Author: Thomas Sixt is a chef, food photographer, cookbook author and blogger. Here he shares recipes, answers cooking questions and helps with cooking.
Which type of potato is the right one for the fries?
For the preparation of fries, please use a predominantly waxy variety such as:
Agria
Bintje
Laura
Granola
Marabel
The color code of this potato variety is red.
Potato varieties classified as predominantly waxy contain 13 to 15 percent starch.
When roasting or deep-frying, they therefore develop an appetizing tan.
French fries in the bowl, please don’t forget the salt.
4. The Right Fat For Frying French Fries
Experiment with the frying fat and see how it affects the taste.
You read that right, frying with olive oil is great!
It’s amazing how the taste of the fries changes depending on the type of fat used!
By the way, the best French fries are in Belgium, where beef fat is used for frying.
You can use canola oil, coconut oil, sunflower oil, beef fat or olive oil.
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French fries and potato wedges are best fried in fat!
5. Tools And Ingredients For Making French Fries Yourself
To make deep fryer fries yourself, you need…
mainly waxy potatoes -> color code red
a peeler,
a kitchen board,
a knife,
enough frying fat,
salt,
a pot and stove or deep fryer,
a dish towel,
a roll of kitchen paper
a large bowl
a frying basket that fits into the pot or comes with the fryer, and
a skimmer
6. How To Properly Fry French Fries From Fresh Potatoes
How do you get golden brown, crispy and delicious french fries from fresh potatoes on your plate?
Thoroughly peel the potatoes, cut.
Fry the raw potato sticks twice.
For the first frying, let them float in the fat for about 3-5 minutes. -> During this process, the potato sticks get little color and cook slowly.
Then remove from the fat and let cool for 10-15 minutes. -> The cooling process causes potato starch to come out of the potato sticks.
This starch makes the fritters take the right color during the second frying and you get crispy fritters.
French fries prepared crispy.
French fries secret: Please deep-fry potato sticks from raw potatoes twice. This is the only way to get browned and crispy super fries. The first frying for 3-5 minutes is called “blanching” by chefs. After this “free float” in the frying fat, the potato sticks must cool for a few minutes. During this process, the starch comes out of the potato sticks, and this starch provides the crispy browning during the second frying.
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7. Use Tip For Frying Fat Several Times
Pass the lukewarm frying fat through a fine sieve after use. This will remove the leftover frying. So you can use the fat more often and several times.
–> Let the fat cool down while it is lukewarm
–> Provide a large pot
–> Pass the lukewarm fat through a metal hair sieve
–> Leave the oil in a cool place to cool down
–> Cover with a lid after cooling
Filtering the used oil has also proven itself in the fryer.
A good fryer usually has a cold zone under the heating element, where suspended particles should collect.
Nevertheless, the filtering of the oil by passing counteracts the rapid spoilage and oxidation of the fat.
Strongly foaming and strong-smelling fat is no longer suitable for frying.
Please pay attention to the temperature. Extremely overheated fat is harmful to health and can also catch fire.
8. Prepare Alternative French Fries In the Oven
I’m not a fan of the homemade fries from the oven.
For a perfect result, the potato simply needs a free float in the hot fat.
The oven preparation works as follows:
Marinate the raw cut potato sticks with vegetable oil and salt in a bowl.
Then place the raw potato sticks on a baking tray with baking paper.
The potato sticks should not be on top of each other, but only next to each other.
Put the baking sheet into the preheated oven and cook them at 220°C hot air for about 15 minutes until crispy.
Bought French fries from the bag are always fried before freezing, so they turn out quite well.
Below you can write to me directly. Please don’t forget the star rating on the recipe, 5 stars means you liked it!
Hello Thomas, Thank you for this successful guide. Prepared fries from fresh potatoes for the first time for our children's birthday party. That worked very well and we were happy about fresh, crispy homemade fries. We have a cooking question: How can we store the fat used? In 2 weeks there is a party with the neighbors, so we want to prepare fresh fries again. Thank you 🙏 and greetings from the Baumanns
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Hello Baumanns! I really enjoy reading this kind of message, thanks for the nice feedback. Just had fries in Brussels, they were really tasty. Served with truffle mayonnaise. Delicious. Ms. Sixt added the cheese dip, which was good too. Use several times for the cooking question with the fat: –> Please look at the fat, it should not be too dark. –> Did it foam a lot at the end? Then I advise against using it again. –> If you have a good feeling, pass the lukewarm fat through a fine sieve into a saucepan. –> Allow the fat to cool down and "keep" with the lid in the refrigerator or in a cool place –> Please clean the fryer thoroughly and fill it again with the warm oil in two weeks. I wish you good luck! Kind regards Thomas
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Made for my birthday and I'm happy! Thank you Thomas
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So I wish you all the best for your birthday! Kind regards Thomas
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Thanks for the working instructions! Greetings Klaus
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My pleasure! Greetings Thomas
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Servus from Bavaria! Alfred writes you here, I made your fries today and the preparation worked perfectly. I used to eat french fries often when I went out, but today I seldom eat really good ones. Anyway, your recipe is perfect and it was a great treat. Greetings Alfred
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Hello Alfred, I'm always particularly happy about news from Bavaria, I'm from Bavaria 🙂 Thank you very much for your feedback and the praise. Would you like to try baked potatoes next? They are quick to make and taste super delicious! Sending you best wishes and continued success! Thomas PS My recipe newsletter is published once a month and is free. –> Provides you with news and ideas for the season.
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Hello Thomas, I think it's great how comprehensive and simple each of your recipes and instructions is. Also that you always have a detailed list of the utensils at hand… I can't stand the fact that many blogs don't say right at the beginning that I might need something like a fryer or something similar… and afterwards I'm disappointed, if that's why I can't cook it again. Keep it up, I love reading your recipes and I love cooking them!
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Hello Ute, Thank you for the nice feedback, your praise and appreciation. Of course I like to read a message like this. I'll expand on the subject of equipment in the coming weeks and months. Will also add tips for cooking pots, knives and chopping boards. Thanks very much! I wish you continued success! Kind regards, Thomas PS Feel free to leave a cooking question, which I'm particularly happy to answer because we're all learning.
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Hello Thomas, very great instructions. Since I want to prepare a larger quantity of fries, I would like to know if the potatoes can be pre-fried the day before? Thanks for the reply and LG
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Hello Michaela, thank you for your cooking question. You could try this and freeze the pre-fried fries on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Try it out with a small amount and see if you are satisfied with the result and the choice of potato variety. To be honest, I always make the fries completely fresh. You can pre-fry a larger quantity and thus complete the preparatory work. Then later, when your guests are here, finish frying and serve. Feel free to contact us with any further cooking questions! Kind regards Thomas
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Hello Thomas, I would now like to fry french fries again. The first time I used organic refined sunflower oil, the second time Biskin. Both times the fat almost foamed over me. I constantly had to pull the pot off the plate. Finally, I fried them in a pan. I had dried the cut potatoes almost individually. What have I done wrong? Thanks for the reply. Greetings from a seasoned housewife
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Dear Monika, thank you very much for your message, the answer from Koch will follow soon 🙂 Why does the fat foam in the fryer? –> Cleaning residues in the fryer –> Old fat foams –> The wrong fat foams, use refined sunflower oil or rapeseed oil –> Observe the optimum temperature range of 165°C to 175°C, too high a temperature can be a problem! –> In old fryers, the temperature sensor may be dirty or defective. –> Note the amount of food to be cooked when frying: amount of fried food, too much fried food lowers the temperature! –> Dry the food before frying –> Too much fat in the fryer, please note the filling mark It sounds like the temperature was too high because you were working on the stove with a pot. 🙂 Wish you good luck! Kind regards Thomas
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This guide is as detailed as I need it to be. So today I'm going to try it for the first time. What do you think of air fryers? Should that work the same way? I've heard you should put a tablespoon of oil on the fries to improve the result.
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Hello Kai, sorry for the late reply, I was taking photos abroad. A little oil is certainly good. I even mix the freshly cut potatoes with the oil beforehand so that it spreads better. Important: French fries that have already been pre-fried (bought frozen) do not need oil. – Peel potatoes 400 g and cut really even fries. – Marinate raw potato sticks in a bowl with 1-2 tablespoons of oil. – Then pre-fry for about 8-10 minutes at level 3 of 4. – Then remove the basket and let the fries cool for 10 minutes. – Note: Overcooling can cause the starch to escape, which then creates the browning during the second frying – Finish the fries at the highest level and cook until crispy. – Alternatively you can use the fries program and hope for a good result 🙂 Let me know if you are satisfied with the result! Kind regards Thomas
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The instructions are awesome, my homemade fries turned out perfect the first time. Merci to the chef Thomas Sixt and ****** Chrisi
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Hello Chrisi, you're very welcome, I'm glad! Get in touch again 🙂 LG Thomas
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Nice pictures, cleaned up, really helped with preparing fries. Thank you Bridget
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That's the way it should be, sure to succeed, I'm glad it worked out for you! Kind regards, Thomas Sixt
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Hello Thomas, great instructions, I still have a few questions: – Where do you get the best fries served? – Which fat do you personally use? Thanks for the great impressions and the tips that get to the point! Greetings from Paul
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Hello Paul, Thank you for your kind words. I particularly like cooking questions and as I can see you are really thinking. Here are my answers: 1. The best fries are in Belgium 🙂 2. Normally refined sunflower oil Thank you very much for your questions, please get back to me! LG Thomas Sixt
Hello Thomas, Thank you for this successful guide. Prepared fries from fresh potatoes for the first time for our children's birthday party. That worked very well and we were happy about fresh, crispy homemade fries. We have a cooking question: How can we store the fat used? In 2 weeks there is a party with the neighbors, so we want to prepare fresh fries again. Thank you 🙏 and greetings from the Baumanns