Yes, you can fry French fries ahead of time and reheat them, but they may not be as crispy as freshly made fries.
For those who need more details
Yes, it is possible to fry French fries ahead of time and reheat them, but the quality may be compromised. According to Food Network, the key to achieving crispy reheated fries is to make sure they are completely cooled before storing them in the refrigerator. Additionally, reheating them in an oven or air fryer, rather than a microwave, can help them maintain their crispiness.
However, it is worth noting that frying French fries twice, a technique commonly used by restaurants, may result in better reheated fries. As Serious Eats explains, the second fry, which is done at a higher temperature, allows for the fries to have a crispy exterior and a fluffy interior. Therefore, if you plan on reheating leftover fries, consider frying them twice.
Famous chef and TV personality, Gordon Ramsay, emphasizes the importance of getting the right temperature when frying French fries. In an interview with Bon Appétit, he says, “The biggest mistake people make with fries is that they fry them once. You’ve got to cook them twice. The first time you cook them through, but you don’t color them. Then when you use the fries again, you turn up the oil and fry them again to get the color and crispy texture.”
Here are some interesting facts on French fries:
- Despite the name, French fries actually originated in Belgium, not France.
- In the United States, July 13th is National French Fry Day.
- According to a survey by the National Potato Council, Americans consume around 30 pounds of French fries per year.
- The world’s largest French fry weighed 7.1 pounds and was made in 2014 in Currituck County, North Carolina.
- McDonald’s, one of the largest fast food chains in the world, sells approximately 9 million pounds of French fries every day.
To help visualize how to properly fry and reheat French fries, here is a table summarizing the process:
| Step | Description |
|---|---|
| 1 | Slice potatoes into equal-sized matchsticks |
| 2 | Soak the potatoes in cold water for at least 30 minutes |
| 3 | Drain the potatoes and pat them dry |
| 4 | Fry the potatoes in oil at 325°F until cooked but not browned |
| 5 | Remove the fries from the oil and let them cool completely |
| 6 | Store the fries in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 48 hours |
| 7 | When ready to reheat, preheat the oven or air fryer to 400°F |
| 8 | Spread the fries in a single layer on a baking sheet or air fryer basket |
| 9 | Bake or air fry until crispy and heated through |
| 10 | Serve and enjoy! |
Associated video
Chef Frank Proto shows how to make restaurant-quality French fries at home in this video. This begins with choosing the right potato, soaking them to remove excess starch, and then blanching them in 300-degree oil followed by frying in 375-degree duck fat. The cook explains frying the fries in two batches, and once they have been blanched, they are chilled in the fridge for about 3-4 hours to ensure crispy outsides and fluffy insides. The fries are then fried again until golden brown, seasoned with fine sea salt, and served hot. The chef also includes his personal sauce made of a mix of ketchup, mayonnaise, and Sriracha. Finally, he proclaims that viewers don’t need to go to a restaurant for this American favorite as these fries are restaurant-quality.
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Keeping this in consideration, Can I prep french fries ahead of time?
Make-Ahead Instructions
You can cut, soak, and parcook the potato sticks up to 2 hours ahead. Refrigerate the potatoes until you’re ready to do the second fry. Then be sure to heat the oil to 375° before adding the parcooked potatoes.
How do you prepare french fries the day before?
Make Ahead Method
- Soak the fries as instructed, dry them completely.
- Transfer to a plate/tray and flash freeze them for 40 minutes.
- Transfer to them to a freezer bag and freeze them for up to 3 months.
- When ready to serve, remove them from the freezer and fry them in batches at 400° until golden brown, about 5 minutes.
People also ask, How do you keep french fries crispy for hours? How to make stay-crispy French fries
- Cut fries. First, we have to cut our fries.
- Keep in water to prevent browning. Keep cut fries in water to prevent them from browning as you continue cutting.
- Rinse.
- Cook in vinegar water = superior crispiness.
- Drain and dry.
- Cooking vessel and oil.
- Fry #1.
- Cool 30 minutes.
How do you keep french fries fresh after frying?
As a response to this: For starters, when you stash the fries in the fridge, make sure you transfer them from the takeout container into an airtight storage container. And don’t let those leftovers sit in the fridge for longer than two days. Before you reheat the fries, allow them to come to room temperature for about an hour.
How to make French fries ahead of time?
In reply to that: Preparing ahead of time is a great way to ensure speed while making French fries. One of the best ways to prepare ahead of time is by slicing and soaking the potatoes before beginning the cooking process. Slice the potatoes and place them in water in the refrigerator. The potato slices can stay in the refrigerator for up to three days.
Secondly, Can you freeze french fries before frying?
Answer: Freeze prepped French fries in freezer bags for up to two months. 8. At frying time, get the fries out of the freezer a few minutes before you want to cook them. 9. Fry until crispy perfection has been reached. (I have a fryer similar to this and I love it. I use Palm Shortening for healthy and safe frying.)
Can you cook French fries on a griddle? Cooking your French fries on a griddle is a great time saver when you are trying to cook for a large group. Cooking French fries on a griddle allows you to cook many at one time, making this technique both simple and time efficient.
How do you make French fries crispy?
In reply to that: Slice the potatoes into ½ inch thick sticks. Using a French fry cutter makes this much easier. Soak the potato slices in cold water for a minimum of one hour, and up to overnight. The longer, the better as this process removes the starch which makes for extra crispy fries. Rinse the fries twice with cold water.