How To Make French Fries

I never make French fries at home. Mostly because deep-frying anything is always messy, annoying, and time-consuming. (Anyone else hate cooking in batches?!) They also never turn out quite as crispy or good as McDonald's. But I recently discovered a genius hack that changes EVERYTHING. It yields astonishingly crispy on the outside, creamy on the inside frites. Here’s how it's different (and better) than the traditional way of making fries. 

1. You don’t need to soak the potatoes in water (for forever) first. 

Soaking sliced potatoes in water helps remove excess starch, which lets the fries get crispier. Some recipes call for an overnight soak, while others want you to change out the water often. 

2. Yukon gold is best. 

NOT RUSSET! They’re less starchy and will crisp up without ever sitting in a bowl of water. When fried, the buttery interior texture is a subtle contrast to the exterior crunch, but trust me, people will notice. 

3. You don’t need a candy thermometer. 

Recipes that require frying are often super specific. The temperature of the oil must be just so. Not with this method. Turns out you can put *unsoaked* potatoes in a big deep skillet (or Dutch oven), pour cold oil on top until they’re just covered, then bring the whole thing to a boil. The exact temperature doesn’t really matter so long as it’s hot and bubbling. 

4. You only need to fry it once. 

In culinary school, I was taught that you need to fry twice: once at a temperature between 325° and 330° to dry them out, then again between 350° and 360° to get them golden and bistro-level crispy. Hence, why I never did it at home. With this method, all of the fries go in at the same time and once they're out, they're ready to eat! After seasoning the heck out of them with salt, of course.