The Trick That Makes Your Homemade French Fries Taste Like A Restaurant

If there's one thing that people love to order, it's french fries. In total, it's estimated that over 5.6 billion pounds of fries are eaten in the U.S. every year. It can be hard to recreate that restaurant-quality crunch we all love, but there are some tricks that can help. One is to start incorporating a simple starch rinse into your preparation, and another is to up your fry game with a two-step cooking method. It might sound like a lot, but it's very easy and makes a huge difference.

A lot of chefs recommend soaking fries in cold water before cooking. This step draws out excess starch and prevents oxidation, leading to a crisper finish. When loose starch sits on the exterior of a cut potato, it tends to burn on the outside before the inside has softened. Starch can also make the french fries stick together and cause a gummy texture, because it creates a residue on the outside of the spuds. But loose starch granules tend to wash off easily, so you'll see a cloudiness form once the potatoes hit the water. 

To execute a starch rinse, all you need to do is cut up your potatoes (here is the simplest way to transform spuds into fries) and place them in a bowl of cold tap water for about 30 minutes. The results will be even better if you leave the bowl overnight in the refrigerator, but it's not necessary. 

Once your fries have soaked, rinse and pat them dry with paper towels. Otherwise, the oil won't adhere to them and they'll end up soggy. However, since you can't remove all the moisture from fries, the best way to cook them is to double fry them. This involves frying them first at a lower heat to soften the insides, and then blasting them on a higher heat towards the end of cooking to crisp up the exteriors. This provides ample time for moisture to evaporate, while also ensuring a crunchy finish.

For the first fry, aim for an oil temperature of about 300 degrees Fahrenheit and fry in batches for 4 to 10 minutes, depending on the thickness. Increase the heat to 350 degrees Fahrenheit for the second round and set the timer for 5 minutes or so, until the fries are golden brown. You can achieve an even better result by draining the fries briefly on paper towels in between the steps, which helps remove some of the oil.

You can mimic this cooking method quite closely in the air fryer, so it's worth adapting your favorite air fryer french fries recipe, accordingly. Choosing the right type of potato will also help. You want something starchy with a low sugar content, like russets. A neutral oil, like peanut or sunflower, is also recommended. With the help of a few other tips for making better french fries at home, you'll be whipping up restaurant-worthy baskets in no time.