My sister is deathly allergic to potatoes so they were not allowed in the house when I was growing up. I have decided that this, rather than pure, unadulterated greed, is the reason why I always choose French fries over salad when presented with the choice in restaurants.
Over the years I have made them at home but the pain-in-the-neck-ness of having to cook the potatoes twice for crispness, not to mention the mess from the oil and the sinking feeling in the pit of one's stomach at the decreased level of oil in the fryer (that you can feel transforming directly into points in your cholesterol count) made this more of a chore than a culinary delight.
That said, when making certain things - like burgers - at home, you still want the fries. After much research and testing, I finally came up for a recipe that works every time and is pretty easy to make. I tend to make 1/2 a large potato per person and then add 1 extra large potato per 4 people in terms of portion size. Though, quite frankly, if you are like me you will eat whatever you are given in terms of fries - even if it is a super-sized portion.
3 large potatoes (Russett is good if you are buying potatoes specifically to make this recipe, otherwise use whatever you have to hand)
1 Tbsp olive oil
Salt to taste
Boiling water, enough to cover the potatoes
You have 2 options while making these - you can peel the potatoes and then carefully cut them into proper French fry shapes or you can wash them well and then cut them into wedges, without peeling them. Guess what I do...
Place the fries in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Place a plate over the bowl and leave for 20 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 425 while the fries are sitting in their bath. Once the oven is preheated, spread 1 tsp of the olive oil on a baking sheet and put it in the oven.
Drain the potatoes well. Tip them out of the colander onto a clean tea towel. Use a second tea towel to dry them well. This is the most important step in ensuring crispy fries so a little compulsive behavior during this step won't hurt.
Dry the bowl and add the remaining 2 tsps of oil. Place the dry fries back in the bowl and toss well, making sure that each one is coated with oil. Salt well.
Open the oven, quickly dump the potatoes onto the hot baking dish. Shake the dish to make sure that the potatoes spread out into one layer.
Roast for 30 minutes, shaking the pan from time to time to ensure that the potatoes don't stick.
After 30 minutes, check for doneness and adjust seasoning. Tell your arteries to chill and serve as you would regular fries.