Should french fries be fried two times?
Most professional cookbooks tell me to fry french fries two times. First at a lower temperature of about 150-170°C and then at a higher temperature about 180-190°C.
Reference: http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Cookbook:French_Fries#Variations
Related: What varieties of potato would be good for chips / french fries?
What are the advantages of frying the potatoes two times?
Best Answer
The lower (first) temperature actually cooks the potato so that it is tender, the hotter temperature (second) is what gives the crispy golden coating.
If you just did the lower temperature, your fries might be too soft. If you just did the hotter temperature they would be too too tough.
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Quick Answer about "Should french fries be fried two times?"
Theory #1: "The first fry gets the outside to create a water tight barrier. That way, when you fry them the second time, they stay moist." Or, Theory #2: "The first fry cooks them through to the center—if you skipped that step, your fries would brown on the outside, but still be raw in the middle."Should you fry french fries twice?
Double frying works, but it's unnecessary IF you fry them correctly. This means slicing the potatoes to the right thickness and frying them at the right temperature. If you've read all about deep frying in my cooking methods, then you know that using the wrong temperature makes food absorb extra oil.Can you deep fry fries twice?
Pat potatoes dry, then add them to a pot of preheated oil and fry for five minutes. Allow the potatoes to cool before frying them a second time. Let cook until golden brown, then blot with a paper towel and salt before serving. Double-frying guarantees a wonderful crunch that will keep you coming back for more.How do you double fry fries?
Raise heat of oil to 350 degrees F. Cook potatoes again, 2 handfuls at a time, until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Remove from oil, shake off excess oil, and season lightly in a bowl with salt and pepper. Repeat until all potatoes are cooked.Once vs Twice Fried French Fries | BeatTheBush
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Answer 2
Well, that is part of what is going on. Frying at the lower temperature does get it cooked through without over-browning. However, if you kept cooking, you could get it brown without crisping. So, actually it has a lot to do with the changes to the starch molecules in the potatoes. The lower temperature frying brings the starch and water to the exterior of the fry, forming a coating, that is then crisped nicely on the outside while leaving the interior softer when cooked at the higher temp.
This blog actually explains it very nicely if you want more detail: http://aht.seriouseats.com/archives/2010/01/the-burger-lab-why-double-fry-french-fries.html
Answer 3
I know I'm a bit late here, but I do have an alternative to frying twice. If you don't want to fry twice, you can also boil the french fries in water that has one or two tablespoons of vinegar or lemon juice for about 15 minutes. You have to allow the fries to cool down after the boiling, at least until the steam is no longer present, before frying.
This is because the purpose of the first time cooking is to stimulate gelatinization and water loss. The fries are able to crisp due to the absence of water in the outer layer of the fries. The acid from the vinegar protects the starch from reacting with the boiling water. If you leave out the vinegar/lemon juice, the end result will not be the same.
Personally, I like this approach because it's less messy than frying twice and you can leave the pot unattended.
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