Thick-Cut French Fries
Thick-Cut French Fries are delicious whether on land or in boat [Photo credit: Alex Paternostro]
by Seth Paternostro
October 15, 2021
The humble potato is so often doomed to sit as a side. It’s washed, peeled, and chopped, boiled, dried, and deep-fried once, twice, even three times. Yet, its thick, crunchy body is said second to steak and everyone’s favorite: Meat. With fluffy insides, full of flavor, and a catchy sauce all its own, let’s remember the little fry, and make it at home.
Serves 8
Total time
1 hour 30 minutes
Equipment:
cutting board, chef’s knife or cleaver, large pot, 2 large baking sheets, colander, fine mesh skimmer, metal spatula, spider, fork, measuring spoons, peeler, large wok or dutch oven, large wire drying rack
Tableware:
plates and utensils
Ingredients
16 Idaho potatoes
½ shallot
2 garlic cloves
2 tbsps white wine vinegar
2 tbsp unsalted butter
½ tsp ground black pepper, plus more as needed
Peanut oil, as needed
Water, as needed
Salt, as needed
Ketchup, for serving
Instructions
Set out all equipment, tableware, and ingredients. Place the wire rack on one of the baking sheets. Preheat the oven to 300°F.
Fill the large pot about halfway with room-temperature water, and add a few palmfuls of salt, along with the white wine vinegar.
Wash, and peel the potatoes, placing them in the pot of water as they are peeled to avoid discoloration. Slice into thick fries that are about ¾ inch by ¾ inch by the length of the potato, and return them to the water.
Cover with more water if the potatoes are not fully immersed.
Peel and smash 2 garlic cloves, along with the shallot. Add with 2 tbsps butter and a pinch of black pepper to the pot. Bring to a boil.
Cook just until a fork easily goes through a potato piece.
Remove the aromatics, take the pot off the heat, pour off the water into a colander, then spread the potatoes on a baking sheet.
Place the potatoes in the oven to dry for 20 minutes, or until steam is no longer visible. Shake the potatoes, and flip them over occasionally to evenly dry.
Meanwhile, fill the wok or dutch oven with oil, and heat until 375°F over medium-high heat.
When the potatoes are no longer moist to the touch, remove the baking sheet from the oven.
Carefully add one scoop of potatoes to the hot oil, working in small batches because they will not all fit.
Stir the potatoes with the spider until the outsides are blistered but not yet browned at all.
Remove the potatoes to the drying rack, and continue frying the rest of the potatoes, allowing the oil to reheat to 375°F between batches. Skim off any debris as it accumulates as well.
Once all of the potatoes have been fried once, return them from the rack to the first baking sheet, and fry again, taking them to just before golden.
Repeat the process for a third fry, cooking until the outside is a light golden brown and crisp, and lightly salt.
Enjoy as soon as possible with ketchup and black pepper or a sauce of your choosing.
Note: Multiple frying steps ensure that a sufficiently thick crunch layer develops. You could fry to golden brown earlier if you desire or time demands. A fourth fry would also be possible, just be sure not to color them too dark lest they turn bitter.
NUTRITION FACTS:
Calories 323 Total Fat 3.4g (4%) Saturated Fat 2g (10%) Cholesterol 8mg (3%) Sodium 628mg (27%) Total Carbohydrate 67.3g (24%) Dietary Fiber 10.3g (37%) Total Sugars 4.9g Protein 7.3g Vitamin D 2mcg (10%) Calcium 42mg (3%) Iron 2mg (13%) Potassium 1742mg (37%) - Note: Please read our Nutrition Disclaimer.
Seth Paternostro is a writer and recipe developer based in Chicago. He is a co-founder of Our American Cuisine and graduated summa cum laude from Princeton University with an A.B. in East Asian Studies. You can learn more about him here.
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