The perfect French fry can be so much more than just a companion for burgers. If prepared well, the humble side can help your restaurant stand out among the competition and keep customers coming back for more. What does it take to craft the perfect, obsession-worthy French fry?
For the best results, start with genuine Idaho potatoes. Thanks to their 21% average solid content, Idaho potatoes contain the ideal low moisture needed to achieve French fry perfection. Select long, oval-shaped spuds, then peel them or leave the peel on depending on personal preference.
With your perfect potatoes prepped, it’s time to start cutting fries. Feed the potatoes through a wall-mounted or otherwise sturdy commercial potato cutter and place the resulting strips immediately into a container filled with cold water (a large plastic bucket will do just fine for this step). Add a tablespoon of white vinegar or citric acid to the water to prevent discoloration and place the container into a walk-in cooler.
Once your soon-to-be fries have expelled some of their starch, it’s time to begin the blanching stage. This step keeps the potatoes from oxidizing and turning dark during the frying process. Drain the potato strips using a salad spinner or mesh strainer to eliminate excess moisture and fill a basket on your deep fryer no more than halfway full of fries. Blanch at 325 – 350 °F (163 – 176 °C) for 3 – 5 minutes, depending on the size of your fries. Carefully lift and shake the basket halfway through the blanching process to help distribute the oil and fries.
Once blanching is complete, remove the fries from the fryer and allow to cool to room temperature, uncovered. To finish, refill the fry basket no more than halfway with your blanched fries and fry at 350 – 375 °F (176 – 190 °C) for 2 – 4 minutes until golden brown, shaking the basket halfway through. Remove the fries from the fryer to drain, and finish with salt.
Further tips:
- For the purest potato taste, use a dedicated fryer for French fries only.
- If your fryer has two or more baskets, use just one at a time. Overloading the fryer will cause the oil temperature to drop, leading to soggy, undercooked fries.
- Keep the fry oil clean and free from unwanted debris.
- For cleaner, longer-lasting oil and a better-tasting French fry, be sure to use FILTROX’s SuperSorb® CarbonPads in your fryer.
Special thanks to the Idaho Potato Commission for providing the information contained in this post.
