French fries, a seemingly simple home-cooked delicacy, often make many people encounter the embarrassment of "sandwiching" when making them at home. Although the exterior is golden and attractive, the inside still retains a stiff taste, which makes people wonder: why are the fried fries always sandwiched?
In fact, to make the fries crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, you only need to master the following 3 key tips, and you can easily fry delicious fries at home that rival fast food restaurants, and they are delicious!
[Skill 1: Material selection and pretreatment]
Quality ingredients are half the battle, and choosing the right potatoes for french fries is crucial. Medium or large potatoes with a high starch content and firm texture, such as "Kent" or "Charpotti", are recommended. The fries from these potatoes are more likely to form a crispy crust and are fuller and softer on the inside.
In terms of pretreatment, peel and cut the potatoes into strips, the cut fries should not be too fine, otherwise it will be easy to burn, and should not be too thick, otherwise the inside will not be easy to cook. The ideal size is about 1 cm square.
Once cut, rinse off any excess starch from the surface with clean water and soak it in cold water for about 30 minutes, which removes excess starch, prevents sticking during frying, and helps the fries form a crispy crust faster when frying.
[Skill 2: Double frying method]
It is often difficult to balance the doneness of the fries inside and outside in one frying, and the two-fry rule can effectively solve this problem. For the first frying, drain the soaked fries, put them in hot oil at about 160°C, and fry them on low heat for about 5-7 minutes. At this point, the fries should be yellowish, but not fully cooked and retain some moisture inside. Remove and place on kitchen paper to absorb excess oil and allow to cool to room temperature.
For the second frying, raise the oil temperature to 180°C, then put the cooled fries into the pan and fry them quickly for 1-2 minutes, until the surface of the fries is golden brown and the edges are slightly curled.
High-temperature re-frying can quickly dehydrate the surface of the fries, forming a crispy crust, and the internal moisture will evaporate instantly, making the inside of the fries softer. The double frying method ensures that the fries are crispy on the outside and tender on the inside.
[Tip 3: Use salt and other condiments]
Sprinkle the appropriate amount of salt immediately after the french fries are out of the pan, and while they are hot, the salt particles can better adhere to the surface of the fries and enhance the taste. In addition, you can also try other flavoring methods such as black pepper, garlic powder, cheese powder, etc., to add a unique flavor to the fries.
For the ultimate crispiness, coat the fries with a thin layer of cornstarch before frying to make the fries even crispier.
The key to saying goodbye to raw fries is to choose the right potatoes, fry them twice and use condiments wisely. With these 3 tips, you'll be able to easily fry crispy fries at home, whether they're a casual snack or a side dish for family dinners.
Enjoy the joy of cooking and savour the unique charm of homemade food, when raw fries will be a thing of the past and your table will be enhanced by this golden crispy taste.