Cookbook:French Fries

French fries (or chips) are a well-known element of fast food.

Ingredients

Potatoes (those with a high dry matter content such as Russet or Maris Piper work best)
Cooking oil
Salt

In the oil.

Peel potatoes, and cut into thin straw-like pieces.
Wash potatoes well with water to remove excess starch.
Place fries in a saucepan with water, and simmer or parboil on the stove for about 15 minutes.
Drain the fries, and dry them well.
Deep fry in 175°C vegetable oil, lard, or drippings for 4–5 minutes until light golden and crisp.
Remove from oil, and place on plate with paper towels to absorb the leftover cooking oil. Transfer to another plate if necessary.
Add salt and shake to ensure all French fries are evenly salted.

You can vary the size of the potato slices. Thick wedge shapes are home-style fries or English-style chips, while thinly julienned potatoes make for shoestring potatoes. Cooking times will need to be adjusted accordingly.
Try adding other spices after cooking. Minced garlic is popular in California cuisine.
Instead of ketchup, serve with mayonnaise, gravy, barbecue sauce, or salt, hummus, and vinegar.
For poutine (a French-Canadian treat), toss cooked fries with cheese curds and smother with gravy.
Some cook the fries a single time in a generous amount of oil pre-heated to a temperature around 375 °F (190 °C) until they are golden and slightly crisp.
The method recommended by most cookbooks and used by many restaurants, is to cook them in two stages: first at around 350 °F (177 °C) until the fries are nearly cooked but limp and pale; after they have been removed from the oil and allowed to cool, they are briefly fried at a higher temperature of around 375 °F (190 °C) until golden and crisp.
A method attributed to the celebrated French chef Joël Robuchon for the home cook says to put the sliced potatoes into a saucepan with just enough cold oil in it to cover the potatoes, then to cook them over high heat until golden, stirring occasionally.^[1]

Do not attempt to extinguish fat fires with water! If the oil becomes too hot, it may catch fire. Do not attempt to extinguish it with water, as this will cause an explosive reaction: oil floats on water, so water will only help the oil move up and get more oxygen. Instead, turn off the stove if possible, try to cover fire with a lid or any other piece of solid, non-flammable material, and use a class B fire extinguisher if the fire is still not under control. If that fails to work, evacuate and call the emergency service.

↑ Steingarten, Jeffrey. The Man Who Ate Everything. Vintage Books. pp. 409–411. ISBN 0-375-70202-4.