Ah, the French fry. So classic. So simple. Yet somehow so hard to make at home as good as they’re made for a dollar at your favorite fast-food chain. What gives? How can you make your own French fries that can compete? Well, here are some tips that should help you pull it off.
Use the Right Potatoes
Yep, there’s such thing as the wrong potato—at least when it comes to making French fries. You’ll want to use one kind only for best results: the Russet potato. It’s thick and doesn’t have too much water content relative to other kinds, which will help with crispiness.
Put Them in Water
After you cut your Russets into strips of your desired size, you’ll immediately want to pop them into a bowl of water. This will rinse off excess starch so they don’t get sticky and keep them from oxidizing and turning brown.
Fry Twice
To get the right texture—crispy on the outside and soft on the inside—you’ll have to fry your potatoes twice. The first time will be at a lower temperature to cook them and the second time at a higher temperature to get them nice and crispy.
