Make The Crispiest French Fries Of Your Life By Taking This Step Before Frying

One of the most universally beloved foods in America has to be french fries. Whether it's a fast food chain, a steakhouse, a dive bar, or a local mom and pop restaurant, you can find fries on nearly every restaurant menu you come across. But that doesn't mean all fries are created equal. In fact, some french fry offerings are actually quite soggy and gross. 

If you've ever wondered what makes some fries so much better than others, a lot of it has to do with two things: the preparation method and science. Yes, science makes the best french fries crispy on the outside with a fluffy interior. It all comes down to freezing the fries before frying, but it's not quite that simple.

A chef from Fallow — one of the most popular and best restaurants in London — explained the process on his YouTube channel that has 2.25 million followers. He soaks the uniformly cut fries in cold water until the water runs clear. This initial process helps draw out the starch and sugars. The next part is to drop the fries in boiling water for several minutes with a touch of baking soda — which helps make the exterior of the fry fluffier. The chef then takes that important step of freezing the fries before dropping into the oil — a mixture of duck fat and neutral oil — at around 280 degrees Fahrenheit. This initial fry allows "the starch molecules to swell and separate," which brings about the fluffy inside. Freeze again, then drop the fries into oil at 375 degrees Fahrenheit. That's what creates the final product — crispy and delicious french fries with a soft interior.

Is it safe to drop frozen fries into hot oil? Yes, provided you take the right safety precautions. Don't fill the pot or your deep fryer with too much oil, and don't drop too many fries into the hot oil at once. If you've ever seen those nightmarish YouTube videos of home chefs placing a frozen turkey into a deep fryer, you get the point. The oil spills over, the flame reacts, and Thanksgiving is now ruined. Since we're not talking about a 14-pound french fry, frozen fries are much safer than frozen turkeys as long as you take those simple steps. We also suggest making sure the fries are separated before freezing, so they aren't stuck together when you place them in the oil.

If this whole process seems a little too involved and you simply want crispy fries at home as soon as possible, you have plenty of options when it comes to store-bought frozen fries. If you've been fortunate enough to ever enjoy Checker's (or Rally's, depending on where you live) delectable, seasoned fries, you know they are some of the best fast food fries out there. And lucky for us, the brand makes a frozen version you can buy in the grocery store now. In fact, when we ranked 13 store-bought frozen fries, Checker's/Rally's was at the top of the list — just edging out Grown In Idaho's Hand Cut Style Fries and Ore-Ida's Zesty Curly Seasoned French Fries.

If you're up for it, though, making your own french fries at home — using the boil, freeze, and fry method — is definitely worth a try. They're perfect to pair with some grilled burgers or a nice steak frites (maybe with a homemade peppercorn sauce). Give it a try and you very well might make the crispiest french fries you've ever had.