FOOD NEWS
For An Easy Flavor Boost, Coat Your French Fries With Spices Before Frying
BY ELIZABETH OKOSUN
Although french fries are typically seasoned right out of the fryer, there is a way to add spices to the potatoes before frying for a perfect balance of salt and seasoning.
By creating a seasoned batter, you can season fries before cooking to build the flavor right in, when ensuring that they cook properly and stay crispy.
First, cut up the potatoes and soak them in cold water to stop them from browning too much. For the batter, mix flour, garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika in a bowl.
You can add more spice with cumin and black pepper for an earthy, grounded heat, or try New Orleans-style Cajun seasoning in the batter for a more complex flavor.
White pepper or cayenne also add heat, and for a smokier flavor, sprinkle in some chipotle and cardamom. Once the batter is seasoned as you like, toss them with the fries.
Be sure to fry your potatoes in small batches to prevent them from sticking together. If you want crisp, pre-seasoned french fries without using batter, make them in an air fryer.
Deep-frying fries coated in seasonings, but not flour, can pollute the oil and cause it to break down. An air fryer, which doesn't require oil, circumvents this problem.