No deep fryer needed for crispy, delicious fries!
While I do own a very nice deep fryer, I have to confess it doesn’t leave its cozy cupboard that often. It’s a bit of a hassle to clean and when I use it, I find it somewhat vexing to have my house – not to mention my clothes and hair – infested with a telltale oily smell that lingers for many hours afterwards. As a result, I’m often experimenting with ways to make oven-baked versions of my favourite deep fried goodies. I’m very happy with my wonton crisps and sweet potato fries, and I’ve also developed an impossibly delicious baked doughnut recipe. Now, I am delighted to present a sure-fire way to make crispy, perfectly-cooked French fries in your oven. I have to confess that the experimentation that led to this awesome recipe was inspired by a snippet I heard on CBC Radio one day, discussing the science of French fry making. It has proven to be a game changer for me; you can read all about it here.
For the best oven-baked fries, parboiling them in a water and vinegar solution prior to baking them is the secret to making them as crispy as though they’d been deep fried.
Ingredients
- 3 medium Russet potatoes (about 2 lbs/1 kg total weight)
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) white vinegar
- 2 – 3 tablespoons (30 – 45 mL) of olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 mL) sea salt
Method
- Wash the potatoes well and cut into uniform sticks about 1/2 inch (1.25 cm) thick.
- Put the potatoes in a large pot and add enough cold water to cover by 2 inches (5 cm). Add the vinegar.
- Bring the pot to the boil and cook for 5 minutes.
- Drain carefully using a sieve or colander. Spread the potatoes out on paper towel to absorb moisture, then put then on a wire rack in a single layer to allow them to dry completely, for at least 30 minutes (refrigerate the potato-filled rack if drying for longer).
- Preheat oven to 435F.
- Put dried potatoes in a bowl then drizzle with olive oil. Use your hands to gently turn them over and over so each piece is thoroughly coated.
- Put the fries on a large baking sheet, again in a single layer.
- Bake 10 minutes then turn the fries over.
- Bake an additional 15 – 20 minutes, until uniformly golden brown.
- Transfer fries to a paper towel-lined basket and jostle them gently to shake excess oil onto the paper towel.
- Season with salt (or other spices, as desired) and serve hot.
Serves 4.
Constantly Cooking with Paula Roy 
I will certainly try this! I often bake French fries, but have never though about boiling the potatoes first….
The parboiling seems to really make a difference in how well they crisp up in the oven – but don’t omit the vinegar”
It really works – made them last night and my guests raved about how tasty and crispy they were! 🙂
Very interesting! I had never considered boiling before – I always went straight to bake. But that photo of your chips is goooood looking. I’ll give it a try 🙂 Thanks!
Thanks! No Photoshopping required to make them look so tasty!
Yum – I cannot wait to try your ‘lighter’ poutine!
Love the tip! Not the fastest way to fries, but worth it 🙂
This worked great! Thank you.
So glad you enjoyed this recipe! Thanks for letting me know.
Best fries I’ve ever made. Will use this as my new gold standard way for making them. Love the asymmetrical texture and crisp. Perfect.
-Donald
So glad you found this recipe useful – I love these fries too!
Made these tonight, they were amazing! If I didn’t do the cooking I would have thought they were cooked in oil. I will definitely make these again. I could have just had the fries by themself!
This is so great to hear – thank you! I would say a plate of these fries qualifies as a perfect vegetarian or vegan meal haha!
I made these and they really were crispy. I will definitely make them again.
So glad you liked them! Thanks for your comment.