Food - Drink
How Thin Should You Be Cutting Potatoes For Shoestring Fries?
By ADDISON PAUL
For those who prefer crispy shoestring fries, cutting the potatoes to the right thickness can be challenging. They need to be slim to crisp up, but not small enough to burn easily.
The thickness consensus among home cooks and professional chefs alike ranges from ⅛ inch to ¼ inch, depending on your preferred level of crunch.
Serious Eats and The Kitchn recommend ⅛ inch, while Recipes.net uses ¼ inch. Others simply suggest julienne, but it all comes down to personal taste.
Unless you're prepared to spend hours perfecting your chef-level knife cuts, a mandoline slicer is the easiest way to achieve consistent shoestring shapes.
Some mandoline slicer models allow for precise adjustments, so you can get the ideal thin fry cut. A basic mandoline slicer will also get you close enough with a julienne setting.
Practice a few slices to get the right feel for your shoestring cuts, and don't forget to fry twice for that golden outside and soft inside.