Lear how to make French fries at home, just like the ones you get at McDonalds.

A traditional french fry is usually blanched twice in oil; once at a lower temperature to soften the fry and cook it through, and once at a higher temperature to crisp and brown the fry. While this gives you good results, they still don't have the crisp exterior and mashed potato like interior that french fries served at McDonalds and other fast food restaurants do.

The secrete to getting that perfect, McDonald's French Fry like texture is to first boil in acidulated water, fry once, and then freeze.

Yes, really; FREEZE!

First, the acid in the water (white vinegar at the rate of 2% based on the weight of the water), sets the pectin on the exterior of the fry; allowing you to cook it through, without it falling apart.

The freezing will burst the interior cellular structure of the French fry, giving it a softer, more "mashed potato" like consistency.

Freezing the French fry also makes this approach extremely convenient. These fries can be prepped and frozen weeks in advance, and then taken directly from the freezer and dropped into hot oil whenever needed.

Credit to J. Kenji LopezAlt of Serious Eats and The Food Lab for first introducing me to the concept of blanching potatoes in acidulated water and freezing to get the best French Fry texture.

** Basic Process As Shown In This Video **

* Peel & cut potatoes into 1/8" 1/4" rectangles, with a length of 2.5 3".
* Blanch with acidulated water (2% white vinegar) until fries are tender and cooked through (about 35 minutes).
* Drain and dry on a paper towel.
* Fry at 325F for about 23 minutes.
* Drain again on a paper towel.
* Transfer to a sheet tray and freeze.
* Once frozen, place french fries in zip top freezer bag and return back to the freezer until you're ready to use.
* When ready to eat, drop frozen French fries into 375F oil for about 35 minutes, or until they're crispy and golden brown.
* Remove fries from oil, drain on paper towel, and season to taste.

Related videos can be found at the Stella Culinary Hamburger Resource Page: https://stellaculinary.com/hamburger