I made McD's french fries...

[RonB]

...and they were great. Kenji did his usual deep dive on recreating McD french fries some years ago and I made them, but they were a lot of work and messy. What was good about them was that, since they are best after freezing, it's easy to make a large batch, portion, and freeze.

Fast forward to a few months ago when I bought an outdoor fryer, and I knew I was gonna make those fries again. Several days ago I started the fries and put them in the freezer. Yesterday I decided to make burgers and cook some of those fries. They turned out great again. Great for me means crispy without being too brown, staying crisp in a warm oven, and while eating. They also stay warm on the plate longer too. And great taste of course. So I modified the recipe slightly by making ½ inch fries instead of ¼ inch fries. I also reduced the amount of vinegar slightly so because I didn't want to taste it in the fries. I think that helped the texture slightly by allowing a tiny bit of exterior softness to some of the fries that increased the crispness.

The general process is:
cut
boil
fry
cool and then cook or freeze and then cook

Kenji's recipe is here .

Cooking outside comes with an easier cleanup and a much less cramped feeling than doing it inside. I cooked the fries and put them in a warm oven to hold while I cooked the burgers.



Here's what I meant about extra crispy.


So far I have cooked fried chicken wings, onion straws, lumpia, potato chips, and french fries. Everything turned out great. If fried foods were not so unhealthy, I'd be using it much more.

[LA Pork Butt]

Did you make McDonald’s fries from bygone days? They were fried in beef fat.

[RonB]

No beef fat. It's hard enough for me to get my wife to eat things fried in "healthy" fats...

[tamidw]

Those are the kind of crunchy ends I like on French fries and I like crunchy outside, soft inside.

I used to have a fryer but then got rid of it because I wanted to eat healthier and deep frying foods in the house make the house smell. Now if there’s things to fry, I grab a pot and put it on my outside burner with oil.

[Steve B]

I've made them a couple of times. We really like them. I got a 3/8" blade for the French fry press, as the 1/4" is a little too thin, which I haven't tired yet. But overall, they turn out great.

[RonB]

I bought a cheap ff cutter years ago, but never liked it. First, it will only cut short pieces, so I have to cut each tater in half lengthwise, and I also have to trim the sides off too often. I did not replace it 'cause I wasn't gonna make more fries. Now I'm eying a better ff cutter...

[Michael_in_TX]

While it has been a bit since I've had McDonald's fries, that closeup shot really does look like them!

[Duanessmokedmeats]

Did you fry them in old oil?

[RonB]

I haven't changed the il since I received the fryer several months ago.

[DavidNorcross]

What fryer did you purchase? I cannot remember did you get the Cajun Fryer?

[RonB]

I bought the smallest fryer, (2.5 gal), because of space limitations. I should have bought the next size up. It's literally less than $10 more, and holds 4 gal of oil. It takes longer to heat up, but should hold temps better.

[Sweaty Paul]

They looked spectacular!