Once you have mastered the recipe, you can easily make fries, but there are many invisible actions that drive this seemingly simple process, and knowing what's going on can help you get crisp, light, soft, but not soggy potatoes. Below is the factors of frying crisp and light fries.
Choose High Starch Potatoes
Perhaps the biggest factor to consider when picking potatoes is the starch content of the potatoes, which is a good indicator of how potatoes are cooked. High-starch potatoes have more starch and less water than some varieties. This combination makes them perfect for frying very crispy fries (and dry, fluffy baked potatoes). On the other hand, low-starch potatoes have less starch and higher water content. They are great for boiling, but will fry into soft fries.
Cold Storage Turn High Starch Into Low
The ideal storage condition for potatoes is a cool and dark place (45° to 55°F). If you keep potatoes below 40°F, some starches will break down into sugar. If you fry these potatoes, the increase in sugar will cause them to brown too quickly before the center is cooked. Fortunately, storing potatoes in a warm place for a few days will convert sugar into starch.
Long & Skinny Fries Cook Faster
Fried potatoes come in many shapes and sizes, but the classic long and thin French fries are the ideal shape because of their large surface area. This means faster cooking time, rapid moisture loss from fries, longer external time required for the formation of sweet, crunchy, and delicious browning compounds, and a larger area for oil absorption.
Dry The Potatoes Well After Rinsing
It is important to dry the potatoes after rinsing. The water on the surface of the potatoes will lower the temperature of the cooking oil. This means longer cooking time and more fat absorption. Water also reacts with edible oil to form pollutants and lower the smoke point of the oil. Perhaps most importantly, the water on the surface will inhibit the crispness and produce greasy fries. Remember, surface starch absorbs nearby moisture and seals the surface. If the potatoes are not dried, there will be no dry surface to seal.
Fried Twice For Crisp & Firm Fries
Double frying can ensure outstanding fries. The first fry at a lower temperature cooks the potatoes through and greatly reduces their internal moisture, drying them out. The second fry at a higher temperature browns and crisps the fries. Ideally, this is when the surface starch absorbs the last remaining bit of moisture, expands more, and seals the surface for crispness. You need to properly prepare the cooking time for high starch potatoes. If they cook for too long, their internal moisture will be exhausted. If there is no such moisture, the steam will push outward, and the fries will become greasy.
