Triple Cooked Fries Recipe · i am a food blog (2024)

Table of Contents
29 Comments Leave a Reply FAQs

I have an obsession with French fries. I love, love, love them. They are a combo of one of my favourite foods (potatoes) and cooking methods (deep-frying). If deep fried foods weren’t so calorific, I’d definitely indulge in them daily. The crunch and texture differences get me every single time.

Triple Cooked Fries Recipe · i am a food blog (1)

I’ve tried making french fries at home multiple times and they never turn out quite as good as when someone else makes them. I’m not sure if it’s the commercial deep-fryers, or some secret that I don’t know about, but every time I give french fries a go, they end up disappointing.

Some of the best french fries (or chips, as the British like to call them) I’ve had were at Heston Blumenthal’s restaurant, Dinner. The triple cooked chips were insanely good. They had crispy-crunchy, shattering exteriors and fluffy, moist interiors.

They were so good that I should have known my at-home attempt would be pale in comparison. No surprise: they were ok, but not great. Definitely not as crunchy as I wanted them to be. I think I over cooked the potatoes a bit when simmering them. These were a little too fussy to try again, but I think trying again is going to be the only way I get to eat these fries unless I can somehow make my way to London again.

i am cooked, i am cooked, i am cooked again: i am triple cooked fries!

Triple Cooked Fries Recipe from Heston Blumental at Home
makes a lot of fries

  • 2 pounds baker’s potatoes, peeled and cut into fries (approximately 2x2x6 cm)
  • grape seed oil
  • sea salt

Place the fries into a bowl of running water for 5 minutes to wash the starch off.

Put the potatoes in a large saucepan and fill with cold tap water until potatoes are covered. Place the pan on medium heat and simmer until the potatoes are almost falling apart, about 20 minutes.

Carefully remove the fires and place them on a cooling rack to dry out. Place the rack in the freezer to remove the moisture.

Heat a deep pan no more than half filled with oil to 265F. Fry the fries in small batches until a light crust forms (about 5 minutes). Remove from the oil and drain on paper towels.

Put the potatoes on a cooling rack and freeze again for an hour to remove even more moisture.

Heat the oil to 350°F and fry the fries until golden (about 7 minutes). Drain and sprinkle with sea salt. Enjoy hot.

Triple Cooked Fries Recipe · i am a food blog (2)

29 Comments

  1. Lynna H. says:

    April 17, 2012 at 10:34 am

    triple cooked fries?! sounds amazing!

    Reply

  2. Jessica says:

    April 17, 2012 at 2:55 pm

    these look amazing im not sure i can make them ever or id just eat them forever and ever probably

    Reply

  3. Darrell says:

    April 18, 2012 at 1:44 pm

    After boiling and drying off, how long do you put in the freezer for this stage?

    Reply

    1. steph says:

      April 18, 2012 at 1:46 pm

      At least an hour. If you’re not planning on eating the fries right away, after the hour, you can put them in a freezer bag and keep them in the freezer until you’re ready to fry.

      Reply

  4. I’m new to your blog and absolutely love it. I’ve done the double-fry (the only way to go) but haven’t done the triple cooked fry! So intrigued.

    Reply

  5. April 21, 2012 at 6:59 pm

    Can’t wait … french fries are definitely an obsession of mine as well!

    Reply

  6. April 25, 2012 at 7:20 am

    Oh my god! What a nice blog! Will come back for sure!

    Reply

  7. April 30, 2012 at 1:20 pm

    Never tried triple frying. Since the children are grown up I don’t make home made chips anymore but this post just might make me have a fry night :)

    Reply

  8. Lauren says:

    May 24, 2012 at 1:33 am

    It could have been too much moisture in the potato that meant you didn’t get the mega crunch. Start with a potato that is already low in moisture…cut the potato with the skin still on, squeeze near the edge, if there is water or bubbles, then its too high in moisture. Also, when potatoes are washed and scrubbed for supermarkets, they will usually retain more moisture, so buy potatoes that are still covered in dirt and clean yourself.

    Reply

  9. Deea says:

    June 13, 2012 at 8:58 pm

    These look soooo good! I confess that french fries are my favorite food. Can’t wait to try them!

    Reply

  10. DL says:

    June 22, 2012 at 5:46 am

    Your photos are fab. Are they your own work?

    Reply

  11. karan mulki says:

    July 2, 2012 at 12:32 am

    Are maris piper the best potatoes for these fries?

    Reply

    1. steph says:

      July 3, 2012 at 9:06 am

      Maris piper are best if you can find them. They’re quite common in the UK, but not so much in North America.

      Reply

  12. karan mulki says:

    July 2, 2012 at 12:36 am

    Wow….
    these are the best fries i’ve ever had..!
    they taste much better than lambweston’s stealth fries;!

    Reply

  13. Jay says:

    October 4, 2012 at 11:48 am

    Love the recipes and craft of the site. As far as the fries between fryings put them in ice water for 20 minutes. They come out crispy on the outside and soft in the middle. Learned that on the No Reservations “how to” episode.

    Reply

  14. April 7, 2013 at 7:18 am

    Aw, this was an extremely nice post. Taking a few minutes and
    actual effort to generate a superb article… but what can I say… I hesitate a whole lot and never manage to get anything done.

    Reply

  15. alexandra says:

    April 9, 2013 at 1:26 pm

    delicious

    Reply

  16. November 12, 2014 at 4:16 am

    I am a big fan of Heston! This recipe of his is just amazing!

    Reply

  17. Cat says:

    June 18, 2015 at 12:07 pm

    If you have 17 hours to make effing french fries, heres the recipe for you!!

    Reply

  18. Fran Tarrio says:

    July 15, 2015 at 10:31 am

    Give me a break!!!!

    Reply

  19. Granny Gruntz says:

    August 29, 2015 at 2:01 pm

    *Sounds good! – *HOWEVER – would probably be too time consuming and complex for today’s “family cook and meal “preparer”!

    Reply

  20. dtaylor says:

    October 13, 2015 at 2:44 pm

    i saw these triple cooked fries on unique eats…so glad i found your site for the how to.

    Reply

  21. Tom Sidesinger says:

    May 21, 2016 at 8:48 am

    Can I use peanut oil instead of grapeseed oil?

    Reply

    1. Stephanie Le says:

      May 21, 2016 at 3:22 pm

      absolutely!

      Reply

  22. Gilbert Delgado says:

    October 9, 2017 at 7:51 pm

    I am definitely going to try that

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Triple Cooked Fries Recipe · i am a food blog (2024)

FAQs

What is triple cooked fries? ›

Blumenthal began work on the recipe in 1993, and eventually developed the three-stage cooking process. The chips are first simmered, then cooled and drained using a sous-vide technique or by freezing; deep fried at 130 °C (266 °F) and cooled again; and finally deep-fried again at 180 °C (356 °F).

Are triple cooked chips worth it? ›

Who can resist a plate of golden, crisp, freshly cooked chips? Cooking them three times at different temperatures is the way to perfection: it's not difficult and is totally worth it!

Why do British people call fries chips? ›

The humble french fry was invented 1775. When fries were introduced to Great Britain they referred to them as chips as they were “chipped” off the potato. When chips were then invented and made their way over there they already had something called a chip so they called them crisps instead.

Are French fries from France? ›

While the origin of the French fry isn't entirely clear, historians often credit it to France or Belgium. After being introduced to Europe by the Spanish, the potato gradually spread throughout the continent.

What are restaurant french fries coated with? ›

A clear starch coating keeps fries hot and crisp longer, so your takeout customers get the delicious fries they're craving. This popular 3/8" cut is noted for its flavor and versatility.

Why are restaurant fries so crispy? ›

And generally speaking, restaurants fry their french fries twice: once at a lower temperature to cook the inside of the fry, and then a second time at a higher temperature to brown the exterior.

Why are my triple cooked chips not crispy? ›

Fry in batches, overcrowding means the chips do not cook evenly. Ensuring the steam is removed and the chips are dried out after the first stage is key to crispness.

What is the most unhealthy chip brand? ›

Potato chips from brands known for excessive salt, saturated fats, and artificial additives tend to be less healthy. Examples include Lay's, Pringles, and Ruffles. Opting for baked or kettle-cooked chips and checking nutritional labels can help make a healthier choice.

What do British people call McDonald's fries? ›

I understand that the British call CHIPS, what Americans call French fries.

What are cookies called in England? ›

A cookie (American English) or biscuit (British English) is a baked snack or dessert that is typically small, flat, and sweet.

What do Brits call fish and chips? ›

Fish and chips
A standard serving of fish and chips with a wedge of lemon and garnish of parsley, served in Blackpool, England
Alternative namesFish supper / Fish 'n' chips
Place of originEngland
Region or stateNorthwestern Europe
Serving temperatureHot
3 more rows

What is the fancy name for French fries? ›

pommes frites

The French aren't keen on calling their fried potatoes French fries. Instead, they're called pommes frites, or, more simply, frites. Potatoes in French are pommes de terre (or “apples of the earth”) and fried is frite.

What is France's favorite food? ›

What is France's national dish? There are many options to choose from, but France's national dish is probably the Boeuf Bourguignon. Well known in and outside France, it represents the beauty of the cuisine by transforming a simple piece of meat into an intensely flavored dish, only composed with national ingredients.

What do the French call French fries? ›

In France and other French-speaking countries, fried potatoes are formally pommes de terre frites, but more commonly pommes frites, patates frites, or simply frites.

Why are they called triple cooked chips? ›

To get them to the chip stage, we follow a method pioneered by Heston Blumenthal which often crops up on menus now as triple-cooked chips. The three cooks in the name are boil, first fry and second fry.

Are McDonald's fries cooked twice? ›

The first frying gives the potatoes their crispy outer shell (then the rest of the frying is done at the restaurant). This is also why you may see some people claim that McDonald's fries have more than 10 ingredients — because the potatoes are double-fried so the vegetable oil ingredients may be listed twice.

Why are french fries cooked twice? ›

Theory #1: "The first fry gets the outside to create a water tight barrier. That way, when you fry them the second time, they stay moist." Or, Theory #2: "The first fry cooks them through to the center—if you skipped that step, your fries would brown on the outside, but still be raw in the middle."

What is it called when you fry fries twice? ›

Double-Fried French Fries.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Francesca Jacobs Ret

Last Updated:

Views: 6420

Rating: 4.8 / 5 (68 voted)

Reviews: 91% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Francesca Jacobs Ret

Birthday: 1996-12-09

Address: Apt. 141 1406 Mitch Summit, New Teganshire, UT 82655-0699

Phone: +2296092334654

Job: Technology Architect

Hobby: Snowboarding, Scouting, Foreign language learning, Dowsing, Baton twirling, Sculpting, Cabaret

Introduction: My name is Francesca Jacobs Ret, I am a innocent, super, beautiful, charming, lucky, gentle, clever person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.