What makes a good french fry?

The perfect fry should by light and golden. You can often spot an overcooked French fry by looking at its skin. Fries that have dark spots or burns will often have flavors that less than ideal. When eating a serving of French fries, the last fry should always hold its form.

How do you make crispy french fries from scratch?

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. Wash potatoes leaving skin on (you can peel them if you prefer). Cut potatoes into desired size fries.
3. Let potatoes soak in cold water in the sink or in a bowl for at least 30 minutes. Remove from water and dry very well.
4. Toss with oil and seasonings.
5. Bake for 20 minutes.

How long should I soak french fries?

Place them in a large bowl and cover with cold water. Allow them to soak, 2 to 3 hours. (You can also stick them in the fridge and let them soak overnight.) When you’re ready to make the fries, drain off the water and lay the potatoes on 2 baking sheets lined with paper towels.

Why do you soak french fries in water before cooking?

The soaking, Mr. Nasr said, is the secret to the crisp texture of the fries. It draws out the starch, making them more rigid and less likely to stick together. The cooks fry them twice, first blanching them until slightly limp in peanut oil heated to 325 degrees, and again in 375-degree oil to crisp and brown them.

Which oil does Mcdonald’s use for french fries?

In our restaurants, we finish frying with a canola oil blend. Right after cooking, our crew adds salt before serving hot to you. We’re really proud of our fries.

Why my french fries are not crispy?

Perhaps most important, water on the surface can inhibit crispness and produce greasy fries. Remember that the surface starch absorbs nearby moisture and seals the surface. If you don’t dry the potatoes, you won’t get a dry surface that seals.

Why are my homemade French fries soggy?

Improperly cooked french fries are limp, greasy, or soggy and often over-browned. These problems all arise from the improper handling of starch and sugar when exposed to high heat.

Should you season fries before frying?

Whether or not you season the french fries before or after they are cooked depends on the cooking method that you use: Deep Fried french fries are seasoned immediately after they’re finished frying. Baked or Air Fried fries are seasoned before they’re cooked.

How do you keep french fries crispy after frying?

The best way to keep fried foods crispy? Just place them on a cooling rack set over a baking sheet. If you’re frying multiple batches, throw the whole setup into a low oven to keep everything warm as you keep frying and adding to the rack.

Do I need to soak potatoes before frying?

Rinsing or soaking the potatoes for an hour (or, even better, overnight) will remove some of the starch from the surface and prevent the sugars from browning before the potatoes are cooked.

How long soak chips before frying?

Peel the potatoes and cut lengthways into roughly 1cm/½in slices. Cut each slice into fairly thick chips and rinse in a colander under plenty of cold water to remove excess starch. (If you have time, it’s worth letting the chips soak in a bowl of cold water for several hours, or overnight.) Pat dry with kitchen paper.

What oil is best for french fries?

Neutral-tasting oils are great for frying: peanut, canola, vegetable, safflower, grape-seed, et cetera. These all have a smoke point well above 350°F. Some oils, like corn, coconut and sesame, have smoke points beyond 350°F, but they impart a lot of flavor into the finished product that you may or may not want.

How do you make fries not soggy?

Here’s what you do. Heat a few tablespoons of the oil in a nonstick pan over medium heat just until it starts to shimmer. Think about covering the entire bottom of the skillet in oil, erring on the side of using more oil than less. The oil helps to “fry” the French fries a second time and get them extra crispy.

Do you salt fries before or after baking?

Always salt your fries while they‘re still hot from the oven. If the salt seems to fall right off your fries, you may be seasoning them at the wrong time. “Add salt immediately after cooking, while they‘re still piping hot,” Koeppe said. “This helps you get the best flavor.”

How long soak potatoes before cooking?

Give them a cold water bath: Once your potatoes are chopped, toss them into a large bowl. Then cover the potatoes completely with cold water and let them soak for at least 30 minutes (or up to overnight). This will help to rinse off the excess starch and help the potatoes crisp up beautifully in the oven.