America loves French Fry. On average, we eat about 30 lbs of it per year. What better way to enjoy it than to make it on your own. We can control the salt and crispness. If done right, the flavor can be even better than your favorite fast food restaurant. But before making it, it all starts with the spuds. There are many on the market, from waxy to grainy. In my experience, the Best Potato for French Fries are the Russet Potato.

Different Type of Potato

There are a wide range of potatoes on the market. In the states, the most common are the russet, yellow and red potato. These three potato are very different in terms of texture. The Red Potato are the waxiest of the bunch. They are preferred for things like cold salad. However, they dont break down as easily as the other two.

The yellow Potato are a blend between waxy and grainy. When cooked, it gives off a buttery texture. I quite like using them for stews and soups. They melt in your mouth with a nice feel.

Finally the Russet Potato are the grainy type. They are best for mash, baked and French Fry. The grain texture means that it can develop a strong crust. It will also break down so that its soft when you bite into it.

How to Prepare the French Fry

To prepare the French Fry, you should start by cutting the Potato into wedges or sticks. I find that potato that are around 1/2 inch in thickness are the best.

Then proceed to parboiling precut Russet Potato. Doing this begins the initial stage of cooking. However, you should not cook it all the way. In this stage of cooking, the goal is to get the exterior to be rough. Having a Rough Exterior gives the fries texture. After boiling, let it cool so that it will drive off the excess moisture.

Fry it once at 325 degree Fahrenheit for around 5 minutes until its lightly colored. Remove and let it cool. Then raise the temperature to 350 and then fry until golden. By cooking fries in batches, you are reinforcing the strength of the crust.

Finally salt to taste, its best if this is done after frying. The salt will adhere better.

Best Potato for French Fries Thoughts

While you might be tempted to use any old Potato, nothing beats the ever popular russet potato. The grainy texture melts in your mouth and gives it a unbelievable crust. While you can technically use yellow, the crust is simply not the same. I would avoid red potato all together. If you following the steps above, you should be able to create restaurant quality French Fries.

Need to boil a big batch of potato? Check out our article on the Best Potato Steamer.