You don't need to install a deep fat fryer in your kitchen or apprentice at a burger stand to get homemade French fries worthy of great praise. The key is soaking your sliced potatoes and using the right oil.
In running through celebu-chef Bobby Flay's Burgers, Fries, and Shakes, Serious Eats' Caroline Russock pulls out the information fans of the crispy wedges need to know:
Russets or baking potatoes are the best, whereas waxy potatoes (such as Red Bliss or new potatoes) simply won't do. Soaking is key-this removes the starch, keeps the potatoes from sticking together, and eliminates the sugars that prevent the potatoes from achieving maximum crispness. As far as oils go,
peanut oil is the best for deep frying
.
That is, by no means, a way toward a healthier, low-fat meal, but if you're going to break out a deep-fry thermometer and a whole roll of paper towels for your French frying experiment, it's probably not an ordeal you're doing on the regular.
We are, of course, open to the idea that our readers have made some mind-melting fries, frites, or whatever you call your fried potatoes at home. If the recipe's not under lock and key, please share it in the comments.
Cook the Book: Perfect French Fries [Serious Eats]