Thin Crispy French Fries

These homemade Thin Crispy French Fries will rival your favorite fast-food version. Pure perfection from your own kitchen.

Thin Crispy French Fries

There are four basic steps to this recipe for thin crispy French fries: boiling, frying, freezing and frying again. And just four ingredients. But if you’re like me, deep-frying anything is a daunting task.

But it was a snowy Sunday and my oldest was going to brave his way to our house to join us for dinner. I had an inkling that these would be a hit. So what’s a little mess?

Today is the big reveal for March’s Blogger CLUE Society! Our theme is potatoes or other starchy comfort foods. Even vodka is included! My assignment was the lovely Azmina of Lawyer Does Lunch.

These homemade fries were the result of her quest for the very best French fries. I think she’s found them! The recipe comes from Serious Eats and was thoroughly researched by one of their chef contributors, who happens to be an MIT grad.

I was also tempted by Azmina’s fabulous cornbread, so check that out if you need an accompaniment for your next batch of chili or just have a hankering for cornbread.

How to Make Homemade Fries

Break out the deep fryer. Or in my case, the Dutch oven and digital thermometer. For the first stage of this recipe, the raw fries were boiled in salted, acidulated water till tender.

There’s obviously some food science involved, but nothing I learned in nursing school (note MIT degree trumps my BSN). After air-drying for a few minutes, the spuds were briefly fried in hot oil before a stint in the freezer.

Overnight is recommended, but I only had a few hours. Right before serving, the oil was reheated and the fries cooked to a perfect golden brown.

If you’d like to try your hand at sweet potato fries, they are another fabulous side for your burgers!

The Verdict

These were a home run hit! I can usually restrain myself, but I ate my fair share. Their first salty bath infused them with the needed flavor, so just a light dusting of kosher salt finished them off.

If you have a hankering for homemade fried potatoes, you must try these thin crispy French fries! Thanks, Azmina!!!

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Thin Crispy French Fries

The best French Fry recipe adapted from Serious Eats

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 18 minutes

Total Time 38 minutes

Yield 4 servings

Ingredients

• 2 pounds russet potatoes (3-4 large), cut into 1/4 inch x 1/4 inch strips (keep in a bowl of water)
• 2 tablespoons white vinegar
• Kosher salt
• 2 quarts peanut oil

Instructions

1. Add 2 quarts of water to a large saucepan. Add vinegar and 2 tablespoons of kosher salt. Add potatoes and bring to a boil over high heat. Boil for 10 minutes or till potatoes are tender but not falling apart. Drain and spread on paper towel-lined rimmed baking sheet. Allow to dry for five minutes.
2. Heat oil to 400°in a large Dutch oven. Add about 1/3 of fries to oil (oil temperature will drop but try to keep at 360º or above). Cook for about a minute, using a spider strainer to gently stir the oil. Remove to a paper towel lined baking sheet. Repeat with the next third of potatoes after oil reheats to 400º, then again with the final third. Let potatoes to cool to room temperature then freeze potatoes overnight (you can fry again before then, but they'll be best when well frozen).
3. Return oil to 400° over high heat. Fry half of potatoes until crisp and golden brown, about 3-4 minutes minutes, trying to keep oil around 360°. Let drain on a paper towel lined baking sheet. Salt while hot if desired. Serve immediately.

Notes

Note that French Fries need to be frozen (overnight suggested) before final frying.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 460Total Fat: 27gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 21gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 177mgCarbohydrates: 49gFiber: 5gSugar: 2gProtein: 6g

Potato Recipes from my Blogger CLUE friends:

Check out these fabulous potato or starchy recipes from our March participants!

• Bacon Wrapped Potatoes w/ Sriracha Sauce by Debra from Eliot’s Eats
• Bacon-wrapped Smashed Redskin Puffs by Stacy from Food Lust People Love
• Balsamic Roasted Fingerling Potatoes by Wendy from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Basil Lime Gin Gimlet by Christy from Confessions of a Culinary Diva
• Chocolate, Coconut, Butterscotch and Oatmeal Cake Cookies by Lisa from Authentic Suburban Gourmet
• Daisy’s Noisette Potatoes by Janet from Cupcakes to Caviar
• Irish Old Fashioned Cocktail by Christy from Confessions of a Culinary Diva
• Okie Peasant Potato Soup by Christiane from Taking on Magazines
• Potato and Celery Root Puree by Lea Ann from Cooking on the Ranch
• Potato and White Bean Soup with Sage by Kathy from A Spoonful of Thyme
• Potato Rolls by Kelli from Kelli’s Kitchen
• Potatoes O’Brien by Azmina from Lawyer Loves Lunch
• Slow Cooker Beef and Guinness Pie by Anna from annaDishes
• Smoked Salmon Chowder by Jean from Lemons and Anchovies
• Tchertma (Zucchini and Eggs) by Kate from Kate’s Kitchen
• Thin Crispy French Fries by Liz from That Skinny Chick Can Bake