How to make homemade French fries is a far simpler process than many people would imagine. French fries are simply potatoes cut in a certain fashion and fried in fat or oil. Although the likelihood is that French fries purchased from a fast food outlet or even in frozen form from a supermarket will contain additives such as preservatives and salt, homemade French fries will be one hundred percent pure potato and thus homemade French fries are likely be a far healthier alternative to the bought variety.
It is vitally important when considering how to make homemade French fries that you in the first instance choose a suitable variety of potato. All potatoes are not the same and some are more suited to any specific cooking method than others. The varieties of potato available will depend upon your geographical location and although Maris Pipers are an excellent choice for making homemade French fries, should they not be available in your locale, ensure that you seek advice either online or from your local supermarket or grocery store.
In order to prepare the potatoes for making homemade French fries, they should firstly be peeled as normal. They should then be sliced to a thickness of about quarter of an inch and subsequently cut in to French fry sized strips.
Traditionally, French fries are of course deep fried in hot fat or oil. This is not an absolute requirement, however, and French fries can very effectively be cooked in a little oil in a medium to hot oven. If cooking French fries in the conventional sense, try to use oil as opposed to fat and use an oil such as sunflower oil or corn oil which is suited to high cooking temperatures. Bring the oil up to a heat where it sizzles when you splash a little cold water in it then add the French fries to fry for two to three minutes until they just begin to brown. Remove them from the oil and sit them on some kitchen paper for a minute before serving.
If you wish to cook your homemade French fries in the oven, add enough oil to a baking tray to cover the base of it and place the tray in to the oven to preheat to 400F/200C/Gas Mark 6. It is vital that the oil be hot in this way prior to adding the potatoes, or they will not only stick to the tray but absorb the oil and be quite inedible.
Carefully place the cut potatoes on to the hot tray and shake gently to ensure they are evenly coated in oil. Cook for fifteen to twenty minutes, removing to shake them again half way through the cooking time. Again, drain on some kitchen paper before serving and enjoy real, homemade French fries which beat the fast food variety hands down in every respect.