Restaurant fries have always been better. Now you can make them homemade.
Single Fry
Serves 2-4 people
3-4 large russet potatoes
3 quarts (2.8L) vegetable oil
Salt to taste
Fill a 6 quart Dutch oven or heavy bottomed pot with vegetable oil and heat to 350°F (176°C).
While the oil is heating, peel the potatoes and cut them into ¼ inch planks. Cut the planks vertically into ¼ inch sticks. Optionally, rinse the cut potatoes in cold water, then pat fries using paper towels until as dry as possible
Once the oil is hot, add the potatoes, working in batches, and fry, stirring occasionally, for 4-5 minutes or until golden brown.
Using a spider, remove the fries and allow a moment to drain off excess oil before adding to a large mixing bowl and immediately seasoning to taste with salt. Toss while seasoning to get an even coating. Serve hot with dipping sauces of choice.
Double Fry
Serves 2-4 people
3-4 large russet potatoes
3 quarts (2.8L) vegetable oil
Salt to taste
Fill a 6 quart Dutch oven or heavy bottomed pot with vegetable oil and heat to 320°F (160°C).
While the oil is heating, peel the potatoes and cut them into ¼ inch planks. Cut the planks vertically into ¼ inch sticks. Optionally, rinse the cut potatoes in cold water, then pat fries using paper towels until as dry as possible.
Working in batches, add potatoes to the hot oil for about 3 minutes, or until the potatoes turn pale in color, and are just cooked through. Transfer to a paper towel lined baking tray and pat dry of excess oil.
Over medium high heat, raise the temperature of the oil to 350°F (176°C). Once temperature has been reached, add the par cooked potatoes back to the oil. While occasionally stirring, cook for an additional 30-45 seconds, until golden brown.
Using a spider, remove the fries and allow a moment to drain off excess oil before adding to a large mixing bowl and immediately seasoning to taste with salt. Toss while seasoning to get an even coating. Serve hot with dipping sauces of choice.
Battered Fry
Serves 2-4 people
3-4 large russet potatoes
3 quarts (2.8L) vegetable oil
½ cup (60g) all purpose flour
2 tablespoons (30g) ancho powder
2 tablespoons (30g) smoked paprika
2 teaspoons (8g) garlic powder
½ teaspoon (2g) cayenne powder
2 teaspoons (8g) kosher salt
1 cup (240ml) water
Fill a 6 quart Dutch oven or heavy bottomed pot with vegetable oil and heat to 350°F (176°C).
While the oil is heating, peel the potatoes and cut them into ¼ inch planks. Cut the planks vertically into ¼ inch sticks. Optionally, rinse the cut potatoes in cold water, then pat fries using paper towels until as dry as possible.
To make the batter, in a large mixing bowl combine flour, ancho powder, smoked paprika, garlic powder, cayenne powder, and salt. Whisk to combine, then add water and whisk until fully combined into a smooth batter. If the batter is too thick, add a couple of tablespoons of water until it resembles a watery pancake batter, more specifically a tempura like batter.
Add potatoes to the batter and toss by hand to fully coat. Let the excess batter drain from the potatoes before carefully adding to your hot oil and frying for 3-4 minutes or until deep golden brown.
Using a spider, remove the fries and allow a moment to drain off excess oil before adding to a large mixing bowl and immediately seasoning to taste with salt. Toss while seasoning to get an even coating. Serve hot with dipping sauces of choice.
Par Cook Then Fry (Steak Fries)
Serves 2 people
2 large russet potatoes
3 quarts (2.8L) vegetable oil
Preheat an oven to 350°F (176°C). Once hot, wrap a potato in aluminum foil and cook until the potato is fork tender. About 40-60 minutes. Once cooked, place the potato in the refrigerator to cool down. At least 2 hours, preferably overnight. If you wish to boil the potatoes, you can pre cut them into wedges and boil to desired doneness instead of baking in the oven. Be sure to still refrigerate overnight prior to moving on to the next step.
Once the potato is cooled, begin to heat vegetable oil in a heavy bottomed pot or Dutch oven to 350°F (176°C). Cut the potato into 6-8 wedges and gently lower the potatoes into hot oil. Cook the potatoes for 3-4 minutes or until golden brown and crispy.
Using a spider, remove the fries and allow a moment to drain off excess oil before adding to a large mixing bowl and immediately seasoning to taste with salt. Toss while seasoning to get an even coating. Serve hot with dipping sauces of choice.
Triple Cooked
Serves 2-4 people
3 Large Russet Potatoes
3 quarts (2.8L) water
1 teaspoon (4g) baking soda
2 tablespoons (30g) white distilled vinegar
1 ¼ tablespoon (18g) kosher salt, plus more to taste
3 quarts (2.8L) vegetable oil for frying
Over medium high heat, bring a 6 quart pot filled just over halfway with water to a boil. To the boiling water add baking soda, white distilled vinegar, and salt to the pot.
Peel your potatoes and cut them into ¼ inch planks. Cut the planks vertically into ¼ inch sticks. Optionally, rinse the cut potatoes in cold water. Add the potatoes to your boiling water and cook for 30-45 seconds, or until nearly cooked through but not quite enough to break easily when bent. Transfer par cooked potatoes to a paper towel lined baking tray and pat as dry as possible dry.
Heat a 6 quart Dutch oven filled just over halfway with oil and heat to 320°F (160°C). Add par cooked potatoes to oil and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes. The potatoes should be pale in color, sort of matte looking on the outside, and just cooked through on the inside.
Transfer potatoes to a paper towel lined baking tray to pat dry of excess oil. Then transfer to a parchment lined baking tray in as single of a layer as possible. You may need two sheet trays if you cut more potatoes than the recipe suggests. Place the tray into the freezer for a minimum of 3-4 hours, but ideally overnight, until frozen solid. Save your oil for the 3rd fry.
Heat reserved oil to 350°F (176°C) over medium high heat. Fry the potatoes directly from frozen for 2-4 minutes, or until they’re a deep golden color and crispy.
Using a spider, remove the fries and allow a moment to drain off excess oil before adding to a large mixing bowl and immediately seasoning to taste with salt. Toss while seasoning to get an even coating. Serve hot with dipping sauces of choice.
Brined Fries
Serves 2 people
2 large russet potatoes
35g kosher salt
750g water
1 clove garlic, lightly crushed
¼ teaspoon (1g) brown mustard seed
½ teaspoon (2g) black peppercorn
Peel the potatoes and cut them into ¼ inch planks. Cut the planks vertically into ¼ inch sticks. Optionally, rinse the cut potatoes in cold water, then pat fries using paper towels until as dry as possible.
In a quart sized mason jar, add water and salt. Whisk until the salt is fully dissolved. Add garlic, mustard seed, and peppercorn, followed by the cut potatoes, ensuring they’re fully submerged in the brine. Place a lid onto the jar, making sure air can escape, and let sit at room temperature for 3-5 days. If for some reason this causes the jar to overflow you may need to switch to a larger container and add additional brine to cover. To do that simply make a second batch of brine and continue adding until the potato is submerged.
Fill a 6 quart Dutch oven or heavy bottomed pot with vegetable oil and heat to 320°F (160°C). While the oil is heating, drain the potatoes from the brine and pat dry using a paper towel.
Fry the potatoes for 1-2 minutes, or until the fries turn pale in color and matte on the exterior. Transfer to a paper towel lined baking tray and pat dry of excess oil. Bring oil to 350°F (176°C) over medium high heat.
Fry potatoes once more for 2-3 minutes, or until the fries are a deep golden color and crispy. Using a spider, remove the fries and allow a moment to drain off excess oil before adding to a large mixing bowl and immediately seasoning to taste with salt. Toss while seasoning to get an even coating. Serve hot with dipping sauces of choice.
