Double frying
Also searched as: double-fried chips, twice-fried fries, Belgian fries, double frying
In short: First cook at medium heat, then fry briefly at high heat until crisp. That way chips are soft inside and firm outside.
Like primer and varnish: the first coat prepares, the second makes the hard, shiny layer.
- 160 °C1st bath: cook the inside
- 190 °C2nd bath: dry and brown the crust
Below 160 °C none of this happens yet. From 160 °C: 1st bath: cook the inside.
What happens
In the first bath at about 160 °C, the inside cooks, the starch swells and the surface forms a thin skin. As it cools, this skin firms up. In the second bath at about 190 °C, the last water on the surface evaporates quickly, and the skin hardens and browns before the inside dries out.
Why it matters
Fried once, hot: dark outside, raw inside. Fried once, gently: cooked through but limp. Only separating the two solves both.
How it’s done
Cut the potatoes, soak them and dry them very thoroughly.
All steps as a list
- Cut the potatoes, soak them and dry them very thoroughly.
- Fry at about 160 °C for 5–6 minutes until cooked but still pale.
- Let them cool on a rack for at least 15 minutes.
- Fry at about 190 °C for 2–3 minutes until golden brown.
- Drain on a rack and salt straight away.
Rules of thumb
- Use a thermometer: the temperature is the whole trick.
- Small batches, otherwise the oil temperature drops a lot.
Fried food is greasySources · 2
- Fine Dining Lovers: The science of French fries
- Harold McGee: On Food and Cooking (2004), Kapitel Kartoffeln, Stärke, Frittieren