Soggy fries have usually either been cooked in oil that isn't hot enough, or were cooked in too large a batch, overcrowding the pan and reducing the heat. The secret to getting tasty French fries that are crisp on the outside and nice and fluffy on the inside is to fry them twice.
The secret to getting a crispy surface on home fries is to make sure the potatoes aren't warm when you pan-fry them. In this recipe, we precook the potatoes and let them cool to room temperature before they hit the buttered pan, ensuring perfectly crusty and crispy edges.
When it comes to the actual cooking, you want to fry the french fries twice. The first round is at a lower temperature to cook the inside of the potato and the second time you'll use a higher temperature to make the fries golden brown and crispy.
The best way to keep fried foods crispy? Just place them on a cooling rack set over a baking sheet. If you're frying multiple batches, throw the whole setup into a low oven to keep everything warm as you keep frying and adding to the rack.
The baking soda is clutch, as it alkalizes the water/potatoes and contributes to the crunch effect. The salt goes both in the water and on the potatoes for maximum seasoning. A big glug of olive oil makes them super crunchy and that fat gives the super high heat something to work with.
The main reasons to cut the potatoes and pre-soak in water are: To allow the excess starches and sugars to be removed from the outer surface of the fry strips AND to keep the potatoes from browning prematurely from exposure to air. Covering in water helps the potato from turning a dark color.
If you put the second basket of fries into oil that isn't at the recommended temperature, too much oil can get absorbed into the product itself. Hence, soggy fries and unhappy customers.
Heat the skillet over medium-high heat. Add the french fries to the pan, stirring and flipping them around frequently for three to five minutes, until crispy. Cooking time will depend on the thickness of your potatoes.
Soaking the potatoes draws starch to the exterior of the potato. This prevents fries from sticking together and helps them get crispy. Vinegar delays potatoes from turning brown and also speeds up the starch extraction. Soak the potatoes for at least an hour, but preferably overnight.
Begin by peeling five pounds of potatoes, then cut them into sticks. Throw them in a pot or large bowl and cover them with cold water, then let them soak for at least two or three hours. Soaking the sliced potatoes is the fundamental first step of making proper french fries.
When fries are cooked at a very high temperature, the starches in them are hydrated (moisture goes in), puffing them up and helping the outer skin get nice and crisp. When these same fries cool, the starches secrete moisture, which makes its way to the fries' crust, leaving them soggy and limp.
Air dry on paper towels; about 10 minutes. (Make sure the potatoes are dry before frying; you can dab them off with the paper towel if necessary.) Once potatoes are thoroughly dry, fry them 300-320 degree vegetable oil in a deep fryer or a large pot (a Dutch oven would work).
Using ice water will stiffen the potato's cell walls which help you achieve crispier fries. Just make sure after you've rinsed your fries, you completely dry them before cooking. Drying them is critical to making sure you achieve the perfect crispy taste.
Learn how to make French fries that are super crispy with this twice-fried method. I don't think most people realize that any decent French fry needs to be fried twice. The first frying is done at a lower temperature, which softens the potato and prepares the starchy surface for the second frying's crispification.
If your fried food comes out soggy & greasy — your oil was not hot enough. If your fried food comes out crispy, but greasy — you let the food cook for too long. If your fried food comes out burnt — the oil was too hot and/or you allowed it to cook too long.
Soak the uncooked potatoes for 30 minutes in an ice bath. They can soak longer, but you'll need to keep them in the fridge while they soak. Don't soak for longer than 3 hours.
You can make crispy french fries at home with olive oil. Read on to learn the secret to crispy fries and why olive oil is great for frying! Researchers in Spain made a remarkable discovery. Vegetables, such as potatoes, have more nutrients when fried in extra virgin olive oil then when boiled.
Infusing the fries with starch not only makes them crispier, but also helps preserve the crispiness longer. To avoid soggy fries, sprinkle on spray-dried vinegar instead of dowsing them with liquid.
First let's talk about why cut potatoes need to be immersed in water to begin with. The reason is to prevent the potatoes exposure to air, which causes dehydration, oxidation, and discoloration. Immersing cut potatoes will also help rinse off excess starch.
Make sure that you soak the potatoes for at least 2-3 hours. Soaking the sliced potatoes in cold water is one of the main steps to prepare perfect French Fries. The cold water removes the starch present outside the potatoes so that you get perfectly crispy fries.
Why use salt water for soaking potatoes? There's moisture naturally found in potatoes, and moisture is drawn to higher concentrations of salt. (This is a process called osmosis.) So, if you put the potatoes in a salt water bath, that will help draw out some of their moisture, resulting in crispier fries.