Whether you call them French Fries, Chips, or plain old Fried Potato Sticks, you’ll be amazed at how satisfying it is to make your own at home. I like to make them on weekends, so I have enough time to really concentrate on making them perfect. Serve them with a sandwich, a homemade burger, or a good steak, and it’ll become one of your favorite meals. I promise.

Note: if you’re new to deep frying, read through my tips in my previous post, It’s Fry Day! Above all, be careful.

Don’t Fear the Fryer Fries Recipe

5 to 6 large Russet potatoes, peeled
about a quart of peanut or sunflower oil
Kosher salt to taste

At least one hour before:
Peel the potatoes. Or, if you like, leave the peels on and just give them a good scrubbing. Cut potatoes into 1/4-inch thick slices. I like my fries thick, as homemade fries should be, but feel free to go thinner. Submerge in a large bowl of chilled water, and keep in the fridge at least an hour.

Start heating the oil in a heavy, deep pot over medium heat. Get the temperature up to 325F.

The First Fry:
Drain potatoes from cold water, and pat well with a bunch of paper towels. Fry in small batches for 3 to 4 minutes until very very light brown, transferring to a cookie sheet or large platter lined with paper towels. Once they’re all done, increase the heat of your oil to 375F.

The Second (and Last!) Fry:
With your oil at 375F, fry the fries again until golden brown, another 3 minutes. Transfer to paper towels, and immediately season generously with Kosher salt.

Serve right away as part of a meal, or with a nice bottle of your favorite ketchup.

Because it’s Friday, because I had a great day shopping with my husband, and because I’ve been so good about staying away from the sweets, I’m sharing with you my recipe no-fail homemade French Fries today.

But first: these aren’t baked fries. They’re deep-fried fries, which- I have to say- are so much better.

For a long time, I was afraid of deep-frying. Hello, kitchen fires? But then I realized that as long as I follow these easy guidelines, I had nothing to fear:

Tips for Deep Frying

• Use good, fresh oil. It shouldn’t smell rancid. I like Peanut or Sunflower, because Canola has a weird aftertaste for me.
• Use a deep, very heavy pot. You must leave at least two inches of space at the top of the pan after you’ve added your oil. This is your “safety margin”.
• Begin heating the oil on medium-high. You want to bring your temperature up to around 350F, but don’t start off with a super high flame. Be patient.
• Use the right temperature. Invest in a deep fat frying thermometer. It doesn’t cost much, and you can use it for making candy too!
• Dry your food. You don’t want to go throwing something wet in your boiling oil. Dry your meat or potatoes or whatever it is you’re frying with a paper towel.
• Be careful when frying. Always add food to the boiling oil away from you, to minimize the risk of hot oil spattering on you.
• Don’t crowd the pot. Keep in mind that whenever you add something to the hot oil, its temperature will drop. So take your time, and let your oil come back up to the proper temperature between batches.

My recipe for “Don’t Fear the Fryer” Homemade French Fries is coming up next!