thick, keeping them even so they cook at the same speed.
- Drop the sticks straight into a big bowl of cold water as you cut. Soak for at least 30 minutes, or up to a few hours in the refrigerator. Drain and rinse once.
- Spread the fries on a clean dish towel, roll them up in it and pat until they are completely dry. Any water left on them will make the oil spit.
- Pour the oil into a heavy pot, no more than half full, and heat it to 325 degrees (163°C).
- First fry: lower in a handful of fries, never crowding the pot, and fry for 5 to 6 minutes, until they are soft all the way through but still pale, with no browning. Lift them onto a wire rack set over a sheet pan. Repeat with the rest.
- Let the fries rest on the rack for at least 10 minutes while you heat the oil to 375 degrees (190°C).
- Second fry: return the fries to the hot oil in batches and fry for 2 to 3 minutes, until deep golden and crisp. They will rattle against the basket or spoon when they are ready.
- Lift them out onto a paper lined plate or a sheet of plain paper, salt them immediately and toss, and serve right away.
Tips that make the difference
- Let the oil come back up to temperature between batches. Too many fries at once drops it, and the fries soak up grease instead of crisping.
- Use a thermometer. Without one it is guesswork, and guessing is how fries go limp or burn.
- Keep finished batches hot on the rack in a 200 degree oven while you fry the rest.
- Never leave hot oil alone on the stove, and keep a lid nearby.
Variations
- Make-ahead fries. Do the first fry in the morning and leave the pale fries on the rack. The second fry right before supper takes only a few minutes.
- Freezer fries. After the first fry, cool the fries, freeze them in a single layer on a sheet pan, then bag them. Fry from frozen at 375 degrees for 3 to 4 minutes.
- Seasoned salt. Toss the hot fries with salt, a pinch of paprika and a pinch of garlic powder.
- Thick steak fries. Cut them 1/2 inch thick and add 2 minutes to the first fry.
Storage and make-ahead
Fries are best eaten straight from the second fry.
Leftovers keep covered in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Reheat them in a single layer on a sheet pan in a 425 degree oven for 8 to 10 minutes, or in an air fryer, never in the microwave.
Strain the cooled oil through a fine sieve and keep it covered for one more batch of fries.
Frequently asked questions
What oil temperature is right for french fries?
Two temperatures. The first fry is at 325 degrees, until the fries are soft and pale. The second fry is at 375 degrees, until they are deep golden and crisp.
Why do my homemade fries go limp?
They were fried only once, or the pot was crowded and the oil cooled down. One fry cannot cook the inside and crisp the outside at the same time.
Do I really have to soak the potatoes?
Yes, for crisp fries. Soaking removes surface starch that makes fries brown too fast, stick together and turn soft.
Can I skip the thermometer?
You can drop in a fry to test, but you will be guessing. A thermometer is the cheapest way to make the same good fries every time.
Soak them, dry them, fry them twice, and salt them the second they come out. That is all my mother ever did, and hers were still crisp on the last one.
Homemade French Fries (Soaked, Dried and Fried Twice)
Crisp homemade french fries: hand-cut russet potatoes soaked in cold water, dried completely, fried once at 325 degrees until soft and pale, then again at 375 degrees until deep golden, and salted the second they come out.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds russet potatoes, about 4 large
- Vegetable, peanut or canola oil for frying, about 2 quarts
- 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons fine salt, or coarse salt to taste
Instructions
- Peel the potatoes or leave the skins on, as you like. Cut them into sticks about 1/3 inch thick, keeping them even so they cook at the same speed.
- Drop the sticks straight into a big bowl of cold water as you cut. Soak for at least 30 minutes, or up to a few hours in the refrigerator. Drain and rinse once.
- Spread the fries on a clean dish towel, roll them up in it and pat until they are completely dry. Any water left on them will make the oil spit.
- Pour the oil into a heavy pot, no more than half full, and heat it to 325 degrees (163°C).
- First fry: lower in a handful of fries, never crowding the pot, and fry for 5 to 6 minutes, until they are soft all the way through but still pale, with no browning. Lift them onto a wire rack set over a sheet pan. Repeat with the rest.
- Let the fries rest on the rack for at least 10 minutes while you heat the oil to 375 degrees (190°C).
- Second fry: return the fries to the hot oil in batches and fry for 2 to 3 minutes, until deep golden and crisp. They will rattle against the basket or spoon when they are ready.
- Lift them out onto a paper lined plate or a sheet of plain paper, salt them immediately and toss, and serve right away.
