Fried Potatoes Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Is it necessary to boil potatoes before frying? ›

There are lots of recipes that call for par-boiling the potatoes first to reduce the amount of cooking time, but it's an extra step and an extra pan to wash. If you cook the potatoes over medium heat and keep them covered for most of the cooking time, the lid traps in steam, which helps cook the potatoes through.

This sure sounds a lot like potatoes that have been stored too long, in too cold of an environment before cooking. When potatoes are held below 41°F for too long a period, the starches convert to sugar and it changes the cooking chemistry.

The secret to crispy pan-fried potatoes:

It's simple: Pan-fry with cooking oil(s), not butter. As much as we love butter, it burns too quickly over high heat, which is necessary for optimal crispiness. While olive oil does taste great with potatoes, it also has a lower smoking point.

This step is commonly missed in making homemade fries, but it might be one of the most important! Soaking your fries in cold water helps remove excess starch, which allows for crispy, golden fries! The cold water bath also helps the french fries retain their shape and contributes to a fluffy inside.

Place them in a large bowl and cover with cold water. Allow them to soak, 2 to 3 hours. (You can also stick them in the fridge and let them soak overnight.) When you're ready to make the fries, drain off the water and lay the potatoes on 2 baking sheets lined with paper towels.

Learn more about all the different types of potatoes. We'll say it again because we know it's hard to believe but you seriously don't need to boil these spuds. Slicing them thin will allow them to cook through in the same amount of time that they need to get brown and crispy on the outside.

Fried foods may contain harmful acrylamide

Starchy foods such as fried potato products and baked goods typically have higher concentrations of acrylamide ( 22 ). An older animal study suggests that it poses a risk for several types of cancer ( 23 ).

Long accepted as a standard deep frying oil because of its neutrality, high smoke point, and ready availability (on the bottom oil shelf of most grocery stores), peanut oil is the choice of home fryers as well as chains such as Five Guys Burgers and Fries.

When potatoes are cut and exposed to air, they release water and begin to soften. By rinsing them with cold water, you help the cells retain some of their firmness, ensuring a better texture in the final product. Before frying the potatoes, make sure to dry them thoroughly with a paper towel or a clean cloth.

Roast the potatoes in a 425°F oven until they're tender and golden brown around the edges, 20 minutes to 30 minutes. Let them cool slightly, and then, while they're still warm, toss them with the dressing. Season to taste, garnish with chopped parsley, and serve!

What are the best potatoes to use for frying? ›

And the clear winners are Idaho or russet potatoes.

These potatoes are dense and have less moisture, which is key to avoiding soggy fries. You can also use Yukon gold potatoes, which are an all-purpose potato that can be used for frying. You should avoid waxy potatoes like red-skinned, new, or fingerling potatoes.

Slice potatoes or cube them but make sure they're the same size so that they all cook evenly. They shouldn't be too thick or too thin — about ⅛ inch is right or 2-inch cubes. Use peanut oil unless someone has an allergy. It is the best oil I have found for frying.

Before, after, or at the end? I will answer you right away: Salt can be added either in the oil, or the water in which the potatoes are soaked or at the end of cooking when we let them drain from the excess oil. However, the best option is to add salt in the water we soak them, as well as at the end of cooking.

Soaking potatoes in water helps remove excess starch. Excess starch can inhibit the potatoes from cooking evenly as well as creating a gummy or sticky texture on the outside of your potatoes.

First, get the starch off! Rinsing or soaking the potatoes for an hour (or, even better, overnight) will remove some of the starch from the surface and prevent the sugars from browning before the potatoes are cooked.

It isn't necessary to boil potatoes before roasting but you can. Your oven generates plenty of heat, enough to completely cook diced potato pieces in a reasonable amount of time. They'll be tender in the middle and have some crispness on the outside, mostly on the side in contact with the pan they were cooked on.

A general rule of thumb is to parboil potatoes until they are fork-tender but not falling apart, this can range anywhere from 15 minutes for small potatoes to 25-30 minutes for large whole potatoes.

Additionally, the starch it removes from the potato can positively impact the quality of your oil. All that is to say: blanching will add taste and texture benefits to your French fries. A blanch in a hot oil bath will lend extra crispness and golden color to your final product.

Caption Options. The second thing you can do is par-cook your potatoes. Boil your cut potatoes in a pot of salted water for about 5 minutes, just until they begin to soften and become slightly translucent.