Make Perfect Thin and Crisp French Fries at Home

I’m with Good Eats author Kenji on this one – a perfectly cooked and seasoned fresh McDonald’s french fry is the epitome of everything a fry should be. Great, right? ‘Cept there’s a few problems… 1) it’s rare that a McDonald’s franchise produces perfectly cooked and seasoned fries, or that when you get them they’re guaranteed to be fresh; and 2) I don’t eat at McDonald’s. Ever.

So this is the kind of helpful article that simply makes my toes curl and rush to the grocery store immediately. Hamburgling a few frozen McDonald’s batches to dissect them with great scientific inquiry, Kenji came up with four ‘perfect fry factors:

1) The exterior must be very crisp, but not tough

2)The interior must be intact, fluffy, and have a strong potato flavor.

3) The fry must be an even, light golden blond

4) The fry must stay crisp and tasty for at least as long as it takes to eat a full serving.

And the dude did it. Straight up, perfect replica, with none of the terrible corporate politics or food additives to accompany.

Read all about the science of the perfect french fry here, then grab the recipe.