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Perfect French Fries
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Perfect French Fries

⏱ 4 hrs (with resting time) 🍽 4 people 🟡 Medium

The professional double-fry method at two different temperatures, with freezer rests in between. Crispy outside, tender inside. Worth every minute of waiting.

Ingredients
  • Potatoes, to taste (ideally a starchy variety, like a baking potato)
  • Cold water
  • Ice (plenty)
  • Neutral oil for frying (plenty), or beef tallow for a steakhouse flavor
  • Fine salt, to taste
Preparation
  1. 1

    Prep the potatoes

    Peel and wash the potatoes. Trim the ends for a neat block. Cut into thin, even batons, all the same thickness: if they're uneven, some end up raw and others burnt.

  2. 2

    Ice bath (1 hour)

    Submerge the batons in a bowl with cold water and ice. Leave them for 1 hour. This draws out the starch and makes them crispier.

  3. 3

    First freezer (1.5 hrs)

    Take them out of the water, drain well, and dry them completely with paper towels (moisture is what makes oil splatter). Place them on a tray in the freezer for an hour and a half.

  4. 4

    First fry: blanch at 130-140°C / 265-285°F (3 to 4 min)

    Fry them at LOW temperature, between 130 and 140°C (265 to 285°F), for 3 to 4 minutes. The goal here isn't any browning at all, just cooking them through. They should come out pale and soft, not golden. Drain the oil well.

  5. 5

    Second freezer (2 to 3 hrs)

    Put them back in the freezer for 2 to 3 more hours. You can pause here and finish them whenever you want, even the next day.

  6. 6

    Final fry: browning at 175-190°C / 345-375°F

    Bring the oil up to HIGH temperature, between 175 and 190°C (345 to 375°F), and fry the potatoes (still frozen) until nicely golden and crispy, about 3 to 4 minutes. Salt with fine salt immediately as you take them out, while they're still glistening with oil: it sticks better that way.

Tips
  • The double-freezer trick is what makes these professional-grade.
  • The two temperatures are the real key: a low first fry to cook them through, a high second fry for the crust. Without a kitchen thermometer, it's nearly impossible to nail both.
  • If you have beef tallow, or mix it half and half with neutral oil for the second fry, the result gets a lot closer to a steakhouse: it's the secret that makes the biggest difference in flavor.
  • Ice water + drawing out the starch = the perfect crust.
  • Always salt after frying, never before.
See the interactive recipe (with serving scaler and checklist) →