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Garlic & Zest

Calling all cooks! You don’t have to be a gourmet chef to get a delicious, healthy meal on the table! At Garlic & Zest, I’ll show you how to make hundreds of seasonal, fresh recipes and indulgent comfort foods with easy step-by-step instructions and photos to help you master the dish.

You’ve Been Making French Fries The Wrong Way!

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It’s National French Fry Day!

You love french fries, right?  Just close your eyes and imagine them.  Perfectly crisp outside.  Tender and light inside.  That crunch when you bite into them — no soggy wannabes.  For most of us the siren call of a side of fries is almost too magnetic to ignore.   

 

potatoes

And for most of us – we get our fries when we’re eating out.  Not at home.  Never at home.  Why?  Hello??? – they’re a pain in the ass, um, too much trouble to make.  Until now.  Seriously.

 

sliced potatoes in a bowl of water

The traditional method — requires frying not once, but twice.  The first time cooks the inside, the second crisps the outside.  P.I.T.A.    No more.  I heard about this new technique on NPR. I’m sure you’ve heard Christopher Kimball and his culinary gurus broadcast  America’s Test Kitchen answering questions and offering tips to home cooks.  

 

potatoes in a pot of cold oil

You’ve been making french fries the wrong way!

This episode was revelatory to me — because they suggested  that frying only once with very little hands-on effort would result in magically crisp-tender fries — and use about 1/3 less oil.  Whaaat???  Easier and healthier?  

“No”.  

“Yes.”  

“Noooo”.  

“YES!”

 

potatoes frying in a pot fried potatoes with a spider

It was all too much to believe, so I did the only thing I could.  I tried it.  The secret to these fries is to place the rinsed and dried potatoes directly into COLD oil.  As the oil heats to the normal frying temperature, it gradually cooks the inside of the potato, so that by the time the oil is bubbling, the inside is cooked – and it goes right into the crisping phase.  All by itself.  No help from me.  AND the potato doesn’t soak up as much oil.  Really.

 

french fries draining on a sheet pan

To confirm that, I fried the potatoes,  let the oil cool and then poured the oil back into the original container.  It filled back up nearly to the top.  Maybe a quarter cup was actually absorbed in the whole batch.  Incredible.  

 


sprinkling salt on french fries

And look at the result.   Perfectly browned.  Not greasy.  Perfectly crispy and gorgeous.  A sprinkle of sea salt while they’re still hot is all they need.  And maybe some ketchup.  I love ketchup.

 

french fries on a board with ketchup

french fries with ketchup

dipping french fries in ketchup

french fries and a bowl of ketchup

 

5 from 4 votes
Print
World's Easiest French Fries
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
25 mins
Total Time
35 mins
 

You'll never make french fries any other way!

Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Servings: 4
Calories: 349 kcal
Ingredients
  • 4 medium Yukon Gold potatoes
  • 32 ounces peanut oil for frying
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
  1. Fill a large bowl halfway with cold water. Set aside. Using a sharp knife or mandoline, slice the potatoes into thin fries (about 1/3"-1/2" thick). Transfer the cut potatoes to the cold water. Swish the potatoes in the water with you hand and drain the water from the potatoes. Refill the bowl with cold water and rinse again. Use paper towels to pat dry the potatoes.
  2. Add the oil to a medium dutch oven. Put the potatoes into the cold oil. Place the oven on the stove and turn the heat to medium-medium high. The oil will bubble briskly once it comes to temperature. Cook the potatoes for 25-30 minutes until crisp outside and tender inside, stirring occasionally.
  3. Meanwhile, line a baking sheet with paper towels and set aside.
  4. Use a spider or slotted spoon to scoop out the fries and transfer them to the baking sheet. Immediately sprinkle the fries with salt. Serve.
Nutrition Facts
World's Easiest French Fries
Amount Per Serving
Calories 349 Calories from Fat 252
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 28g 43%
Saturated Fat 4g 20%
Sodium 307mg 13%
Potassium 702mg 20%
Total Carbohydrates 21g 7%
Dietary Fiber 4g 16%
Protein 4g 8%
Vitamin C 23.5%
Calcium 5.1%
Iron 30.6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

 

More Ways With Potatoes:

Creamy Scalloped Potatoes with Thyme
Creamy Scalloped Potatoes with Thyme
Blue and Gold Potato Souffle | Garlic + Zest
Luscious Blue & Gold Souffle
Hasselback Potatoes
Hasselback Potatoes

 

Don’t Forget To “Pin It” For Later!

 

Make the world's easiest french fries anytime with this simple, foolproof method and find out why you've been making french fries the wrong way!

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Side Dishes// Vegetables10 Comments

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Comments

  1. Katrina says

    July 13, 2015 at 7:39 AM

    Yes!!!! We love fries, but you’re right… Homemade fries have always been a P.I.T.A 🙂 Can’t wait to try this method – looks super easy!

    Reply
    • Lisa says

      July 13, 2015 at 9:21 AM

      Super-easy!

      Reply
  2. Michael says

    July 13, 2015 at 11:31 AM

    What temperature?

    Reply
    • Lisa says

      July 13, 2015 at 12:03 PM

      Keep it between 350 and 375. I had it on a medium high heat on my gas cooktop.

      Reply
  3. Danielle says

    August 8, 2017 at 12:50 PM

    They look like the perfect crispy fries! You really can’t beat homemade.

    Reply
  4. Luci's Morsels says

    August 8, 2017 at 1:28 PM

    These look better than restaurant fries and I know my fries! I have got to make these ASAP! Thank you for sharing! I can’t wait to try these.

    Reply
    • Lisa says

      August 8, 2017 at 2:19 PM

      They’re delicious but I really like how simple they are to make!

      Reply
  5. Jagruti says

    August 8, 2017 at 1:39 PM

    Thanks for showing me the right way of making fries!

    Reply
  6. Linda @ With A Blast says

    August 8, 2017 at 2:42 PM

    Well I never ! I wouldn’t have thought of using COLD oil ! I’ll definitely try a batch using your method 🙂

    Reply
    • Lisa says

      August 8, 2017 at 3:20 PM

      I know! It’s CRAZY! But it works!

      Reply

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Meet Lisa

Calling all cooks! You don’t have to be a gourmet chef to get a delicious, healthy meal on the table! At Garlic & Zest, I’ll show you how to make hundreds of seasonal, fresh recipes and indulgent comfort foods with easy step-by-step instructions and photos to help you master the dish.

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