Homemade French Fries
Russet potatoes are hand-cut into matchsticks and double fried at two temperatures for the perfect crispy edges and fluffy interior!
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs russet potatoes
- salt
- beef tallow or duck fat for frying*
Instructions
- Decide if you will peel the skin off or not. If you want to leave the skin on, scrub the potatoes well, and peel off a little skin to check that they are not green underneath the skin. If you want to remove the skin, use a vegetable peeler to peel the potatoes.
- Cut one side of each potato to create a flat surface, then place that side of the potato on a cutting board so it doesn't rock while you cut it. Carefully cut downward to create slices a little more than 1/4" thick. Cut those slices into long sticks to create fries, placing the fries in a bowl of cool water as you cut them, to prevent browning.
- Using a colander, rinse the potato sticks for a minute, then place in a bowl of cool water to soak for 10 minutes. Drain and rinse again, then dry the potatoes as well as you can with a kitchen towel.
- Using either a heavy-bottomed saucepan at least 8" wide and checking the temperature with a thermometer, or a dedicated deep fryer, add enough tallow to come a few inches up the pot, heating it to 325F. Add about half the potatoes and fry for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove them to a paper towel-lined plate, and let sit for 5 minutes. You will notice that they will have taken little color, if any at all, and if you taste one, the potato should be very tender.
- Increase the heat of the oil to 375F and cook the french fries for 3 more minutes, stirring frequently, until golden brown. Place in a large paper towel-lined mixing bowl to drain briefly, then while still hot, add salt and give the fries a toss. Adding salt or seasonings while hot ensures the salt will stick to the fries.
- Serve promptly with ketchup, mayonnaise, aioli, nacho cheese sauce, or eat them plain. Enjoy!
Notes
*I recommend using beef tallow, duck fat, or lard as your cooking fat for superior flavor and durable crispiness, though this recipe will work with soybean oil and other frying oils. However, they will be noticeably less crispy and go soggy much faster. In whatever vessel you cook in, you will want the fat to come up a few inches in the pan. You will likely need about 4 cups of tallow or oil.
Storing leftovers: Keep in the fridge for up to 5 days in an airtight container.
Freezing: I recommend spreading them out on a sheet pan in the freezer for 30 minutes, then storing them in an airtight container. That way they won’t all stick together. Store for up to 2 months.
Reheating: Reheat them in a 375F oven for about 10 minutes, until warm and crisp. If the fries are frozen, you may need to add 5 minutes.
Nutrition
Calories: 267kcal, Carbohydrates: 41g, Protein: 5g, Fat: 10g, Saturated Fat: 6g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 3g, Cholesterol: 26mg, Sodium: 12mg, Potassium: 946mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 2IU, Vitamin C: 13mg, Calcium: 29mg, Iron: 2mg