Ingredients
- 6 Russet Potatoes – grade No. 1 (peeled, held in water)
- 4L. (135oz) Canola oil (can be substituted with vegetable oil, rice bran oil, or grapeseed oil)
- Kosher salt
- Optional: Aged Parmesan Cheese piece
Equipment
- Fry pot (roughly 8qt.)
- Spider strainer
- Thermometer for fryer
- Sheet tray with rack
- Microplane
Technique
- Cut potatoes in half lengthwise.
- Lay the potato down on a cutting board flat side down.
- Slice potato lengthwise a 1⁄4" thick.
- Lay the slices down on a cutting board flat side down and flat side facing to the right.
- Slice the potato 1⁄4" thick into “sticks”. At the rounded edges and tips of potato leave it rounded, do not square it off. Leave it in a natural shape.
- Place cut potato in water so that it does not oxidize until all the cutting is done.
Water Blanch
- Once the cutting is done, place the sticks in a pot.
- Cover with enough water to cover and surpass the sticks by roughly 3".
- Bring the water to a boil.
- Strain sticks in a colander and rinse thoroughly under running cold water.
Blanch
- Prepare a fry pot with 4L oil and preheat to 300°F.
- Take two handfuls of french fries and place carefully into the pot.
- Temperature should drop to 225°F. Maintain 225°F for 5-7 minutes.
- Using a spider strainer, remove fries and place on a sheet pan with a rack.
- Continue this step with the remaining cut fries.
- Hold at room temperature until ready to fry OR let cool to room temperature, place in an airtight container, and put in the fridge for the next day.
Fry
- Preheat oil to 400°F.
- Drop two handfuls of fries into the pot and oil should drop to 350°F.
- Maintain 350°F until golden brown and crispy.
- Drain into a bowl that is lined with a paper towel.
- Season with salt.
- OPTIONAL to microplane a piece of aged parmesan over the top of the french fries.
Notes:
The water blanch helps to extract the starch and gelatinize the starch, creating a shell for your french fry.
The oil blanch fully cooks the french fry and evaporates the moisture so that when you fry it at a hotter temperature you are able to create a crispy shell and fluffy inside instead of a wet soggy french fry.
The fry gets it crispy and hot!
