Making Shoestring French Fries Is A Breeze With This Kitchen Tool

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Potato size matters when making shoestring fries, but you'll also want the right tools. If you're the owner of a spiralizer, a kitchen gadget most commonly used for veggies, it's actually great for potatoes as well — specifically for making shoestring french fries. "Zoodles," or noodles made from zucchini, have long been a popular pasta substitute for those trying to eat a healthier diet. The noodle pasta trend put spiralizers on the map, as the tool became the perfect way to cut pasta shapes out of numerous types of veggies. But these little machines have uses that go beyond making pasta out of beets or butternut squash, and can create light and thin strips of potato that work well as fries.

Some spiralizers, like the OXO Good Grips 3-Blade Tabletop Spiralizer, hold the veggie on both ends and then have a hand crank where you twirl the veggie around and around into ribbons. Reviewers say this machine gives great results not only for veggies but also for making fries, and it's easy to use and to clean. There are also electric spiralizers, such as the Shine Kitchen Co. SES-100 Electric Vegetable Spiralizer. While a little more pricey, this type of machine saves your wrist from all the cranking, and is a bit more of a clean process, since you just push the potato or other veggie into the chute and it goes directly into a container.

Cutting french fries by hand with a knife is way too time-consuming for most people's busy lives. You could also use a mandoline slicer, a gadget with a blade that uniformly slices through fruits and veggies. However, this type of slicer is known to be extremely sharp, and you may be more likely to injure yourself on the blade than with a spiralizer. This kitchen tool is also a better option for making curly shoestring fries, as a mandoline slicer typically cuts straight slices.

After you've peeled your potatoes and spiralized them, there are a number of tasty ways to cook up a batch of crispy shoestring fries. Try a simple technique that gives you the best french fries: frying in cold oil. Cook them until they're golden brown, then transfer them to a paper towel to blot them. Or use your air fryer for crispier fries. Toss the uncooked spirals into your fryer's basket or tray, and cook for about 15 to 20 minutes, giving them a shake halfway through. The sky is the limit when it comes to seasoning choices; you can't go wrong with plain old salt and pepper or go for the bold seasoning blend your fries have been missing.