Best Potatoes For French Fries [2023] – Starchy vs Waxy Potatoes

The best fries potatoes is Russet potatoes and Maris Piper potatoes. Maris Piper is mainly limited to Western Europe and the United Kingdom. The Russet is the best for French fries worldwide.

However, they are now a standard ingredient in modern cuisine that each renowned culinary school has a full class on potatoes.

While you do not have to attend school to know about potatoes. There are some subtleties associated with the cooking process in a variety of ways, such as deep-frying the potatoes.

In the beginning, you must have the right kind of potato to get even close to making the ideal French fries. You must follow a few easy steps that are crucial and you may need to delay a little longer than you prefer to wait until you get the moment when you can taste the crispy and delicious fries.

Before you go to the section, you must know which types of potatoes are most suitable for fries. Today, there are a few hundred varieties of potatoes available in the market.

Read on as there’s plenty to know about potatoes in general and the method of deep-frying the most delicious fries of your life.

Starchy vs Waxy Potatoes

Potatoes are generally classified into two major categories, and there is a third that can be placed in between.

The two categories are more commonly referred to for their sugary content and being sticky potatoes.

Based on their attributes Based on their characteristics, each variety can be used in a variety of recipes, and some varieties are suitable for almost every cooking method, also known as all-purpose potatoes.

Waxy Potatoes: Ideal For Boiling Baking, Roasting, or Boiling

On one side of the range of potatoes are the waxy potatoes. The distinctive characteristics of these potatoes are their low content of starch and high levels of moisture.

Also, they can maintain their shape when cooked or heated, this is why the majority of cooks don’t make use of them in dishes that contain potato mash. The waxy potatoes are also distinguished by smaller skins and more creamy flesh than starchy potatoes.

Most often, those potatoes that are squishy are smaller with a round shape. This is because they are generally harvested at a significantly older time than their starchy relatives.

This grouping includes the majority of red-skinned potatoes as well as many varieties of purple, blue, and fingerling varieties.

Waxy potatoes are ideal for cooking in any application, including frying. However, they will not work like other potatoes. Also, you can use them for boiling, baking, or roasting but you can make your French fries with potatoes that have more starch.

Waxy potatoes come in many varieties, but the most well-known instances include New Potatoes, Russian Banana, Red Bliss, French fingerling, and more.

Starchy Potatoes: Best For Deep Frying

As the name implies, these potatoes are characterized by an extremely high amount of starch but, at the same time, they have less moisture.

You can see that starchy potatoes are unable to hold their shape. They are also extremely absorbent. This makes them perfect for deep-frying, and French fries, in particular.

You must be familiar with the most popular type of starchy potato known as the Russet. In addition, it is called the most appropriate potato to cook French fries.

There are numerous alternatives available and we’ll go over them in detail in the subsequent sections.

All-Purpose Potatoes: Best of Both Worlds

All-purpose potatoes, also known by the name the floury potato provide the best of two worlds. They’re neither too starchy, nor are they too watery.

They’re perfect for virtually any type of cooking method, including cooking in frying. The most well-known variation that is an all-purpose potato is Yukon Gold.

With an understanding of the different types of potatoes that you can choose from, which are the best ones to fry? In addition to the Russet and the Russet, different varieties can serve you as well like Maris Piper.

The two kinds of potatoes you can utilize to attain the highest level of French fries:

1. Russet Potato
2. Maris Piper Potato

What is it that makes the Russet the best option for perfect fries? Shouldn’t the best French fries come of something different that you’ve never thought of?

It’s not true, the Russet is the most classic of potatoes. It looks exactly like the way they draw them in cartoons. To make the most delicious fries, you’ll need nothing except a decent potato, and more information.

Imagine the perfect portion of fries. If you’re not sure about the fries, picture them you would find at your local food stand. If we’re in the same boat and you are imagining fries, the fries you envision will be golden brown with a crisp shell and a soft with a soft and smooth feel. These are the traits of well-cooked French fries.

There’s no better option than the Russet to get the perfect crispy shell. For texture, we think that the Russet is not as good as another popular potato, namely Maris Piper.

We’ll go over it in depth below, but because Maris Piper is most often distributed across Europe and the Russet is the most popular option due to its accessibility across the globe.

It is Russet is also renowned for its high nutrients.

The kind of potato that is this type is high in antioxidants and fiber as well as numerous minerals and vitamins. However, potatoes with a starch content tend to be more calorific, and that’s why they’re not the best choice for all people.

Here’s a tiny chart that contains the most significant nutritional data for medium-sized Russet potato. It is then in comparison to the daily value of a diet that is 2000 calories.

The British are famous for their love for potatoes. They have potatoes for all seasons along with a myriad of specialty dishes. Also the British are familiar with their potatoes and the most famous variety of French fries is known as Maris Piper.

Maris Piper has been around since the 60s. It has grown to become the most sought-after variety of potato available in the United Kingdom but as we previously mentioned, it’s not as popular in other regions of the world. This is the reason we suggest Russet instead since it’s readily available in all regions.

For the characteristics, Maris Piper is almost identical to Russet with only minor distinctions that we’ve already mentioned. These potatoes are distinguished by their fluffy texture, which enhances the flavor of cooked fries.

The nutritional chart below for Maris Piper potatoes will be presented by comparing them to a normal medium-sized Russet potato that weighs about 175 grams.

Because Maris Piper potatoes are not much known compared to Russets We will keep to the most popular numbers we are certain of.

How To Make Perfect Deep-Fried French Fries

We are aware that fries aren’t the most popular food item you can cook for days. However, the desire to eat fries is never in the beginning and it’s usually so intense that we crave to eat them right away.

If you’d like to achieve a new standard that is French fries, follow this recipe in depth that will guide you through the very beginning of preparation to the first bite of pure bliss.

Step 1: Clean your potatoes thoroughly.

Step 2: Cut your potatoes in half and peel them. Based on the kind of potato you pick you might opt not to peel them. In terms of cutting it is recommended to cut the potatoes in a manner that is similar to the fries you order from a take-out restaurant. We think that this adds a dimension of satisfaction in the end.

Step 3: One of the key elements for the best French fries lies in the soak time. Most experts recommend soaking them for at least 24 hours. While this time can be rewarding, however, you can reduce the time of soaking and leave them for as long as you like. We’ve said that the desire to have French fries can be too strong to stay for too long.

To prevent your potatoes from becoming oxidized and losing their color, you should add one tablespoon of vinegar per gallon.

Step 4:As as soon as you think cooking then dry the potatoes with an absorbent towel or at the very least, rub them on the pan on a sheet to drain all water. If you’re not in a rush then you can utilize an air-tight cooler for drying potato skins for a couple of hours, or even for a night.

Step 5: Begin your cooking by boiling your potatoes at a moderate temperature in the oil. The time it takes to cook them will depend on their size. The most reliable way to tell when they are ready to go is to determine if they stretch without breaking.

Step 6:You have to cool your fries before the second fry. To maximize the value of your time making a bigger batch of fries, then store it in the fridge.

Step 7: Cook your potatoes an additional time, using higher temperatures. Because you blanched them before as well as cooked them up to an appropriate level the potatoes will get the golden brown crispiness we all want and love.

Step 8: Enjoy the heat and have fun!

If you love McDonald’s French fries, then you should take a look at Morgan Hipworth’s recipe – he claims they’re tastier than the original McDonald’s French fries…

FAQs

What Is The Best Oil For French Fries?

Even if you’ve completed all the steps required to prepare your perfect French fries, your result could not be satisfactory if you’ve not used the right oil.

Oil is a key ingredient during cooking deep. Different types have distinct smoke points. You want an oil that can withstand extreme heat. If the smoking point of the oil is too low then your fries won’t be crisp as you’ve always wanted.

The best oil to use is an oil that is neutral and doesn’t alter the taste of potatoes that you originally had in your fries. If you don’t, you could make use of any of the well-known oils known for their ability to withstand high temperatures – such as peanut oil, canola oil, and cottonseed oil.

There are other options to use the most popular types of oil such as sunflower or vegetable oil, but they’re not always as potent. You can read my guide on the best oils for deep frying for more information.

Why Re-use Old Oil For Deep Frying French Fries?

The ideal oil for French fries is the one that has been allowed to degrade to a certain level. Also, it is recommended to use the oil you have used just one or two times before and then filtered as much as feasible.

If you’re looking for an explanation that is more thorough the brand new oil will not stick to your fries as well as oil whose molecules have been broken down. This means less crispiness of the fries which is precisely what we’re looking for here.

How To Reheat French Fries To Make Them Crispy Again?

Despite all the apparent desire for fries, indeed, we can’t ever eat everything we eat is it not? It is a popular belief that old fries aren’t good enough to eat because they’ve lost their crispness and a significant amount of their flavor. It could be due to fast-food chains selling inferior quality products that are ruined if you don’t consume the fries within 30 minutes.

However, there is an easy and quick method to warm your fries and give them a some of that crispiness from the beginning:

• Step 1:Take your fries that you left and cut them into pieces.
• Step 2:Take off a heavy-bottomed pan, and warm oil over medium-high heat. You only need just a couple of tablespoons.
• Step 3:When you are sure that the oil is heated Add your little portions of French fries and cook them until they are crispy once more. This could take no more than five minutes, but it can take more than 10 minutes. It is contingent on the amount of moisture that has taken in since you first cooked them.

When the fries are ready make sure you remove any excess oil using paper towels and serve them immediately. Naturally, you can’t anticipate the same level of crispiness through this process, but it can certainly make them crisper than they were before.

It is important to not waste food that we have leftovers to go to waste. Most of the time there is a way to improve the way it looks once it’s been in the refrigerator for a couple of days.

Why Double Fry French Fries?

Double-frying can be used with various other dishes and is essential to get to that perfect crust for your food. The method of frying is drying out the food ingredient.

When you cook those potatoes first, you’re getting rid of as much moisture as you can. In the end, you’ve had them soaked for a particular duration.

Also, the first pan of frying is intended of cooking your potato as thoroughly as it can on the inside. The second will give the perfect crispness.