Help - Trying to make fries at home!

In this instance one can say a rose is a rose is a rose. Or a russet. The texture, water content, and starch components will be pretty much the same no matter where it's grown.

I would guess that it's your technique.

Double frying requires more than just dipping twice. There's a radical change in oil temperature as well.

For the first dip you are actually just cooking the spuds. So you work at a comparatively low temperature---300-320F or thereabouts. Drain the potatoes and set them aside. Then, just before service, you want to quick-fry them at high temperature---375F---for just long enough for them to brown and crisp up.

Once out of the oil, season the fries and serve immediately.

We have two groups of common potatoes: the dry, high-starch, mealy and fluffy russet and the lower-starch, moist, waxy types that include white and red potatoes. Higher starch potato is better for frying and baking and it is the choice for French fries. I am sure you have some russet type in HI--they are universal everywhere.
As far as for frying, Heirloomer gave the correct answer--let them cool first then fry at high heat quickly.

Would it be possible to "oven fry" the potatoes for a while to skip the first low temp fry?  This would not be needed in a restaurant environment where the fryer is always on but for the home cook I think it would mean less mess.  So maybe put the fries on a cookie sheet in a 400 deg oven for about 15 - 20 min, let cool and then give a final fry in oil at 360-375?

Rich

No.  At least not in the sense that you'd get the same results.  You want to keep as much moisture as possible in the potato, so that with the second fry you not only crisp the skin but create steam that blows the chip up and makes it fluffy.

Indeed, if you cut the potatoes in a certain double secret way (big 8 sided lozenges), the same method is used for pomme souffle.

Also, you don't really want to cool the potatoes too much after their first cook.  They should go into the hot oil within a few minutes, say four or five, after coming out of the cold. 

BDL

Cut them into wedges and fry them from raw to finished.  Start on low temp like Pomme Souffle.  Use a toothpick to check for doneness.  When they're almost done turn the heat up just like Pomme Souffle.  :D

Pomme Souffle is a lot harder to master though.  Maybe half of them come out souffled.

The "oven fry" technique your asking about would be a parbake.  We did this in a restaurant i worked in that served sweet potato fries. They don't have the right starch value to just deep fry to doness, you'll end up with a burnt crust with nothing inside.

Place fresh cut fries in a large bowl and drizzle with a little oil (enough to cover after tossing ) and a bit of salt, toss to coat evenly. Spread onto cookie sheets and bake for about 15-20 minutes at 300 (american), maybe even a little longer depending on thickness and type of potato. Once the fries are steamy and soft but not mushy, let cool.  I like to use as hot an oil as I can, I don't think I have ever had a fryer that went over 410 though, but I could be wrong.  Any way, fry away, the thinner the cut the crispier it will be, steak fries lose that crispy skin almost immediately from the internal steam they generate, though they do stay hot longer.

Seems I saw Pepin do pomme souffle with thin chip type slices on Jacques and Juila.

I'v had good results with twice cooking, as KY described.  A step I often find works well is to soak the uncooked french fries in water for a few hours to release the starch.  After wards I spin dry them and lay them on clean towels to dry them completely.  The drier they are the crisper they will cook.

If I'm making them just for myself I'll skip the second fry and just fry them through once.  I'll be honest and admit that I do like a soggy french fry.

I like to fry in peanut oil.

word i like what everyone stated. blanching and then frying makes for some good tasty, crispy fries.

Put wedges in a bows l of cold water overnight. This remove starch.The starch blocks steam getting out, and the steam pushes the fat away, so they don't become soggy. Also, they can become gummy from mix of water and starch trapped in fries

If you live in Calif, then you most likely have had "In and Out Burger" fries.  You can see them hand press fresh potatoes into fries.  I believe the only additional step before they go into the fryer is to towel dry.  InO fries are not the most crisp fries, they crisp enough to satisfy millions of customers, but they are made fresh and the difference is noticeable.

You could always try this for a bit of fun....don't know if it would really be worth the effort

http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/database/hestonblumenthalspot_73276.shtml

....or the fire hazard!

 This great! Look so delicious, later after my class I will try this one. Thank you Sunshine.

Hi my name is Spud and I've been shooting ketchup for seven years...  Trust Blumenthal to come up with "junkie fries."  I'll bet Keller is working on a 12 Step method for cooking potatoes.

Just when you thought the world was safe,
BDL

lol, real haystack fries.

Not only real hay, but Blumenthal's found the needle. 

BDL

Edited by boar_d_laze - 3/19/10 at 10:49am

Well, the potatoes need to cool completely before your fry them again, that's the whole point of the double frying process.

Something you may want to think about:  deep fryers don't do a very good job of deep frying.  Just because you can set it to a certain temperature doesn't mean it's actually reaching that temperature.  You're better off using a wide pot to fry in and a thermometer.

For my french fries I fry in my Le Creuset.  I make fries every couple of weeks and afterwards I simply strain the used oil in a plastic container and keep it for next time.

Sorry you're having trouble.  We've all been there and do overs are half the fun.

Yeah, don't let them get brown on the first fry. And try lower starting temperature, i use 320. Also, let them rest on a baking rack to drain the oil so they're not soggy. Don't drain on paper towels. It work for me.

The twice fry method is extremely inconvenient for the home cook who is heating oil in a stockpot on the stove top.  If I were at the restaurant to make fries I'd cut the potatoes soak them to remove access starch, fry them once to cook the inside take them out and let them drain and then fry them again at a higher temperature to make a crispy skin.

There is a much easier method at home.  Cut the potatoes, don't wash or soak them.  Put them in the COLD oil and turn up the heat.  by the time the oil is hot and the outsides are crisp the inside will be fully cooked.  You don't have to soak the fries.  You don't even need to own a deep fat thermometer.  You only drain them once. They only cool once.  They actually absorb LESS of the oil since you only had to let them cool once which is when they would absorb the fat around them.

If you start with cold oil then wouldn't that mean more oil will soak into the fries because the potatoes is more porous compared to frying it at a higher temperature making a slight seal ?

That's why you leave the starch ON the potato.  Its a valid concern though.  From my experience the cold oil uses up less oil than letting it cool twice.  Totally worthless method if you're a pro but IMO the only way to deep fry potatoes at home.

I'm iffy about this but will give it a shot.  What is there to lose?  Potatoes aren't that expensive.

No thats not true. The starch will get in the way of steam getting out. This means that fat wont be pushed away. Putting it in cold oil will make it soggier. And, i don't really see how the twice fry method is inconvinient for the home cook, that's how i make my fries, either that or when i have time I use the triple cooked chips method(heston blummenthal) it works good, but i think i've found a way to give them a bit better of a crust, even though the ones formed are amazing and really crisp, the perfect frie would have a glasslike paper thin crust and mashed potato like center.

Very true.  Be sure to give your feedback!



The twice fry method is very inconvenient for home cooks as you need extra equipment and a lot of extra time than the method i've described above.

Are you suggesting the starch will cause the potatoes to explode?!  This is what happens when steam can't get out.  The cold oil doesn't play as much of part as you'd think.  We're talking about oil soaking into a watery spud by diffusion alone.  The differential created by cooling oil covered potatoes twice has a much greater effect.  Expect fries with this cold oil method to contain about 25% less fat.  The purpose for soaking the potatoes in the conventional twice fry method is to wash off starch to prevent sticking.  This is not a problem with with the longer cooking time where the crust forms more slowly.  You'll still get that mashed potato center however the crispy crust to creamy inside ratio is a personal preference determined by the size of the fry.  Personally I prefer thinner french fries.

One thing to note is that depending on exactly how quickly you are able to heat up your oil, you may get a crust that is more leathery than crispy.  This is due to starch particles which are bursting during the extra long cooking time.  This can be avoided by using a less starchy potato or turning the burner up.  Also remember to let the fries sit in the oil without stiring until the crust is partially formed to prevent sticking.  They'll probably be fine after 15 minutes.

If anyone has any more doubts or would like more info just google "cold oil frying joel robuchon."  This is his technique.

Thats why you soak in water, to get the excess starch off, that's not inconvinient. Also, I'm not saying that starch in the way causes the fry to explode, but more fat will go in, not that im dieting, but it results in a soggier chip. My favorite way is triple cooked chips, but that might be unconventional, but you can do it as a project. Other than that, I'd normally use twice fried method

 So just to make sure I'm getting the procedure right.
first start cooking with hot oil
then dump in cold oil till its barely sizzling
as explained here
http://www.gourmet.com/food/2008/06/coldfrying

Perhaps you can have 2 pots 
1 hot and 1 cold and after done cooking quickly dip it in the cold oil and let it drain( may wanna test this myself)


or just plunk it in cold oil and crank it to high heat for 15 minutes
explained here.
http://christao408.xanga.com/715443389/french-fries---cold-oil-method/

Just like that bottom link.  Hope your fries look better than hers though.