Achieving perfect restaurant-style fries at home: A crispy guide
Fries are an excellent addition to many dishes. Their preparation seems simple, but the fries can turn out rubbery due to frying mistakes. What can you do to make them golden and crispy? Use this method.
Fries have always enjoyed tremendous popularity, not only as a side dish but also as a standalone snack. Although their preparation seems like a simple task, achieving perfect crispiness often becomes a challenge. In a home kitchen, however, you can easily achieve results similar to those known from the best restaurants by using a few proven techniques.
The key to perfect fries is the right approach to each step. Every phase, from selecting the potatoes to frying techniques and seasoning, affects the final outcome. See how to prepare fries to be crispy rather than rubbery.
How to make crispy fries? Ingredients
For really crispy fries, it's not enough to simply toss potatoes into hot oil. To make perfect fries, you will need: potatoes, salt, potato starch, and oil for frying.
It's best to choose starchy potato varieties, like type C, which become crisper when fried. Start by peeling the potatoes and cutting them into even strips. The thickness of the fries is important here, as it affects the overall frying time.
Next, soak the cut potatoes in a mixture of water with a bit of sugar or vinegar for about 30 minutes. Sugar helps remove excess starch, making the fries crispy. Afterward, remove the potatoes and dry them thoroughly. Then, coat the raw potatoes in potato starch, removing the excess. Potato starch creates a delicate, golden crust on the surface, protecting it from soaking up fat during frying.
Instead of soaking in water, you can soak the potatoes in Coca-Cola for 10 minutes. Then, just as with soaking in water, dry the potatoes thoroughly, coat them in flour, and fry.
How to fry fries to make them crispy?
Frying fries might seem simple, but it requires attention if you want them to be crispy. It is very important to control the oil temperature, which should be between 170 and 180 degrees Celsius (340 to 355 degrees Fahrenheit). If the oil temperature is too low, the fries will begin to cook and absorb fat, making them rubbery.
It's best to fry fries in batches. Adding too many potatoes to the hot oil at once can lower the temperature, affecting the frying process. After frying, the fries should be dried of excess fat on a paper towel.
What to serve with fries?
Fries are a universally appealing dish that can be paired with various sides. They are often served with classic sauces such as ketchup, mayonnaise, or mustard, which perfectly enhance their flavour and add zest.
For fans of more intense flavours, spicy chilli sauces or aioli, which add a bit of heat, will be an ideal choice. A popular variation is to sprinkle fries with finely grated cheese, which gives them an additional creamy texture. Optionally, fresh herbs such as rosemary or parsley can add a wonderful aroma to the fries.
