Fresh Cut French Fries
September is National Potato Month and I can’t think of a better way to celebrate than making (and eating) fresh cut french fries. These have become a staple in my home. I reach for 2 big russet potatoes far more than I reach for a frozen bag of fries.
These fries are CHEAPER and much easier to make! There’s something about these amazing fresh cut fries doused in big flaky salt and served with the most amazing Spicy Sweet Onion Ketchup! Alyssa Raymond of WTHR joined me to whip these up and we both couldn’t get enough!
The key to the perfect fresh-cut french fry is to fry them twice. The first time you drop the potato in, the oil cooks the potato. This ensures you have a fluffy inside when you eat the fry. You fry the potatoes a second time to capture that crispy exterior. The PERFECT french fry is crisp on the outside and pillowy on the inside (Although, I’ll be the first to tell you that I always dig for the soft/squishy fries, cause those are my favorite.).
There are a couple of things you need to know about seasoning your fries. The first thing is to make sure you DO NOT season them after the first fry. This will just draw more water out of the potato and will leave your fries soggy instead of crispy. Unappetizingly soggy. More importantly, you want to be sure to generously season the fries with kosher salt, sea salt, or flaky sea salt THE MOMENT they come out of the oil the second time. This is incredibly important to do while the fries are still hot and glistening. This allows for the salt to melt into the fries for maximum flavor. This would also be a good time to add any other seasoning you like. I will add old bay or lemon pepper seasoning sometimes. It all depends on what else I’m making.
If I’m being completely honest, I’d be perfectly fine making these fries and sitting down in front of the couch with no other sustenance in mind. Having these as a meal is 100% worth it.
Fresh Cut French Fries
Ingredients
- 2 large russet potatoes, rinsed and patted dry
- 6 cups canola or vegetable oil
- Kosher Salt, Sea Salt, or Flaky Sea Salt
Instructions
- Heat oil to 325 degrees in a large dutch oven (or any other heavy bottom pot). I really like using a candy thermometer to keep an accurate eye on the oil temperature. While oil is heating, cut potatoes into 1/4 inch sticks. It’s totally okay to leave the skin on!
- Once oil has reached its temperature, slowly add about 1/4 of your potatoes. Be careful not to splatter yourself with hot oil. Add them slowly, low into the pot, and lay them away from you. Fried potatoes for 3-4 minutes. Just before they begin to turn brown. Remove potatoes, using tongs or a kitchen spider, from oil and lay on a paper towel-lined baking sheet. Fry remaining raw potatoes.
- Once you have fried all the potatoes once, start with the first batch and lay them into the oil again. This time you will fry them for 2-3 minutes. Potatoes should be golden brown. Remove them from the oil and lay them on a new paper towel-lined baking sheet. Season them with your choice of salt immediately. Continue second round of frying until all potatoes are complete.
- Serve immediately with Spicy Sweet Onion Ketchup.
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