Lots of potato varieties will work as Organic French fries, but Goldrush potatoes are ideal due to their large size, oblong shape, and thin, smooth skins. They’re also less starchy than russets. Scrub your potatoes, and peel if you wish.
Cut carefully into fries of uniform thickness so that they will cook evenly. We like 1cm (1/2″) thick chips. Soak these in cold water for 15 to 30 minutes – longer if using russet potatoes. Some cooks like to change the soaking water once or more. It’s very important to dry your fries thoroughly using paper towel to blot away as much moisture as possible before they go into the oil.
The best French fries are crispy on the outside, and fully tender in the middle. This is accomplished by blanching the fries first, and then frying them a second time to crisp them up.
Using a thermometer, heat oil in a deep, heavy bottomed pot. You’ll need the oil to be about 8cm (3″) deep. Heat the oil to 135°C (275°F), and carefully lower the fries into it. Cook at this temperature for 5 minutes, then remove. Allow the fries to cool completely – this takes about an hour at room temperature. These half-cooked fries can be refrigerated at this point, and fried later.
For the second fry, heat the oil in the same pan up to 175°C (350°F). This time, cook them until they are golden brown and crispy. As you jostle them around in the oil with a spatula or wire ladle, you’ll be able to feel their texture change as they firm up. Remove the cooked fries, and drain off the excess oil. Briefly toss them on some paper towel, and toss with sea salt or other seasoning. Serve at once! With deep frying, always be extremely careful. Hot oil is dangerous stuff.
