THE BEST HOME MADE FRENCH FRIES

So, after starting my culinary career in 1966 at Mcdonald’s…it’s taken me this long to find a satisfying, successful home made French fry method.

Sure, for years, McDonald’s French fries are (were) the standard to which others compare theirs. Admittedly, McD’s fries have lost their luster in recent years. First of all, sometime in the 70’s they stopped using the arguably gold standard of fryer oils, beef tallow, and switched to vegetable oil. The taste profile lost a couple points there. Then, they don’t make them fresh any longer…they’re frozen. Though In N Out still makes theirs from scratch, they are by far not the best in the biz. By the way, the In N Out method is not the way we made them at McD’s in 1966! They don’t cook them twice at In N Out. I know because my 16 year old self prepped hundred of pounds back then.

I lot of my FF cooks over the years usually ended with over-browned, still flabby French fries. This method here should give you golden brown, crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside fries. Of course, it takes a little effort…but it’s worth it.

Full disclosure, this is a FF method from J.Kenji Lopez-Alt and Serious Eats. Thank you to Kenji. It works, dude! I cut my fries at 3/8” instead of 1/4 inch like he suggests. I just made sure to cook them a touch longer…all 3 cooks, by the way. Yes, it is a 3-cook method. So, here it is…

Ingredients:

• Russet potatoes, peeled or unpeeled (it’s up to you)

• white vinegar

• Canola or peanut oil for frying

• Sea salt

Directions:

• If you are leaving the skins on, scrub your potatoes with a plastic scrub pad…a clean one just for veggies not dishes!

• What ever method you choose, cut the potatoes 1/4 to 3/8 inch thick. I also prefer to square off the ends, but that’s just me/ Just make them all the same. This is important for even cooking. Immediately place the fries in a bowl of cold water. When all the fries are cut, rinse them in cold water and drain at least 3 times. Leave in cold water until ready to blanch so they don’t discolor.

• You will want to add vinegar to the blanching water to the tune of 2%, approximately 1 1/4 ounces (about 2 1/2 tbsp) for 8 cups of water. I also salted the water.

• Bring the water to a good boil then add your cut fries. Set the timer for 4 1/2 minutes. Drain them then place on a few paper towels or a clean kitchen towel and dry them completely on all sides. Make sure they are very dry.

• Hear your fry oil to 325 degrees. I used a wok for the first time (a Kenji tip) and really liked it. The oil was about 2-3 inches deep. When the oil is at 325, gently lower the fries into the oil and fry for 2-3 minutes. I fried mine for 3 minutes because they were cut 3/8 inch thick. If they are 1/4 inch, remove them at 2 1/2 minutes. Drain them in a metal sieve then place on paper towels to absorb some of the oil. Place the fries on a sheet pan in a single layer then put them in the freezer for at least 2 hours. Once they are frozen, you can place them in a sealable freezer bag to use later or fry them immediately.

• When ready to fry, heat your oil to 375 degrees. Fry them for 4 1/2 minutes until golden brown. Drain and season with sea salt.