Selecting Potatoes
The main potato season is in the fall and winter. During this time, potatoes are both affordable and delicious. To make French fries, you should choose fresh potatoes that are still covered in soil, with thin skin. The potatoes should be round, feel firm and heavy when held, have few eyes, and the inside should be naturally yellow when lightly pressed.
Avoid buying potatoes with green or sprouted skin. These potatoes can have a negative impact on your health. Also, do not choose soft, mushy potatoes with black spots.
Preparing Potatoes
This is a crucial step to ensure that the fried potatoes are crispy, not soggy or mushy.
Before peeling the potatoes, prepare a bowl of diluted saltwater. The saltwater will help reduce harmful acrylamide in potatoes and clean the starch. This way, the potatoes will not turn black.
Cut the potatoes into long pieces. You can use a zigzag knife to make the potato pieces more visually appealing.
Soak the cut potatoes in the saltwater for about 15 minutes. You can add some ice cubes to the water to make the potatoes crispier.
Blanching Potatoes
Before frying, blanch the potatoes in boiling water. This will ensure that the potatoes are cooked inside and fry quickly without taking too much time.
If you want the potatoes to have a beautiful golden color, you can add a little sugar, salt, and turmeric to the boiling water. Blanch the potatoes for about 3 minutes. Do not boil them for too long as they may become mushy.
Remove the potatoes from the boiling water and rinse them with cold water to cool them down.
Storing Potatoes in the Refrigerator
Place the potatoes in a colander to drain excess water and then refrigerate them for about 30 minutes. This will make the potatoes firmer, crispier, and prevent them from becoming mushy.
Double Frying the Potatoes
To achieve crispy golden fries, it is recommended to double fry the potatoes.
For the first fry, heat the oil in a pan. The oil should be enough to fully submerge the potatoes. Test the temperature by dipping a chopstick into the oil. If you see small bubbles around the chopstick, it means the oil is hot enough. Divide the potatoes into multiple batches for even cooking.
Add the potatoes to the pan and gently stir to ensure even cooking without breaking the potatoes. After a few minutes, when the surface of the potatoes becomes firm and slightly crispy, remove them from the pan and place them on a wire rack to drain excess oil. Use a fan to cool the potatoes. If you have time, you can store the potatoes in a box in the refrigerator. When ready to eat, fry them for the second time. You can also store the potatoes in the freezer compartment of the refrigerator for later use.
For the second fry, heat the oil to medium heat, then fry the potatoes until the skin becomes golden and crispy. Remove the potatoes and drain excess oil with paper towels before serving.