Should you leave cut up french fries in water before cooking them?

Soaking the sliced potatoes is the fundamental first step of making proper french fries. The soaking process removes the troublesome starch on the outside of the potato, which will help the fries achieve the perfect crispness.

How do you cut potatoes perfectly?

Simply slice the potato regularly to the desired thickness. Be careful to maintain the potato so it doesn’t roll when you cut. Just cut the potato lengthwise, and then make another cut in each half to make quarters. First, you should always cut a flat part to stabilize the potato when you make slices.

Why are sliced potatoes soaked in water before frying?

The soaking, Mr. Nasr said, is the secret to the crisp texture of the fries. It draws out the starch, making them more rigid and less likely to stick together. The cooks fry them twice, first blanching them until slightly limp in peanut oil heated to 325 degrees, and again in 375-degree oil to crisp and brown them.

Should you soak potatoes in salt water before frying?

Why use salt water for soaking potatoes? There’s moisture naturally found in potatoes, and moisture is drawn to higher concentrations of salt. (This is a process called osmosis.) So, if you put the potatoes in a salt water bath, that will help draw out some of their moisture, resulting in crispier fries.

How do you slice potatoes for french fries?

How to Cut Fries

1. Slice a potato in half lengthwise with a chef’s knife (long potatoes are best for fries).
2. Lay each half cut-side down. Slice lengthwise into 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick slices.
3. Stack about half of the slices and cut lengthwise into 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick fries. Repeat with the rest.
4. Perfect French Fries.

Should I boil potatoes before frying them?

No Need to Boil Since potatoes will turn brown once their flesh meets the air, store the potato slices in water in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours so that they keep their color. Be sure to drain and dry them thoroughly before frying.

How do you cut potatoes into slices?

Place the cut side down on the cutting board and cut in half lengthwise. Cut each quarter in half again, and you should have 8 wedges. Potato Slices: Using a sharp knife, start at the root of the potato and carefully make slices to your desired thickness. Continue until you reach the other end of the potato.

What happens if you don’t Soak potatoes before frying?

You will only get crispiness if enough water has left that outer part of your fry. Secondly, the starch in the potato cooks (which we’ve elaborated on in far greater detail here). Upon cooking the starch absorbs water and swells up. The other major process taking place is the Maillard reaction.

How do you cut a circle in fries?

Trim the very end off each potato. Slice the potatoes starting at one end, into small circles. Each circle should be less than a half-inch thick, ideally closer to 1/3 of an inch. Place all the rounds into a bowl, and drizzle all with the canola oil.

Should you boil French fries before frying?

A properly made fry must hit the oil twice–once at a lower temperature, and then again at 350 degrees Fahrenheit–to get the perfect creamy interior and crunchy exterior. Before all that, though, the secret is to briefly poach them in boiling water (or “blanch” them) before they go into the hot oil.

Should I rinse fries before frying?

It is said that excess starch on the outside of the potato can cause potatoes to stick to one another, because of the gelatinization of the starch. Also, it is said that rinsing of some of those excess sugars will reduce the risk of your fries burning and turning black (because of the Maillard reaction).