That being said, I don't have a deep fryer and basically never served potatoes this way as I found the commercial store bought already made oven fries to be a bit on the dry side and not that tasty or crispy.
My background is British, so I was raised on"chips" as they call them and my Mother used to deep fry them in lard to get crispy.
Not really wanting to go down that road, and being a bit more health conscious, I put them out of my mind until now... I find I don't need a big serving, but they definitely add to a meal and are a nice change from mashed or boiled.
Seven Steps to Perfect Crispy Oven Fries
Step One - Slice your potatoes into fries, the slimmer the better. Check out this video to see just how the Pro's do it:
Step Two - Soak! Don't skip this step. This is the apparent secret to crispy fries. Take your freshly cut French Fries and place them into a bowl and fill with cold water.
Leave them for at least an hour. Some people let them soak overnight! So you will need to plan this out for your meal.
I have never soaked potatoes before. My mother literally used to just throw them in the deep fryer after cutting them years ago, but I don't have a deep fryer, so I added this step.
This apparently helps to get rid of the starches, that tend to make oven potatoes a bit softer.
Step Three - Drain and Dry with Paper Towels or a Clean Tea Towel. Get off as much of the moisture as you can.
Step Four - Using a baking sheet, place a piece of parchment paper on it and preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
Step Five - Place the fries into a clean bowl and add a little bit of vegetable oil, coat them. Using your hands move them around in the bowl until they are lightly coated. Don't use too much oil, we don't want to drown them, just a light coating.
Step Six - Lay them out on the parchment paper and not touching the best you can. If they clump together they won't get a chance to get crispy. At this point sprinkle salt and pepper if you wish on them.
Step Seven - Place in the hot oven and depending on how thick you cut the potatoes, this can take from 15 to 30 minutes to cook. You can turn them half way, but I didn't bother. Watch them carefully until you get used to how long they need to cook. We don't want burnt ones!
Result - Crispy Oven Fries without a Deep Fryer
If you are not a fan of cutting and shaping your own potatoes, you can get automatic potato cutters online such as this one:
I am left handed and not always the best with a sharp knife in my right hand, so using a veggie cutter would make quick work.
Another option is to leave on the potato peel. Just remove any eyes or buds and give it a good scrub and dry before slicing. Just another option.
Will Never Use Store Bought Oven Fries Again
After this little experiment of soaking the potatoes, which to me is new, I will continue with this. Maybe I have been living under a rock, but I just was not aware that soaking the fries was the secret to crispy oven fries.
Plus you know exactly what are in your fries cooking them from scratch. No additives other than the oil and seasonings of your choice. Check out the ingredient list on that next bag of store bought ones.
ENJOY!
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