Easier French Fries

Name: Easier French Fries
Yield: Serves 3 to 4
Ingredients: 2 1/2 pounds, Yukon Gold potatoes (about 6 medium), scrubbed, dried, sides squared off, and cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch by 1/4-inch batons (see note); 6 cups, peanut oil, for frying; 1/4 cup, bacon fat, strained, for frying (optional) (see note); , Kosher salt

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Appears in Cook's Illustrated July/August 2009, America's Test Kitchen TV

Side Dishes

Vegetables

Classic crisp French fries with half the oil and no double-frying? We burned through 50-odd pounds of potatoes to land on an uncommonly easy approach.

SERVES3 to 4

TIME35 minutes

has video

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS

When we wanted a french fry recipe with half the oil and no double frying, we tried submerging the potatoes in cold oil before frying them over high heat until browned. With lower-starch potatoes like Yukon Golds, the result was a crisp ext...

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