How to Make French Fries
Knowing how to make French fries means knowing how to make one of America's favorite foods. But as the name implies, the French fry has wasn't born in the U.S.: First, in London, "fish and chips" (French fries) started showing up on pub menus in the 1860s. Their instant popularity inspired others across Europe. But it wasn't until 1918, when American soldiers stationed in France, that they became "French" fries -- the Americans fell in love with this new food and wanted to have them at home, too. Roughly 4.5 billion pounds are sold a year in the United States.Lots of people think homemade French fries aren't as good as what you can get at fast-food places -- we think you'll reconsider once you try the recipe below.
Transcript
Hi. I'm Miranda and, today, I'm gonna show you how
to make the Best Homemade French Fries. Better yet, they're
made in under 30 minutes and I promise, you're absolutely
going to love them. So, without further adieu, let's get
frying. I have our ingredients all laid out here. It's
incredibly simple. We just need 1-1/2 pounds of Russet or
other baking potatoes.
Now, you can peel them if you like. I decided
not to. I like a little bit of that kind
of crunchy peel. And then cut them into either quarter
to three-eighths of an inch sticks, and if you're not
gonna fry right away like I prepped these, just let
them soak in ice water to stop that browning process.
Also, some nice crunchy salt. I'm using kosher salt but
you could use sea salt to sprinkle after. Over here,
I have my cast iron skillet filled half way.
You don't wanna fill it any more than halfway. With
peanut oil. It's heated to 365 degrees, or you could
use, you know, a little countertop fryer, if you have
that. So, what we're gonna start to do is just
in batches, I am going to...thoroughly pat dry my potatoes
and I'm just going to, with the slotted spoon so
I don't burn myself, just lower them in, and I'm
gonna cook them for about 7 to 9 minutes, until
the edges get golden brown and like a little bit
blistered, and they're cooked all the way through,
and I'm just gonna do it in batches until they're
all done. All right, so my last batch of french
fries is just about done, so let's turn off the
heat and I'm just using tongs. You could use a
slotted spoon if that's too few or if you have
like a little fry basket. Whatever works, and I just
have this cookie sheet here lined with paper towels so
we're just gonna drain it here on the paper towels
to kinda soak up that excess oil here.
So you can see how they got like nice and
golden brown but they're still really tender on the inside,
which is great. So, I have obviously paper towel underneath
and now I'm just gonna kind of lightly, gently press
with paper towels in the top just to really absorb
that excess...oil. We don't want our french fries to be
too greasy, and now, my favorite step is the salt.
Just take and just lightly sprinkle and this is to
taste.
I really like salty, crunch french fries but however much
salt you like, just kind of sprinkle on when it's
still warm, and then you are ready to serve, and
there you go. Now, you know how to make the
Best Homemade French Fries.
What You'll Need
- 1-1/2 pounds russet or baking potatoes
- Peanut oil for deep-fat frying
- Sea salt or kosher salt or salt
Step By Step
1
Peel the potatoes , if desired, and cut lengthwise into 1/4- to 3/8-inch sticks. Soak in ice water if not ready to fry.
2
In a deep-fat fryer, heat peanut oil according to manufacturer's directions to 365 degree F, or heat oil in a 3-quart or larger saucepan to 365 degree F (saucepan should be no more than half full).
3
Drain the potatoes well. Pat potatoes thoroughly dry on paper toweling. Fry the potatoes, about one-third at a time, until potatoes are tender in the center and edges are just beginning to color and blister, about 7 to 9 minutes. Remove with a frying basket and drain on paper toweling.
4
To serve, sprinkle lightly with salt. Makes 4 servings.
More Recipes
Prepared in just 30 minutes or less, sea salt or other coarse salt gives these easy fried potatoes a pleasing extra layer of texture.
Taste this healthful take on French fries.
Instead of French fries, try this side dish. Carrots are cut into strips, tossed in olive oil and baked until tender.
Two convenience products, frozen French fries and condensed nacho cheese soup, combine to make a cheesy side that the whole family will love.
French-fried onions add flavorful crunch, and the ranch dressing and sour cream add extra flavor. This will become one of your favorites!
If you want to dress things up, try an intense, exotic variety of black pepper like Malabar. Serve with a green salad and french fries or roasted potatoes.
This expanded version of traditional Green Bean Casserole is sure to satisfy any crowd with its flavorful combination of cream of mushroom soup, green beans, milk, seasonings and crispy French fried onions.
A colorful vegetable combination is mixed with Campbell's® Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup, Swiss cheese and sour cream, then topped with French fried onions and more Swiss cheese, and baked until golden and bubbly.
Stock-up your pantry with cream of celery soup, soy sauce and French fried onions, because this delicious baked chicken dish is one you'll want to make again and again!
Here's a refreshing, easy-to-make side dish that's great for the holidays but easy enough for everyday. You'll love the crunch of the French fried onion topping.
From Betty's Soul Food Collection... Bring family to the dinner table easily with a hearty chicken and veggie dinner topped with crunchy French-fried onions.
Here's a tasty way to use up leftovers, or a simple dish to start from scratch. Canned chicken, French fried onions and cream of celery soup make it easy and delicious.
I have to confess, french fries are one of my favorite foods. I can't resist them, whether they are from a fast-food drive-through or a fine restaurant. Luckily, these garlic-laced "fries" satisfy my cravings in a more healthful way. They come out golden brown, tender on the inside and crisp ouside. A final toss with chopped parsley gives them that real French bistro feel.