than waxier varieties like Yukon Gold or red skins. It’ll also
maintain a fluffier interior once cooked. For size, ¼ to ⅜
inch thick is good, optimizing the ratio of crisp crust while
maintaining enough soft center to provide good potato
flavor.
¼-inch is the ideal thickness for a French fry.On to the cooking. Classic French technique will have
you believe that the road to perfect fries involves frying
once at a relatively low temperature (between 275° and
325°F), followed by a resting period and then a second fry
at a higher temperature (between 350° and 400°F). The most
common explanation I’ve heard for this is that the first low-
temperature fry allows the fries to soften through to the
center, while the secondary fry crisps up their exterior. I
decided to put this theory to the test by cooking three
identical batches of fries: