Editorial Chef
There is nothing as delicious as crispy French fries that are done well. Chips soaking in oil and soggy have no place on the snack plate.
Whether bought out from a fast food joint, high-end restaurant or home-made in the traditional home kitchen, I say it again, they need to be crispy.
You could take a short way out and buy your fries from the neighborhood deli but you could also get creative and adventurous and do it yourself right from the comfort of your own home.
First off you need a bunch of large potatoes from your favorite grocery store. You will also need enough oil such as vegetable oil, corn oil, or your preferred liquid oil.
The likes of butter and margarine are unacceptable in this case as they burn at too low temperatures to be of any use.
The fries must be cut evenly. This ensures they take the same amount of time to cook. To make things simple, you can buy pre-cut potatoes from your grocery store.
Cooking Crispy French Fries Time
1. The first thing you need to do is pre-heat the oil in a deep pot to about 160 degrees Celcius (320 Fahrenheit). You may need a thermometer for this. If you do not have a thermometer, at this temperature you may observe the surface of the oil and you should see mild ripples.
The oil should not smoke at all. For most cases today you may want to invest in a deep fat fryer that will have a gauge and thermostat to regulate the temperature. This is the preferred appliance for frying, not just French fries but for other foods as well.
2. Once the oil has been brought up to temperature, Place the potatoes in the oil using the provided steel basket. Fry the oil for a couple of minutes until the potatoes are soft enough to collapse if pressed between two fingers.
The potatoes should not snap. If they do, they are undercooked. The potatoes should also not feel leathery, and should not have turned color as this is an indication of overcooking.
3. Once the potatoes are done remove them from the oil and turn up the temperature to 190 degrees Celsius (380 Fahrenheit). Dip the potatoes back into the oil and fry until golden brown. Remove and drain on a grill or absorbent paper if no grill is available.
There you have it. The perfect plate of fries right out of your kitchen. You can serve the fries with your favorite accompaniment such as sausage, fried fish, steak, you name it.
Make sure to have some ketchup or tomato sauce handy to dip the fries into.
The quality of the crispy French fries also depends on the type of potatoes you use as some varieties may have high water content and may never get crispy regardless of the care you put into them.
Secondly, avoid potatoes with green patches as these may not have the best taste. If in doubt you can always ask your local grocer for assistance.
