French fries are really easy to cook and you can deep fry or bake them. Serve homemade French fries with your favorite chicken, steak or fish recipe, or make them as a treat. Making French fries is cheaper than buying them and they do not take long to prepare.
French Fries in the Deep Fryer
If you want to deep fry your French fries, choose some suitable potatoes. Idaho russet potatoes are great because they are economical and starchy. You can either leave the skin on the potatoes or peel them. Square off the ends of the potatoes and then cut them downwards into strips, using a sharp knife. Try to get them all more or less the same size.
As you work, submerge the potatoes in cold water so they do not go brown while you are cutting the rest. Preheat the oil in your deep fat fryer or in a deep pot to 320 degrees F.
Pat the potatoes dry with paper towels and line a baking dish with parchment paper. Drop the potatoes in the hot oil to blanch them. Do not overload the frying basket - the potatoes should be able to cook without sticking to each other. When the potatoes have been cooking for three minutes remove them from the oil. They will be starting to turn golden brown.
Arrange them on the parchment paper, and then refrigerate them until cook, so they develop starchiness on the outside. Turn the fat in the deep fryer up to 360 degrees F, then add the potatoes to the oil again and cook them until golden brown.
Drain the French fries on paper towels and add salt before serving. If you are going to cook fish or another type of protein, cook the potatoes first, else they will absorb the fish flavor.
French Fries in the Oven
You can bake French fries and they will be just as crispy and delicious as deep fried ones. Baking is a healthier cooking method than deep frying because you are not submerging the fries in oil. Wash the potatoes and cut them into quarter inch thick strips. Remember that the smaller you make the French fries, the fast they are going to cook. Spread a tablespoon of canola oil over a baking pan or use cooking spray.
Arrange the potatoes on the baking pan in one layer and sprinkle some salt and pepper over the potatoes. You can also add a teaspoon each of rosemary and thyme to give the fries extra flavor.
Sprinkle some grated cheddar or Parmesan over them too, if you want. Bake the fries for twenty to thirty minutes in a 425 degrees F oven or until they are golden brown.
You can stir them using a long-handled spoon halfway through the cooking time, to mix them up a bit so they cook more evenly. Let the oven-baked fries cool for a couple of minutes, then serve them hot.
