Hand Cut French Fries Recipes

AIR FRYER FRENCH FRIES

Steps:

• Preheat an air fryer to 380 degrees F and spray the basket with nonstick spray.
• Cut the potato in half lengthwise, then into 1/4-inch slices. Cut the slices into 1/4-inch sticks. Put the fries in a medium bowl and rinse them well with cold water, then drain and pat dry with paper towels.
• Toss the fries with the oil in a medium bowl, then sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and several grinds of pepper. Working in batches if necessary, put the fries in an even layer in the air fryer basket with no overlapping and cook, turning them halfway through, until golden brown and crisp, 14 to 16 minutes. Remove and season with salt.

HAND-CUT FRENCH FRIES

Steps:

• Leaving the skin on, cut the potatoes into long thin strips and put in a large bowl of clean water to remove some starch, prevent them from sticking together, and stop the oxidizing process.
• In a cast iron skillet fitted with a thermometer, or a small fryer, heat the oil until it reaches 275 to 300 degrees F. Remove the potatoes from the water and pat dry. Working in small batches, fry the potatoes until they go from shiny to matte, 3 to 5 minutes (this is also called blanching). Drain well on paper towels. Re-heat the oil until it reaches 350 degrees F and fry the potatoes again, also in small batches, until they are golden brown and crispy on the outside but soft and chewy on the inside.
• Remove from the oil, drain well, and toss with sea salt and malt vinegar, or any other seasoning you prefer. You can also fry fresh herbs such as rosemary, sage, and thyme with the potatoes. Serve hot.

CHEF JOHN'S FRENCH FRIES

Steps:

• Soak potatoes in a large bowl of water for about 30 minutes. Pat dry thoroughly with paper towels.
• Heat oil in a deep-fryer or large saucepan to 275 degrees F (135 degrees C). Gently add the potatoes in the hot oil for about 5 minutes, stirring and flipping the potatoes occasionally. Remove potatoes from oil with a slotted spoon to drain on paper towel and to cool completely.
• Heat oil in a deep-fryer or large saucepan to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Fry the potatoes again until golden brown, 5 to 6 minutes. Blot with a paper towel. Sprinkle with salt to serve.

BEST BAKED FRENCH FRIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil; spray with cooking spray.
• Place sliced potatoes in a colander; sprinkle sugar over potatoes. Set aside until liquid is released from potatoes, 20 to 30 minutes. Drain liquid and dry potatoes well.
• Mix potato slices, olive oil, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper in a resealable bag until evenly coated. Spread coated potato slices in a single layer, leaving space around each potato, on the prepared baking sheet.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes; flip fries and continue baking until crisp and browned, about 20 more minutes.

HAND-CUT FRENCH FRIES

Steps:

• Slice off about 1/2-inch from the ends of the potatoes. Then cut a thin slice the length of one side, to provide a stable platform while you finish cutting the potato. Now slice the potato lengthwise into 1/2-inch-thick planks, then cut those planks lengthwise into 1/2-inch-wide sticks. Place these fries in a bowl of ice water and agitate them to remove the starch. Rinse, then put in another ice-water bath and agitate again until the water is clear (which means there's no more starch). Spread the fries on a clean dish towel and pat dry.
• First fry: Pour peanut oil into a cast-iron pot-it should be about 3/4 full. Heat oil to 325 degrees F. Fry in batches until the corners just start to color, about 3-5 minutes. (This "oil blanching" cooks them through.) Remove and let cool to room temperature.
• Second fry: Heat oil to 375 degrees F. Fry in batches until golden brown and crispy, about 2-3 minutes. Drain on paper towels and season with kosher salt. Serve with ketchup spiked with hot sauce.