Would Grey salt or Fleur De Sel be a better choice ?
Thanks!

Whether you use grey salt or fleur de sel for your French fries you can't go wrong with either one. It really just comes down to personal preference.

For more information on these types of salts, check out the video called "Learn About Gourmet Salts" under the related videos tab of this recipe. Cheers!

Thanks Dawn for the quick response .
I went with grey salt, because I like the way it works with potatoes. The fries were amazing !

Thanks Again!

I noticed you added only a few fries to the pan at a time. Is it ok to have more in the pan during blanching and during the final cooking as well. Also, what is the best way to keep fries warm until it's time to serve them.
Thanks.

The amount you add will depend on the size of your deep-frier or pot. There should be enough room so that the fries can move around. You also don't want to add so much that the fat comes too high up the sides.

As for keeping them warm, this is tricky. French fries are best served immediately. You can try keeping them in a warm oven as you do batches but the end result will not be the same as serving them right after they have been fried. Cheers!

Tried these and they weren't bad but the thermometer I used only went to 400 So I found it difficult to keep at correct temp and ended up overflying them. Next time I will make them a bit smaller and will have to buy a deep fry thermo!

How long can you store oil in a deep fryer? I understand the reasons for straining and storing oil in air-tight containers, Im just wondering how quickly this needs to be done? For example, If I know im going to use the deep fryer a few times for a week can I leave it in the deep fryer? I know if I leave it too long the oil will thicken. Add-on question: How do restaurants maintain their oil from deep fryers?

Yes you can certainly leave the oil in the deep fryer it will be fine, what you are concerned about is for the oil not to go rancid on you. As much as it may not seem appealing the best way to be sure is to dip your pinky in it and taste it, you'll know right away is the oil is rancid. In regards to restaurant, one common practice is to strain their oil every day, discard 5-10% and replenish it with fresh oil, the idea is that you always have consistent oil, oil that is pure out of the container does not fry as golden as somewhat used oil. so by this rotation restaurant always have a consistent oil, hope it make sense.

I tried making fries again today. This is probably the one thing I've cooked the most times and still pretty much suck at. It's frustrating, but I always end up with the same results: Fries turn much too brown, yet still feel like they haven't really been cooked all the way through (dense to chew) and sometimes soft and limp.

I'm using a thermometer to keep a very watchful eye on the heat - adjusting the stove as the potatoes make the oil cool down, turning it down if the oil gets too hot and so on. Today I even got out a ruler to make sure the potatos were the right size. And I used a timer to time the blanching (1.5 minutes, any longer and they start turning golden).

My only uncertainty at this point is the potato itself: It's labelled as "baking potato" in the store, but I'm not exactly sure what kind it is. I guess I should find out. Also, I don't have a very intuitive feel on what a waxy vs a starchy potato looks and feels like.

Is there anything in particular that can cause fries from getting to brown on the outside while not getting light and crunchy?

Oh, I forgot. I use about 1 litre of oil in a fairly small pan - the fries have plenty of depth to float around in. I only blanched and fried about 10 sticks at a time.

As I was reading your comment, I was also thinking, "it must be the potatoes" and sure enough you came to the same conclusion. Two varieties that work well for us, on the west coast, are either a Kanabec potato or a simple russet. Depending who you talked to, some prefer one some the other. I've had good results from both. A waxy potatoes is usually a new potato, one with a very fine kin. These are best steamed. For fries you need a starchy/mealy potato. Keep trying different ones and you'll reach fries nirvana soon. Cheers!

I stopped by the store today, and came home with Pimpernel and Asterix. As I understand, Asterix potatos are frequently used for commercial fries.

My results were so-so with both kinds. The color was better, and they were a little more crispy than what I've achieved with the "baking potato" from before, but there's still ground to cover. Are these good potatoes for frying (i.e. I need to practice more), or should I look for better alternatives?

Sounds like you still might not have the right potato Christian. While I have not heard of those particular types, the pictures I saw online looked like they might be a waxier or firmer potato. I did read that many companies use them to make French fries but they might be using "special" methods to come up with the right French fry.

Here in North America, many people use Russets, Russet Burbank and Idaho potatoes to make fries.

Here is a link to a bit more info on the different types of potatoes and their starch content etc. Hope that helps you. Cheers!

Thanks for looking into it Dawn, much appreciated. Your link mentioned Desiree, and that's a potato I know I can get where I live. I've never seen Russet, Russet Burbank or Idaho potatoes here, but they may go under different names, and I find it really hard to identify potatoes by eye. Unfortunately many stores sell potatoes simply as "potatoes" and in most cases the employees will be just as clueless (interestingly also the case with chiles where I live). Will report back when I've tried some more potatoes :)

I tried to use duck fat for this recipe. The fries did not have a strong fragrance of duck fat like those I had at restaurants. Anyone can help?

Hi Cassie- This is a good question. Duck fat fries should have a pronounced flavor profile when compared to fries cooked in vegetable oil or shortening. Are the fries that you are comparing these to just fried in duck fat with no additional seasoning?

I ask because you use the word "fragrance" and that leads me to think about truffle oil, which is commonly drizzled on duck fat fries to add an uniquely alluring aroma. Let us know, we're happy to help!

I mean just fries in duck fat, not duck fat flavor oil. I remember at that one restaurant, just one bite of the fries, it contains a full flavor and fragrance of duck fat. I can tell right away that the fries were fried using duck fat.

When I tried it, my fries did not have any flavor or that intense fragrance of duck fat.

Thank you Ken for replying

Hi Cassie- What color was the fat that you were using to fry? Very light in color or darker or golden?

Maybe you can phone that restaurant and ask them where they get their duck fat? It sounds like it was a memorable dish!

Christian, I have been making fries every week now for almost a year because it is part of my job. I don't follow the recipe here at rouxbe, even though it is similar.
What I do is put 2 Tbsp of white vinegar in 2 quarts of cold water and boil the potatoes for 8 minutes. Let them cool for at least 5 minutes (but it usually is 30 minutes before I get back to them) and then fry them at 375 degrees F for 50 seconds. Cool for at least 30 minutes -- or better yet freeze them and when ready to cook again heat the oil to 375 and cook for 3 - 3 1/2 minutes then I lightly salt with popcorn salt. They are crispy every time. I use canola oil.

I trimmed the fat from the whole duck. Thus, the color is white. How different does the colors make?

Thanks, Ken

I've seen people use rendered duck fat from a roasted duck, which is golden or light brown in color. It has much more of a deep, nutty flavor than the lighter (almost white) fat that some people use.

The challenge with this is that the fat can get cooked too much and become bitter, so there's a fine line between a bit of color and acrid tasting (i.e. "too dark") fat. I hope this helps!