We call Friday’s Free Fry Friday in our house for a silly reason. When my 2 big kids were little, we made it through those LONG winter days by going to play at open gym on Friday afternoons. Afterwards, we always stopped and grabbed free fries from McDonalds. I have no clue why, but they offered a free medium fry with the purchase of a $1 drink so obviously we made it part of our routine. The name for Friday’s has stuck and always makes me yearn for those simpler days.
Anyways, that story has absolutely nothing to do with this recipe, but it seemed like a good intro, so it’s what you get. This recipe was born when I was craving a burger and fries. There is a restaurant in town that makes the BEST burgers, which is really what I wanted but decided to try it at home instead. Burgers turned out so good, but the fries were even better! I’ve read a bunch of recipes, all a bit different but the two things they had in common, was to be sure to soak the potatoes before making them and double fry them. Since I wanted to make these healthier, I knew I was going to be utilizing my air fryer.
Here’s how I made them
First, slice the potatoes into equal size pieces. Honestly, using a french fry maker, would be 100% easier than cutting them by hand, but I don’t own one, though may invest soon :-).
Next, soak the potatoes in cold water in a bowl for 20-30 minutes. Do not salt the water! I’ve read several recipes that say if you soak them longer, the fries will turn out crispier. I soaked mine for 20 minutes and they came out just fine! If I had more time, or planned ahead, I would absolutely try to soak them longer. After they were done soaking, I rinsed them well in cold water and patted them dry.
Then, I arranged them on a cookie sheet, and tossed them with olive oil, salt and pepper. I baked them at 400 degrees for 25 minutes until golden brown and soft. I finished them off in the air fryer, 20-25 minutes at 400 degrees.
Seriously, these are SO good! Fresh from the fryer fries and definitely healthier than fast food!