essay about french fries

History Cooperative

The Origin of French Fries: Are They French or Belgian?

The French Fry, that innocuous-sounding name for potatoes deep-fried in oil and served without fail at all American fast food joints, are probably not even French after all. Everyone the world over is familiar with the snack and with the name, even if they do not call it that themselves. It might be one of the most well-known American foods that a person can find, despite the fact that the origins of the fried potatoes are not exactly American.

The history of French fries is a bit complex and involves multiple countries.

Table of Contents

The Origin of French Fries

French fries were almost certainly a product of street cooking, without any reliable originators. What we do know is that probably the first variation of the French fry was the Francophone ‘pomme frites’ or ‘fried potato.’ According to historians, French fries may just as easily have been a Belgian dish as a French dish.

Historians claim potatoes were introduced to Europe by the Spanish and so the Spanish might have had their own version of the fried potato. As it is well known that the potato originally grew in the ‘New World’ or the Americas, this is hardly surprising. Historian Paul Ilegems, the curator of the Frietmuseum or ‘Fries Museum’ in Bruges, Belgium, points out that deep frying is a traditional part of Mediterranean cuisine which lends credence to the idea that originally the Spanish introduced the concept of ‘French fries.’

READ MORE: Introduction to New Spain and the Atlantic World

The patatas bravas of Spain, with their irregularly cut home-style fries, might be the oldest version of French fries that we have, although, of course, it does not much resemble the ones that we are familiar with today.

Belgian historian of food, Pierre Leqluercq noted that the first recorded mention of French fries is in a Parisian book in 1775. He traced the history of French fries and found the first recipe of what is a modern-day French fry in a French cookbook from 1795, La cuisinière républicaine.

It was these Parisian fries that inspired Frederic Krieger, a musician from Bavaria who learned how to make these fries in Paris, to take the recipe to Belgium. Once there, he opened his own business and began to sell fries under the name ‘la pomme de terre frite à l’instar de Paris’ which translated to ‘Paris-style fried potatoes.’

Parmentier and Potatoes

An interesting fact about the French and potatoes is that the humble vegetable was regarded with deep suspicion at first. Europeans were convinced that potatoes brought diseases and might even be poisonous. They were aware of how potatoes might go green and thought that this not only tasted bitter but could even harm a person if they ate it. If not for the efforts of agronomist Antoine-Augustin Parmentier , potatoes may not have become popular in France for a very long time.

Parmentier came across the potato as a Prussian prisoner and was determined to popularize it among his people. He planted a potato patch, hired soldiers to guard it for the drama factor, and then allowed people to ‘steal’ his tasty potatoes so they could get a liking for the precious goods. By the end of the 18th century, the potato had become one of the most desired vegetables in France. While it was not fried potatoes that Parmentier was advocating, that dish eventually grew out of his efforts.

Are They Actually Belgian?

However, the question of who Invented french fries is a hotly disputed topic between the Belgians and the French. Belgium has even petitioned UNESCO so that the French fry may be recognized as a prominent part of Belgian cultural heritage. Many Belgians insist that the name ‘French fry’ is a misnomer, coming about because the wider world cannot differentiate between the different Francophone cultures.

Some sources, including Belgian journalist Jo Gerard and chef Albert Verdeyen, claim that French fries originated in Belgium long before they came to France. Folklore states they were invented in the Meuse Valley by the poor villagers living there. The citizens of this area were particularly fond of frying fish caught from the Meuse River. In 1680, during one very cold winter, the Meuse River froze over. Not being able to access the small fish that they caught from the river and fried, the people instead cut potatoes into strips and fried them in oil. And thus, the ‘French fry’ was born.

This story has been disputed by Leqlercq, who asserted first that potatoes were not introduced in the area until the 1730s and so French fries could not have been discovered until later. Further, he added that villagers and peasants would not have had the means to deep fry potatoes in oil or fat as that would have been much too expensive and they might have been lightly sauteed at best. Fat of any kind would not have been wasted on frying since it was difficult to obtain and was generally consumed by ordinary people raw on bread or on soups and stews.

Whatever the origins may have been, if you want to eat good fries while in the Francophone region, you should head to Belgium rather than France in this day and age. Made with quality Dutch potatoes, most French fries in Belgium are fried in beef tallow rather than oil and are considered a main dish in themselves rather than simply a side. In Belgium, French fries are the star player and not just an added garnish to a plate of hamburgers or sandwiches.

Why are They Called French Fries in America?

Ironically enough, the Americans are actually believed to have popularized the fried potatoes by the name French fries from their interactions with Belgians and not the French. French fried potatoes was how they referred to the preparation when they first came across it during World War I.

READ MORE: What Caused World War 1? Political, Imperialistic, and Nationalistic Factors

American soldiers arriving in Belgium during the war assumed that the dish was French since that was the language that the Belgian army spoke in general, not just the French soldiers. Thus, they called the dish French Fries. It is not clear how much of this story is the truth because there are indications that it was called French fries in English even before the American soldiers arrived on Europe’s shores. The term had steadily become more popular even in America in cookbooks and magazines in the 1890s, but it is unclear whether the French fries referred to therein were the fries as we know them today or the thin, round-shaped fries that we now know as chips.

And What Do the Europeans Have to Say about It?

The Europeans have differing opinions about this name. While some French proudly claim the French fry as their own and insist that the name is authentic, it is clear that many Belgians do not agree. They attribute the name to the cultural hegemony exercised by the French in the area.

Still, the Belgians have not made any move to have the name changed, only for their part in its history to be acknowledged. Indeed, the name ‘French fries’ has become so well-known in food history, become popular among cultures throughout the world, and has spawned such lively debates that it would be futile and foolish to do away with it.

The United Kingdom, which prides itself on always being different from both the United States as well as other European nations, does not call the fries French fries at all but chips. This is an example that most of Britain’s colonies follow as well, from Australia and New Zealand to South Africa. British chips are slightly different from what we know as French fries, their cut being thicker. Thinner fries may be referred to as skinny fries. And what Americans refer to as potato chips are called crisps by the denizens of the United Kingdom and Ireland.

Fried Potatoes By Any Other Name

While the general story is that it was the American soldiers during World War I who popularized the name ‘French fries,’ are there any other names that the fries could have been known by? ‘French fried’ by the 20th century was a synonym in the United States for ‘deep fried’ and was used in the case of fried onions and chicken as well.

But what were the other options? What else could French fries just as easily be known as, if this name had not become so iconic? And would the French fry by any other name taste just as good?

Pommes Frites

Pommes frites, ‘pommes’ meaning ‘apple’ and ‘frite’ meaning ‘fries’ is the name given to French fries in the French language. Why apple, you may ask. There is no knowing why that particular word came to be associated with the dish but it is universally the name for French fries in Belgium and France. They are the national snack there and are often served as steak-frites, alongside steak, in France. In Belgium, they are sold in shops called friteries.

Another name for French fries in France is pomme Pont-Neuf. The reason for this is that it was believed that French fries were first prepared and sold by cart vendors on the Pont Neuf Bridge in Paris. This was in the 1780s, just before the French Revolution broke out. It is also one reason that the name of the person who created this dish will perhaps never be known since it was common street food. While the potatoes sold then may not have been exactly the French fries that we know today, this is the most widely accepted version of the origin story of French fries.

Maybe They Should Be Called Francophone Fries

For those who do not adhere to the belief that the fries were of French origin, another name is preferable. According to Albert Verdeyen, a chef and author of the book Carrement Frites, meaning ‘Squarely Fries,’ they are actually Francophone Fries and not French Fries.

Even if the origins of the French fry are murky, what is certainly clear is that no country consumes French fries in the way Belgium does. After all, Belgium is the only country in the world to have an entire museum devoted to French fries. The difference between the Belgians and the rest of the world is that they love their fries just by themselves, with absolutely no need for other sides to distract from the greatness of potatoes double-fried in fat to crispy perfection.

Statistics have shown that Belgium consumes the largest amount of French fries in the world, a third more than the US does. They also have a huge number of French fry vendors, known as fritkots. There are 5000 vendors in Belgium, which given their small population, is a whopping number indeed. They might come close to being the national dish of Belgium.

If Francophone fries was not such a mouthful and French fries not so established a name, perhaps we should change the name if only to give the Belgians their due for their passion for the topic.

What Does Thomas Jefferson Have to Say?

Thomas Jefferson, that American President who was also a connoisseur of good food, had dinner at the White House in 1802 and served potatoes in the ‘French manner.’ This meant cutting potatoes into thin slices and shallow frying them. This is the recipe that has survived and has been preserved in Mary Randolph’s book, The Virginia House-Wife , from 1824. As per this recipe, the fries were probably not the long thin strips as we know them today but thin rounds of potatoes.

If this story is true, and it does seem to be, it would mean that Jefferson learned of the dish while he was in France as American Minister to France from 1784 to 1789. While there, James Hemming, his slave, trained as a chef and learned many of what would eventually become American classics, from French fries and vanilla ice cream to macaroni and cheese . As such, the idea of French fries was known in the US long before the First World War and discredits the popular theory of how French fries came to have that name. 

Jefferson called his French fries ‘pommes de terre frites à cru en petites tranches’ which is an elaborate description rather than a name of a dish, meaning ‘potatoes deep-fried while raw, in small cuttings.’ Again, why choose the name ‘pommes’ instead of ‘patate’ which means ‘potato’ in French? There is no answer to that.

Still, French fries only became popular in the 1900s. Perhaps the general public was not enamored by the dish as their president was. It was first called ‘French fried potatoes’ before the name was shortened to ‘French frieds’ or ‘French fries.’

Freedom Fries?

During a brief period of history, French fries were also known by the name freedom fries in the United States. This only happened for a handful of years and it seems that most of the population was not on board with this idea since the name French fries was back in use quickly enough.

The idea to rename the French fries was the brainchild of a Republican politician from Ohio Bob Ney. The reason behind this was supposed to be patriotic in nature since France had refused to support America’s invasion of Iraq. Ney was the Chairman of the House Administration Committee and this committee had authority over House cafeterias. He declared that French fries and French toast should both be renamed Freedom fries and Freedom toast, in view of France turning its back on America. Ney’s ally in this was Walter B. Jones Jr.

When Ney left the committee in July 2006, the names were changed back. The ultra-patriotic yet ultimately silly gesture didn’t have too many fans.

French Fries the World Over

Wherever the French fry may have originated, it is America that popularized it throughout the world. Thanks to American fast food joints and franchises, everyone the world over knows about and eats French fries. Yes, there are certainly local versions. Different cultures prefer different condiments with their fries and may even be downright horrified by the other versions.

Potatoes are a favorite vegetable for many cultures. Given the profusion of dishes they appear in, one wonders what these cuisines did before they discovered potatoes. And even with the same dish, as with French fries, there are so many different ways in which potatoes are prepared, cooked, and served.

While French fries is the name given to the thinly cut strips of potato, fried in oil or fat, there are versions in Europe, the Americas, and Australia, that are slightly more thickly cut but still prepared in much the same way that French fries are. Called chips in Britain and its former colonies (different from the American potato chips) these are usually served with fried fish.

Thick-cut fries called steak fries are well-known in both the United States as well as in France, where they serve as a starchy, hearty side dish to a plate of grilled steak. In direct opposition to this are the shoestring fries, which are much more finely cut than the regular French fries. These are often served topped with a blue cheese dressing.

For the health conscious, there are oven fries or air fryer fries, which are cut, dried, and prepared in the oven or air fryer, foregoing the copious amounts of oil that deep frying them requires.

Another fun version of the dish is curly fries. Also called crinkle cut fries or even waffle fries, these are also French in origin, from the pommes gaufrettes. Sliced with a mandolin in a criss-cross pattern, it has much more surface area than regular French fries do. This allows it to fry better and be crispier in texture.

What is a French Fry?

French fries, which are called by various names throughout the world, are essentially fried potatoes that probably originated in either Belgium or France. French fries are made by cutting potatoes into long, even strips and then frying them.

Deep frying potatoes in oil or even hot fat is the usual method of preparation but they can also be baked in an oven or prepared by convection in an air fryer, which is a slightly healthier way of making them instead of the deep-fried version.

When served hot, French fries are crispy yet somehow soft potatoey goodness. They are a versatile side and can be served alongside sandwiches, burgers, and a variety of other things. They can be found in all kinds of restaurants and eateries around the world, whether that be pubs and diners, fast food joints, or chip chops in the United Kingdom.

Seasoned with salt and a variety of optional spices, French fries can be served with a bunch of condiments, which differ from place to place depending on which country you are in.

What Can You Serve Them With?

According to which country you were born in, you will have your French fried potatoes served with ketchup , mayonnaise, or some other condiment. While Americans are fond of their French fries with ketchup, the Belgians serve it with mayonnaise , and the British with fish and curry sauce or vinegar of all things! 

East Asians may serve their French fries with soy sauce or chili sauce for a kick of spice. Canadians love their poutine, with French fries topped with cheese curds and gravy. Chili cheese fries have an elaborate topping of chili con carne and queso sauce.

That, of course, is to say nothing of the hamburgers and sandwiches which would be deemed incomplete meals without some thinly cut, crispy French fries on the side. French fries have become an integral side dish for meals of grilled steak, fried chicken , and fried fish of various kinds. You can never have too much fried food and one without the other does not feel right.

How to Best Consume Them: Differences of Opinion

How French fries are eaten is quite a point of controversy. Different cultures have different ways of serving the dish and each undoubtedly thinks theirs is the best way. The Belgian capital has hundreds of vendors selling fries every day. Served in a paper cone, they eat the fries with mayonnaise. At times, they might eat the fries topped with a fried egg or even with cooked mussels.

Canadians serve a dish called poutine, which is a plate full of French fries and cheese curds, topped with brown gravy. Where the Canadians came up with this recipe is not quite clear, but by all accounts it is delicious. This is a classic dish from Quebec.

A popular American favorite is chili cheese fries, a dish consisting of fries smothered in spicy chili and melted cheese. Australia adds a flavoring item called chicken salt to their fries. South Korea even eats its fries with honey and butter.

Fries are also a regular side dish eaten in various South American countries. Peru serves a dish called salchipapas which features beef sausages, fries, hot peppers, ketchup, and mayo. Chile’s chorrillana tops the fries with sliced sausages, fried eggs, and fried onions. Interestingly enough, Germany also serves their fries with eggs and currywurst, which features bratwurst, a ketchup-based sauce, and curry powder.

Fish and Chips by the British is a well-known and classic favorite. Once considered the national dish of England , they serve their thick-cut fries (known as chips) with battered and fried fish and an array of condiments, from vinegar to tartar sauce to mushy peas. Fish and chips shops in England even serve a unique type of sandwich with fries within a buttered bread roll, called a chip butty.

In Mediterranean countries, you can find fries wrapped in pita bread, whether that be in a Greek gyro or a Lebanese shawarma on the street corner. In Italy, some pizza shops even sell pizzas topped with French fries.

American Fast Food Chains

No American fast-food chain is complete without fries. Here, they cut their potatoes into thin strips and cover them in sugar solution. The sugar solution is what gives McDonald’s and Burger King’s fries that signature golden color inside and out, as double frying them would usually tend to color the fries much darker.

There is no denying America’s stamp on this food item, no matter its origins. Most people all over the world associate French fries with the US. The average American eats about 29 pounds of them on a yearly basis.

The J. R. Simplot Company is the one in the United States that successfully commercialized frozen fries in the 1940s. In 1967, McDonald’s reached out to them to supply McDonald’s with frozen fries. They provide frozen fries both for commercial produce in the food services sector and for home cooking, about 90 and 10 percent respectively.

Frozen French Fries

McCain Foods, the world’s largest producer of frozen potato products, is headquartered in the town of Florenceville, New Brunswick, Canada. The town calls itself the French fry capital of the world due to McCain’s production of fries. It also happens to be the home of a museum dedicated to potatoes called Potato World.

Co-founded by brothers Harrison McCain and Wallace McCain in 1957, they have outstripped their competition and they send their products all over the world. They have manufacturing facilities on six continents. Their main competitors are J. R. Simplot Company and Lamb Weston Holdings, both American.

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Why Do Fries Taste So Good? A Brief History

Scott Horsley

The signature taste of fast-food fries came about as something of an accident. Stephen Walls hide caption

Finding a healthier cooking oil that still preserves that crispy, salty French fry goodness fast-food lovers crave won't be easy. But McDonald's — and the rest of the industry — has been through this before.

In fact, the signature taste of McDonald's fries came about as something of an accident.

By the 1950s, most other restaurants were using pure vegetable oil, partially hydrogenated to extend its shelf life. But the tiny shortening company that originally supplied McDonald's — Interstate Foods — was too small to afford hydrogenation equipment. So Interstate founder Harry Smargon turned to a centuries-old alternative: a blend of oil and beef fat.

As John F. Love wrote in his history, McDonald's: Behind the Arches , that beef-fat flavor would become the standard, not only for McDonald's but the rest of the growing fast-food industry.

"For reasons even he finds hard to explain, Smargon insisted that Interstate's shortening blend produced a crisper and more flavorful French fry than one cooked in all-vegetable shortening," Love says.

McDonald's founder Ray Kroc agreed. And that beef-fat blend dominated until the late 1980s, when fast-food companies were finally forced to switch to pure vegetable oil, out of concern that the saturated fat in beef tallow raises cholesterol. Even as they made the change, most restaurants tried to preserve the familiar beef-fat flavor of their French fries.

McDonald's, for one, continued to use essence of beef in its fries to retain some of the original flavor, though it failed to disclose it — prompting a lawsuit from vegetarians and Hindus, who consider cows sacred and don't eat beef.

But in switching to vegetable oil, fast-food chains also adopted the chemical process of adding hydrogen to the oil to extend its fry life. It's now known that the trans fats created by this partial hydrogenation are as bad for you, and possibly worse, than the saturated fats they replaced. Trans fats not only raise bad cholesterol levels, which increase the risk of coronary heart disease, but lower good cholesterol levels as well. As a result, McDonald's and other fast-food companies are under pressure to switch again.

In the meantime, some say a new generation of customers has grown accustomed to the taste of potatoes fried in partially hydrogenated oil.

"Right now, we get requests for a flavor profile, and we realize it's the minor components of hydrogenation that are imparting the flavor," says Research Vice President Mark Matlock of Archer Daniels Midland. "So they really want 'hydro flavor' in their product."

Still, lessons from another fast-food staple offer hope for a healthy and tasty outcome. When KFC decided to eliminate trans fats, the company stuck with a soybean oil similar to what it had been using, but with one major change: It's not made from partially hydrogenated oil, the source of trans fats.

Gregg Dedrick, president of KFC, said their fried chicken's "flavor profile" was unchanged. KFC carried out in-store testing and let customers taste chicken cooked in both the previous oil and the new, healthier oil. The result? They couldn't taste any difference, Dedrick says.

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What to Cook

It’s Time for French Fries

By Sam Sifton

• June 17, 2020

Good morning. Is sourdough still trending, people all over the place nurturing starters, putting them to use in boules and baguettes, in pancakes and waffles? It sure seems that way, from the mail that I get. I think it’s because so many of us are still at home a lot, still working from the desk in the corner or not working from the couch in the living room, working the phone in search of unemployment insurance. With more time at home than usual, there’s more time to ferment.

But sourdough’s not the only kitchen project you can get going under or near quarantine. You might make gravlax or guanciale or pâté . You could make yogurt . And sometime this week, you could make French fries (above). Real French fries, the sort we used to eat at hamburger stands and in bistros, heavily salted, heavenly crisp. Gabrielle Hamilton has a recipe for them that’ll bring that kind of experience back into your life and make it available to you any time you like, because you can parcook the fries and freeze them, just like the ones in the bags from Ore-Ida, but 10 times better. It’s laborious work, she allows, but straightforward. Sounds like sourdough to me, though if I can return to my mail bag, sourdough is often the opposite of straightforward. So let’s make that a thing.

And to go with? A fantastic steak . Some griddled cheeseburgers . A big bowl of mussels .

You’ll want a good dessert as well. Jerrelle Guy has a spectacular new recipe in our pages this week, for strawberry spoon cake . And as good as that would be after a plate of fries, in truth it’ll be even better the next morning, for breakfast.

Another ace new recipe: Melissa Clark’s sugar snap pea salad .

And I don’t know if it’s near as good as those, but I ginned up a no-recipe recipe the other day, for refrigerator mixed grill. I had some Italian sausages lying around, a big bunch of asparagus, a few peppers and onions, some garlic, jalapeños, a hunk of provolone and a big bag of baby spinach. I dressed everything but the greens in olive oil, salt and lemon pepper, then grilled it on a plancha set on top of my grill. (You could use cast-iron pans, or just grill everything straight on the grates or do it under the broiler in your stove.) I arranged everything on top of the greens, hit the platter with a little more olive oil, then squeezed a lemon over the top. That was powerfully good.

Many thousands more recipes to cook this week await you on NYT Cooking . A lot more of them than usual are free to use even if you aren’t a subscriber to our site and apps. I think it would be great if you subscribed anyway, though. Subscriptions support our work.

We are standing by to offer assistance if anything goes sideways during your adventures in the kitchen. Just write [email protected] . We will get back to you.

Now, it’s nothing to do with strawberries or cornstarch, but Gaby Wood’s “Diary” in the London Review of Books, “ How to Draw an Albatross ,” is really fascinating reading.

A must-to-attend: On Thursday at 6 p.m. Eastern, Veronica Chambers, a senior editor at The Times who co-wrote “ Between Harlem and Heaven: Afro-Asian-American Cooking for Big Nights, Weeknights and Every Day ,” will be in virtual conversation with Toni Tipton-Martin, the author of “ Jubilee: Recipes From Two Centuries of African American Cooking .” They’ll raise a glass to Juneteenth and talk about their writing, history, race and food. I hope you can join them for this Live At Home event. Register here .

Here’s Graham Bowley in The Times, on the mess that is the Robert Indiana estate , two years after the artist’s death in 2018, at 89.

Finally, and also in The Times, here are the poems and poets 16 poets tell us they’re turning to in this moment of upheaval. I’ll be back on Friday.

More on Food and Dining

Keep tabs on dining trends, restaurant reviews and recipes..

As inflation remains high, budget cooking doesn’t mean skimping on flavor or making your meals any less satisfying. Try these 12 recipes that won’t break the bank .

In Los Angeles, the restaurant Chain taps into a feverish nostalgia for burgers  and pizza from the 20th century.

It’s not just seafood and Italian in Boston. There’s great Vietnamese, omakase, Peruvian and even bagels. Here are the city’s 25 best restaurants right now .

Food myths come from many sources, and American cooks have swallowed lots of them. A veteran food journalist debunked five common kitchen misconceptions .

Eating in New York City

We asked, you answered: Here are the restaurants our dining-obsessed readers  would rank the best in the city.

Pete Wells, our dining critic, has unveiled his annual ranking of the 100 best restaurants in New York City .

At Shaw-naé’s House on Staten Island, the owner and chef Shaw-naé Dixon serves up Southern classics  and a warm welcome to her “living room.”

Once the pre-eminent food court in Flushing, Queens, for regional Chinese cuisines, the Golden Mall has reopened after a four-year renovation. A new one in Manhattan  is on the horizon.

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Perfect crispy french fries.

Finally, here it is – The perfect french fries recipe! Based on a ground-breaking method from the legendary Kenji López-Alt’s The Food Lab , these hot chips are so crispy they stay that way even after they’ve gone cold. It’s rare to find fries this good even at up-market bistros!

No false promises – these french fries really stay crisp!

There’s nothing more deflating than going to all the effort of making your own fries from scratch, only to find they start losing crispiness before they even hit the table. Which is what happens if you use the standard way of cooking homemade fries – soaking in water followed by a double fry.

Well, it’s taken me years but with the help of the impressively thorough french fry research documented in Kenji López-Alt’s The Food Lab, Chef JB and I have finally nailed down the recipe for the perfect homemade french fries. Fluffy on the inside, crispy on the outside – and stays crispy well beyond the time it takes to eat the fries and, say, a big juicy Cheeseburger . The ideal french fry!

Really, the crispiness endurance is insane. These french fries are still crispy even after they’ve gone cold!

Heads up – this post is quite long because I cover the “why” and also want to arm French fry first-timers with the confidence to make this recipe. So if you’re a pro, skip to the recipe , recipe video or better yet, Dozer !

French fries recipe overview

Cut fries with a serrated knife (secret crispiness tip #1)

No soaking, just rinse

Gently simmer 10 minutes in vinegar water (secret crispiness tip #2! And no, you can’t taste vinegar)

Shallow-fry twice

Skip to the Recipe | Video | Dozer

Background: Rethinking the french fry method

The conventional way of making french fries involves firstly soaking the raw fries in water followed by a double fry. This was (still is?) the way students were taught at cookery school and is still the default method used by many restaurants and pubs.

This method will yield crispy fries when they are piping hot, straight out of the fryer. But the first problem is that within minutes, before they even hit the table, they start to lose crispiness. I also found this classical method is heavily dependent on the potato. You get varying levels of crispiness depending on the potato quality and even season, as the starch / sugar levels of potatoes vary throughout the year. This is true even if you use the ideal variety of potato.

Well, this won’t-stay-crispy problem and unpredictability just won’t cut it anymore. So, old school method ditched. It’s time to look at modern methods with better and more reliable results!

Actually it’s not just me. Times have changed generally and restaurants around the world use all sorts of methods these days in pursuit of the ultimate crispy French fries. Some go to extreme lengths like triple or quadruple frying, overnight resting, or frying in pure beef drippings.

But we don’t need to dabble in any such tedious restaurant kitchen shenanigans. This method I’m sharing today is one that any home cook can do. It is adapted from Kenji Lopez-Alt’s french fries recipe from his iconic cookbook The Food Lab . It’s not particularly technical. But you do need to be comfortable frying in oil. That said, in this recipe we only shallow fry and not deep fry – always a bonus!

What you need

Here’s all you need to make your crispy french fry dreams a reality. Yep, this is all!

Potato – The type is important. Starchy, floury potatoes are the potatoes you need for crispy fries.

Australia: Sebago (the common dirty brushed potatoes you see everywhere)

US: Russet (also known as Idaho potatoes)

UK: Maris Piper or King Edward.

Vinegar – For simmering the potatoes, it is one secret weapon for perfect fries. There is no trace of vinegar flavour once cooked. See Step 4 below for the why.

Salt – For seasoning the water so the potatoes are seasoned all the way through.

Oil – For frying. I use vegetable or canola oil which are neutrally-flavoured oils. Re-using the oil: The oil can be re-used 3 to 4 times, or more. It won’t even need to be strained. Just cool, pour into jars and keep in the pantry, and have a browse in this recipe collection to decide what to make next!

How to make stay-crispy French fries

To get ahead or cook big batches, make the fries up to the end of Fry #1, cool then freeze until you’re ready to cook. Then do Fry #2 from frozen. Handy!

1. Cut fries

First, we have to cut our fries. A neat little crispy fries trick you may not have seen before: use a serrated knife to cut the potatoes. Though not visible to the eye, it makes the surface rougher therefore creating more surface area to crisp up = crispier fries!

What size to cut the fries: 6 mm / 1/4″ batons is the ideal size for optimum crispiness and fluffy insides. Thicker = less crispy. Thinner = not enough fluffiness inside.

How to slice: Cut a whole potato into 6 mm / 1/4″ thick slices. Stack 2 or 3 slices then cut into 6 mm / 1/4″ thick batons.

2. Keep in water to prevent browning

Keep cut fries in water to prevent them from browning as you continue cutting. No soaking time is actually required. A simple rinse followed by simmering the potatoes in vinegar water takes care of this for us.

Once all the fries are cut, place in a colander then rinse under tap water for 15 – 20 seconds. This is the first step to remove excess sugars from the surface of the potatoes (more on the “why” of this below, but in short it’s to aid crispiness – of course!). Meanwhile, the insides remain untouched by water so they’ll cook up nice and fluffy.

4. Cook in vinegar water = superior crispiness

Once the potatoes are rinsed, place them in a pot with cold tap water, vinegar and salt. Bring to a boil on high heat then immediately turn down to low so the surface is barely rippling. Cook for 10 minutes. See below for the “why” for this step!

What is the purpose of cooking in vinegar water?

This is the really clever part, a no-extra-effort step discovered by Kenji Lopez-Alt from Serious Eats which makes all the difference. There’s a lot of technical science behind the why , but in a nutshell:

Simmering the fries in water washes away the excess sugars that can cause the fries to brown too much before they have a chance to properly crisp up when frying

The water also activates the starches in the potato. Starch, when fried, is what creates that crispy surface we want!

Meanwhile adding acid (the vinegar) to the water prevents the potatoes from disintegrating for the 10 minute simmering time required. ( Like how tart Granny Smith apples don’t turn into baby food mush when cooked whereas sweet red apples do. )

In case you are wondering, yes I tried variations like no-vinegar, shorter and longer cooking times, rapid boil versus gentle simmering. The vinegar water simmering method for 10 minutes works . Don’t skip it or shortcut it!

5. Drain and dry

Use a spider or large slotted spoon to remove the potatoes from the water into a colander. Then carefully spread the potatoes out on two tea towel-lined trays to steam dry for 5 minutes. No need to pat them dry, the residual heat will do the job for us.

6. Cooking vessel and oil

Cooking vessel – Use a heavy-based, large pot that is at least 10 cm / 4″ deep. We need:

Oil depth – 3 cm / 1.2″ of oil (1 litre/quart for the pictured 24cm / 10″ pot). It’s barely deep-frying, it’s more like shallow-frying!

Safety headroom – 7 cm / 2.8″ headroom above the surface of the oil for safety purposes as the oil bubbles up quite a lot when we fry. ⚠️ THIS IS IMPORTANT! Oil overflow is a real risk if you do not do this. It’s scary and dangerous, as I found out first hand! Learn from my mistakes. ☺️

Oil temperature – Preheat the oil to 205°C/400°F. Use a thermometer to monitor the temperature. I use a Thermapen, see my Essential Kitchenwares post for more details.

⚠️ IMPORTANT: For safety reasons, please follow the directions to pause 10 seconds between adding batches of more potato into the oil! As you can see in the photos below, the oil bubbles up quite high and vigorously as soon as you add some potato. If you add all the potato in one go, the oil will bubble up even higher and faster, which is risky. I’m speaking from first hand experience here!

Cook the fries in 3 batches – Separate the cooked potatoes into 3 even piles (batches). We will be doing Fry #1 in three batches in a 24 cm / 10″ pot. If your pot is larger or smaller, adjust the number of batches accordingly so all the fries in one batch can float in a single layer in the oil.

Add 1/3 of Batch #1 – Using a spider or slotted spoon, carefully add 1/3 of the first batch into the oil.

⚠️ WAIT 10 seconds then add another 1/3 of batch #1. Pausing before adding more fries is important to ensure the oil doesn’t bubble up too high. Use this time to load up, ready to add more fries.

Repeat – Wait 10 seconds, then add the final 1/3 of Batch #1.

Fry 50 seconds – Once all the fries are in, start the timer and fry for 50 seconds, moving the fries around once or twice.

8. Cool 30 minutes

Remove the fries from the oil using a slotted spoon and spread onto a paper towel-lined tray in a single layer. They will be pale and not yet crispy.

Carry out Fry #1 for the remaining two batches using the same staggered approach (ie. 1/3 + 1/3 + 1/3) within each batch. Ensure the oil is back at 205°C/400°F before starting each batch. Then cool all the fries for 30 minutes on some paper towel-lined trays.

9. Fry #2 – crisp them up!

After cooling the fries, heat the oil to 205°C/400°F again. Now fry half all the french fries for 4 minutes until they are a gorgeous golden colour and wonderfully crispy.

Remove with a slotted spoon into a large paper towel-lined bowl then repeat with the remaining fries.

Why a bowl instead of tray to hold the fries? A bowl keeps the cooked fries warmer whilst still allowing for oil drainage. This way the first batch you cook will still be hot by the time you finish cooking the second batch. The bowl also doubles as a suitable tossing vessel once sprinkled with your favourite seasoning, as you’ll see later!

How to cook lots of fries and serve them all hot? Completed fries can be flash-fried for an extra 30 seconds to 1 minute to reheat. This way you can serve up all the fries piping hot!

10. Seasoning!

Now that your fries are done, sprinkle with salt or your favourite fries seasoning while hot so the salt sticks. Toss, then serve! Remember, these fries will stay crispy for more than 15 minutes, though of course they are best consumed piping hot!

Tip: Remember these French fries are also pre-salted inside because we blanched them in salted water. So don’t go too crazy with the seasoning salt. Sprinkle judiciously, taste (I know, I hate to ask that of you), and then sprinkle more if you think it needs it.

Seasoning options:

Salt – table salt or sea salt flakes. Larger-grained cooking or kosher salt doesn’t stick as well.

Rosemary salt ( recipe ) – made with fresh rosemary. My favourite!

Fries seasoning ( recipe ) – a savoury fries seasoning blend. Addictive!

Nori seasoning (coming soon) – made with finely ground nori (dried seaweed). Très trendy!

I know that’s a lot of information to digest for just some bits of fried potato 😂. But for this recipe, I thought some people might find the why behind certain steps interesting (we tested these fries a LOT!!!). Also, I want to give everyone the confidence to try this even if you aren’t experienced frying in oil. Remember, these chips are shallow -fried not deep-fried! Shallow-frying is easier, cleaner, safer and less resource-intensive than deep-frying – all good reasons why you should give this a go. ☺️

Truly worth making

I know frying is something that many people are not so comfortable with, or at least gives pause to wonder if it’s worth all the effort.

These fries? Hand on heart, they are worth the effort! It is rare to find fries this good even at really up-market bistros and restaurants, never mind the money you’ll shell out for them. Maccas fries (McDonalds, to you non-Aussies!) are incomparable – they’re dry and tasteless compared to homemade. Believe me – my memory is still fresh from when I ate them side by side as a test yesterday! 😂

I really hope you try these one day, so you get to experience the rare pleasure of truly amazing french fries, cooked fresh in your own home. And if you do, share your thoughts in the comments below. I’d love to know what you think – especially all you french fry connoisseurs!! – Nagi x

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Perfect Crispy French Fries

Ingredients.

• ▢ 1 kg / 2 lb (3 – 4) floury potatoes (Note 1, Aus: Sebago/dirt aka brushed, US: Russet/Idaho, UK: Maris Piper, King Edward)
• ▢ 2 tbsp white vinegar (Note 2)
• ▢ 1 tbsp cooking salt / kosher salt (Note 3)
• ▢ 1 litre/quart canola/vegetable oil

Seasoning (choose):

• ▢ Salt – table salt or sea salt flakes
• ▢ Shaker fries seasoning
• ▢ Rosemary salt
• ▢ Nori salt (coming soon)

Instructions

• Cut: Peel the potatoes. Cut into 6 mm / 1/4" French fries using a serrated knife. (Note 4)
• Keep cut fries submerged in a bowl of water to prevent them from going brown while you cut the remainder. (No need for actual soaking beyond this.)
• Rinse: Transfer potatoes to a colander and rinse under tap water for 15 – 20 seconds.
• Simmer: Place fries in a large pot with 2 litres/quarts of cold tap water, vinegar and salt. Bring to a boil over high heat then immediately reduce stove to low so the surface is rippling gently (Note 5), not big bubbles. Cook for 10 minutes then carefully remove using a slotted spoon into a colander (do not tip into colander, fries will break).
• Dry 5 min : Spread the fries on 2 tea towel lined trays. Leave to steam dry for 5 minutes.
• Pot: Pour 3 cm / 1.2" of oil in a pot that is at least 10cm/4" high (⚠️for safety, need at least 7 cm / 3" from oil surface to rim of pot, Note 6)
• Separate the fries into 3 Batches (for cooking).
• Heat oil to 205°C/400°F over medium high heat.
• ⚠️10 sec pause (Note 7): Lower 1/3 of Batch 1 fries into the oil using a slotted spoon. WAIT 10 seconds, add another 1/3 of the fries, wait 10 seconds, then add the remaining Batch 1 fries.
• 50 sec fry: Fry for 50 seconds, moving them around once or twice. Then remove with a slotted spoon onto 2 paper towel lined trays, spread out in a single layer. The fries will still be white and floppy.
• Repeat Fry #1 with Batches 2 and 3, ensuring the oil is back at 205°C/400°F before cooking.
• 30 min cool: Leaves fries to cool for 30 minutes.
• Line a large bowl with paper towels – for draining and tossing.
• Fry #2: Heat oil to 205°C/400°F. Fry half the French fries for 4 minutes, moving them around twice, or until golden brown and crispy. Drain in the lined bowl, then repeat with remaining fries.

Season & serve!

• Sprinkle fries with salt or seasoning or choice. (Note 8) Toss and serve!
• Fries will stay crispy even once cool. See note for large batch cooking tip.

Recipe Notes:

Life of dozer.

Behind every door, there’s a Dozer….

Hi, I'm Nagi !

I believe you can make great food with everyday ingredients even if you’re short on time and cost conscious. You just need to cook clever and get creative!

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186 Comments

March 31, 2024 at 5:00 am

I made these last night for Good Friday with crumbed fish. They are certainly a bit of faffing around but they were tremendous. A lovely treat rather than a regular meal. I couldn’t get my oil to 205°c but I triple fried instead. Perfect.

March 13, 2024 at 1:09 pm

March 13, 2024 at 10:20 am

What a waste! Spent all this time preparing the fries and they didn’t even Brown in the oil. Soggy as hell! Gross!

March 12, 2024 at 5:15 am

i cut all the potatoes one day, soak them overnight, simmer the next day. i keep them in a large container in the fridge up to nearly 2 weeks. i’ll double fry a couple handfuls each night.

i can’t get the potatoes cooked in a way where a portion of them don’t mush when taking them out of the simmer. i can never get the temp where the water is moving but not bubbling. it’s either still or bubbling. can you give me a temperature instead so i can use my thermo?

also, can i do this same process for sweet potato fries?

March 11, 2024 at 6:15 am

Works great for air frying too!

March 7, 2024 at 8:45 am

March 3, 2024 at 4:54 pm

March 2, 2024 at 9:15 pm

Nagi, every recipe is spot on! The perfect home made fries

February 25, 2024 at 3:31 am

February 23, 2024 at 2:41 am

Tonight my husband says he is making some of the fries and that I need to try them. I try one and OH MY LORD. Best fries I have ever had, I think. So crispy on the outside, and creamy on the inside. I didn’t want to stop eating them. I can’t wait to make more and am looking for a serrated potato slicer that will make the initial prep easier than using my serrated knife.

BTW, my husband did shallow-fry when he made the ones out of the freezer, and he didn’t leave them out of the freezer while the oil heated. Important details? I don’t know, but we will be experimenting more!!

February 20, 2024 at 1:23 pm

February 18, 2024 at 10:53 pm

February 3, 2024 at 9:46 am

February 3, 2024 at 9:10 am

January 22, 2024 at 2:58 am

January 16, 2024 at 6:24 am

Entirely too much work for french fries. I’ll spend a lot of time on really good food, Not french fries. Enjoy good french fries however if it takes longer to cook them than my steak, I’m out. Can skip the fries

January 12, 2024 at 11:48 am

We love fries but oven baked. Do you have a recipe for that cooking method?

January 1, 2024 at 10:26 am

WAY TOO COMPLICATED

December 29, 2023 at 2:24 am

Restaurant quality. Thank you very much 😊

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20 great ways to enjoy french fries

Posted: March 7, 2024 | Last updated: March 7, 2024

Whether you like them thin and crispy, thickly sliced the old-fashioned way, or waffled and spicy, fries are all about comfort—and versatility! Here’s an assorted collection of 20 unusual French fry recipes.

Chorrillana

Chorrillana is to Chile what poutine is to Quebec. Sliced meat, caramelized onions, and fried eggs top a mountain of fresh fries.

French fries, cheese curds (preferably the kind that squeak), and brown gravy combine to form the ultimate comfort food !

Breakfast poutine

Forget the hash browns. Add a fancy touch to your Sunday brunch with a breakfast poutine that’s as delicious as it is satisfying!

Merguez hot dog

Instead of ordering fries on the side, why not simply put them in your hot dog? This Belgian specialty is also known as a “ mitraillette ” (machine gun).

French fry nachos

Replace the traditional corn chips with crispy French fries for a whole new kind of nacho !

Cinnamon sugar fries

For a churros-like treat, try sprinkling your fries with a cinnamon-sugar mixture, then dipping them one by one in vanilla cream. You’re in for a true delight, especially when made with sweet potatoes !

Pizza crust

Build your next pizza on a bed of fries rather than on a traditional crust. You’ll need a fork and knife to eat, though!

Fries and milkshake combo

It’s hard to know where this delicious tradition originated, but Wendy’s fast-food chain has made fries dipped in a milkshake its trademark treat!

Beef stir-fry with French fries

What if you served your favourite beef stir-fry on a pile of fries instead of rice? Think about it...

French fry omelette

We often enjoy our morning eggs with a side of breakfast potatoes, so why not fry them up together ?

Coconut tempura fries

Shrimp aren’t the only food that goes great with a crispy tempura coating. Add coconut flakes to your tempura recipe for a surprising twist!

French fry tortilla

Turn yesterday’s fries into a tortilla by serving this Spanish omelette either hot (as a slice of pie with a salad) or cold (as a bite-sized snack).

Bacalhau à brás

This traditional Portuguese dish is made with salted cod, matchstick fries, onions, garlic, and scrambled eggs, all topped with black olives and fresh parsley.

Chili fries

Check out the American version of Quebec’s poutine . Top fresh fries with a good portion of chili con carne (or vegetarian), then cover with cheddar cheese (grated or as a sauce). Everyone loves chili fries!

French fries au gratin

In France, baked potatoes are usually topped with raclette cheese, but substituting fried potatoes is just as delicious!

Whether they’re pork, beef, or chicken, gyros are even better with a few fries added to your pita!

Pulled pork fries

Any fan of fries and meat will agree that this is one of the best combos ever . A real flavour explosion in your mouth!

Ice cream fries

The combination of sweet and savoury is a proven winner, so why not serve your favourite fries for dessert ? Add lots of ice cream and top with strawberry, chocolate, or caramel sauce. Yum!

Greek fries

Take a culinary journey with these Greek-inspired fries, better known as patates tiganites , made with feta cheese, parsley, and lemon. Serve with a tzatziki-style dip.

Cheeseburger tater tot casserole

So simple, yet so good! This cheeseburger tater tot casserole will delight young and old alike.

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