How to make French Fries

Nothing beats homemade French fries! They're much better than the fast food version, and healthier too! Listed below are the steps involved in making French fries. You can get cooking tips and learn how to make tasty, healthier versions of other fast food favorites at home with the wonderful Copycat Cookbook: Fast Food Recipes. These cooking instructions will show you how to make a homemade French fries recipe.

Step 1

Ingredients

• 2 large baking potatoes
• 2 tablespoons olive oil (for baked fries)
• Several cups of oil (if frying the French fries)
• 1 teaspoon each: paprika, garlic powder, chili powder, onion powder
• Kosher salt

Supplies

• For baked fries: Baking sheet
• For frying method: large pot, slotted spoon
• Platter with paper towels for cooling the fries

Step 2

Prepare the potatoes. When making homemade fries, you can leave the skins on or peel the potatoes first. Cut the potatoes into wedges. You can make the fries as thick or as thin as you want, but keep in mind that larger fries will take longer to cook, and will be difficult to cook evenly. They will cook best if they are about 1/3 to 1/2 inch wide and thick. Then mix the other ingredients together, and coat the potatoes with the mixture.

Step 3

Bake or deep frying the fries. There are two ways to make French fries: baking and frying. If you are baking them, place in a single layer on a baking sheet. If they still have the skin, place the skin sides down. Bake for 30 to 45 minutes in a 450 degree oven, until golden brown. While baking is healthier than the frying method, when you deep fry French fries, most of the oil is left in the pot. If you are deep frying your French fries, do it in small batches. Heat the oil in the pot as hot as you can, and then drop in your French fries in one layer. Be careful, because this may cause the oil to pop, so stand back. Frying each batch should take about 4 to 5 minutes. Once they have turned a golden color, remove them with a slotted spoon and drop them onto the paper towel-covered platter.

Step 4

Salt the fries. Before the French fries have cooled, salt each batch of fries with kosher salt. Then lay the next batch on top of it on the drying tray. Repeat this process until all of the fries have been cooked and salted.

Step 5

Enjoy! Serve the fries warm. Don't try to reheat them in the oven, or they will become soggy.

French fries make a great side dish at any barbecue. When you're making hamburgers, make your own French fries to go with them! You can make as much or as little as you want. Just slice more potatoes, and make more of the oil/spice mix to coat them with. You can also experiment with different spices on your fries. Try basil or Parmesan cheese, for example. When you make homemade French fries, you have much more control over the flavor than when you use frozen fries, and they're much healthier than the restaurant ver