Triple-Cooked Fries

1. Cut potatoes into 1/3-inch-thick steak fries.

2. Transfer fries to a bowl of cold water.

3. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Drain potatoes, add them to pot, and boil just until tender, about 5 minutes.

4. Carefully drain potatoes and transfer them to a paper towel–lined rack to cool. Refrigerate until chilled, about 1 hour.

5. In a large, deep skillet, heat 2 inches of oil to 250°F. Set a rack over a baking sheet. Working in batches, fry potatoes just until they begin to brown around the edges, about 8 minutes.

6. Transfer the potatoes to the rack and let cool. When all of the potatoes have been fried once, heat the oil to 350°F.

7. Fry potatoes again, in batches, until golden and crisp, about 7 minutes per batch.

8. Drain the fries on a paper towel–lined baking sheet.

9. Sprinkle with salt and serve.

About this recipe

Time-consuming? Perhaps. Worth it? Without a doubt. For folks who take their French fry game very seriously, these triple-cooked fries are as crispy, crunchy, and fried to golden perfection as they get. The key is implementing chef Heston Blumenthal’s iconic triple-cooked method that guarantees the crunchiest spuds with every batch. The fries do take a bit of patience and an efficient work station is a must. But adopting this technique makes enjoying restaurant-quality fries at home — without a deep fryer — more than achievable.

Notes from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen

When preparing triple-cooked fries, it’s best to work in smaller batches to avoid extreme fluctuations in the frying oil's temperature. Keep an eye on the thermometer as you introduce a new batch and adjust the temperatures as needed. Between batches, return the oil to the appropriate temperature for even crispier results.

Make ahead

Although triple-cooked fries are best when consumed shortly after prepared, you can get a head start on some components of the dish. For example, setting up your cooking station. Even though the ingredient list is short — potatoes, salt, and oil — the list of cooking supplies is a bit more involved. Be prepared to have a large bowl, large pot, baking sheet, skillet, wire rack, frying thermometer, heat-resistant spider strainer, and a roll of paper towels handy.