How To Make Fast Food Worthy French Fries At Home

As beloved as french fries are, few folks dare to make them at home. French fries — like most deep-fried foods — are time-consuming and messy. Plus, they never taste like the ones you can get from a fast-food joint.

But, if you're willing to put in the effort, it's possible to make fast food-style fries at home. Just ask chef Art Smith. The restaurateur and James Beard Award winner has served as a private chef for some very big names, like Jeb Bush and Oprah Winfrey. He has a mile-long list of TV credits, too, including Top Chef Masters, Iron Chef America. Recently, he opened Reunion at Chicago's Navy Pier, adding to his collection of restaurants. With his flair for Americana and Southern-style cuisine, he's a certified french fry pro.

"The key to mastering fast food-style french fries at home starts with selecting the right potato — either a russet or Idaho, as their high starch content ensures the perfect texture," Smith explained. "Cut the potatoes into thin sticks, then blanch them in oil heated to 250 degrees Fahrenheit for about five minutes." But don't throw away that oil just yet, they'll go back in the frying pan soon. "Let them cool completely before frying them again at 350 degrees until they turn golden and crispy." Prefer a thicker fry? Stick to Smith's advice. "For thicker fries, like steak fries, you'll notice a more pronounced, fluffy center due to the size of the cut, but the process remains the same."

According to Smith, that first step "partially cooks the fries and helps create a fluffy interior." Frying them in high heat right off the bat would turn the outside crispy but leave the inside undercooked since the outside would start to brown before the heat gets the chance to penetrate the potato. This technique is called blanching and it's key to crispy fries. Blanching also gelatinizes the top layer of starch, which keeps the fries from soaking up too much oil and contributes to the crispy texture.

Most fast food chains blanch their fries as part of the production process, and the chains that don't blanch their fries could learn a thing or two from Smith. "Most fries served in restaurants are pre-blanched," Smith explained. Don't expect your homemade fries to taste exactly like McDonald's, though. McDonald's fries boast a long list of ingredients and even have their own patent. One secret to their success? Beef flavoring. But, while your homemade fries might not taste like the ones engineered by the world's top corporate chefs, that might be for the best. Smith added that many restaurant fries are treated with preservatives and other unwanted chemicals.

"At home, you can skip the additives and achieve perfect results by following the same double-fry technique," he said. "Using the right type of potato and keeping the sizes uniform will deliver consistently excellent fries, whether thin or thick."