Super-thin and crispy shoestring fries are delicious and very easy to make at home. With the perfect fries seasoning, these are great with hamburgers and steak!
For best results, always weigh ingredients where a weight is provided
Instructions
Julienne the potatoes into very thin “matchsticks” roughly 3mm / ⅛ inch thick. A kitchen mandoline is the quickest option for getting this done but use the guard and be careful not to cut your hands.
BLANCHE: Fill a large pot with about 2 litres / 2 quarts of water and add the salt. Over high heat bring it almost to a boil.
As soon as you see the first few bubbles appear, turn off the heat and add the julienned potato. Cover with a lid or large plate. Let the potato sit in the hot water for 10 minutes.
DRAIN AND COOL: Drain the julienned potatoes through a strainer, rinse briefly with cold water then transfer to a clean kitchen towel in a single layer. Gently pat them dry on top with another clean kitchen towel or paper towel then let them cool to room temperature (about 15 minutes or you can let them sit for longer meaning you can do this part well ahead of frying them).
PREPARE FOR FRYING:Line a large baking sheet with plenty of absorbent paper towel. Line a second baking sheet and place it into a warm oven (70C/160F).
Pour enough oil into a Dutch oven or large deep saucepan to come only ⅓ of the way up - very important so the oil doesn’t boil over when you add the julienned potatoes. Place an oil thermometer on the side and bring it to 170C / 340F over high heat.
THE FIRST FRY: Please read the safety notes in the notes section before proceeding - hot oil is no joke and with fries it needs extra precautions. Grab a wire skimmer (it’s a very large wire scoop) or very large slotted spoon and a fork. Place no more than ¼ of the blanched potato strings onto the wire skimmer and lower it into the hot oil. Let it sit for a few seconds to make sure it’s not going to bubble up too high to come over the top, then turn it over to release the potato strings into the oil. You can use the fork to loosen any strings that didn’t fall out of the skimmer.
Fry the shoestring fries for 1 minute or just until you notice a couple of them only just getting a slight golden hue in places - don’t get them too golden or they’ll be far to overdone by the end. Use your skimmer again to scoop them out onto the first towel lined baking sheet in one section.
Bring the oil temperature back up to 170C/340F and repeat 3 more times with the remaining potato strings.
SECOND FRY:Bring the oil temp back up again. Add the first portion of fries back to the oil and cook for another 30 seconds or until just slightly darker in colour - you don’t want them to be brown all over; bits of golden and bits of blonde are perfect! Transfer to the baking sheet in the oven and repeat with the remaining fries.
Combine the seasoning ingredients in a small bowl. Remove the paper towel from under the fries then sprinkle over the seasoning while they’re still hot. Add more salt or pepper to taste. You can also add other seasonings like garlic powder, cumin, cayenne powder, celery salt or ground celery seed.
Serve immediately.
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Notes
Tablespoons: I use a standard Australian 20ml tablespoon (equal to 4 teaspoons). Check yours before measuring.
Potatoes: It’s best to use large potatoes so you get longer strings. Many potatoes will work. Depending on where you are, look out for Russet potatoes, Yukon Gold potatoes, white all-purpose potatoes like Sebago potatoes and Coliban, Royal Blue potatoes, Maris Piper potatoes, King Edward potatoes.
SAFETY PRECAUTIONS - VERY IMPORTANT: When testing these shoestring fries, I quickly worked out their natural moisture, even after drying them with towel, will cause the oil to bubble up quite high.
Please use a deep pot like a dutch oven or very large saucepan - the deeper it is the safer it will be.
Whichever pot you choose, do not fill it more than ⅓ of the way up with oil.
Do not add more than ¼ of the potato strings to the oil at a time (both for safety and so that you aren’t overcrowding the pan)
I recommend using a large wire skimmer / strainer spoon. It’s great for lowering the fries into the oil and also for scooping them out quickly since they cook so quick.
Lower the potato strings into the oil on the skimmer and hold it there for a few seconds until you can see how much the oil is going to rise - if it looks good, proceed.
Have you tried this recipe?Don't forget to leave a rating and comment below and let me know how it was! I love hearing from you. Nutrition information is approximate and derived from an online calculator. The brands you use may cause variations.