If you’re able to get kennebec potatoes, comment below to share where you got them. Also, if you’re in the UK, there’s a similar variety called Maris piper. Start speaking a new language in 3 weeks with Babbel🎉. Get up to 60% off your subscription ➡Here: go.babbel.com/t?bsc=1200m60-youtube-brianlagerstrom-jul-2023&btp=default&KZfaq&Influencer..brianlagerstrom..USA..KZfaq

Great video. A little potato science from my husband who grew up on a potato farm… the reason why the russet is darker than the kennebec is that it was stored (after harvesting) in a colder potato storage than the Kenny. Potatoes raised specifically for fries are kept at a warmer temperature in storage in order to keep the starches from turning to sugars. Spuds raised for table use and grocery store bags are stored in colder temperatures in order to keep them from sprouting and breaking down. Whenever they would bring a truckload to the processors they would have a potato sliced and dropped in oil, called a fry color check. That would tell them where to unload because the processors wanted like fry colors together and not mixed. Just thought I’d add that info coming from the grower perspective- they grew kennebec as well as russets.

Bri, I'm so sorry you had to suffer through that bowl of fries, we appreciate the sacrifices you make for our education. You a real one.

One tip people trying to fry some russets - boil in a combo of water/vinegar, this will keep the potatoes from crumbling and falling apart (see Kenji's recipe).

Something tells me it'd probably just be easier to go with frozen fries from a restaurant supply store. :D I don't have to worry about eating all those potatoes before they go bad that way too.

Hey Bri - Two things that upped my fry game: - Use peanut oil, super tasty for fries (even better is beef tallow, but that's a whole thang) - Use popcorn salt, tinier granules that stick well and have that classic fry taste (big fast food places use this)

My french fry secret weapon: you can deep fry oven fries.

Found the Kennebec at my local farmers market yesterday. Made your fish and chips recipe with them and the wife was blown away. Thank you for the tips!

No boil with vinegar? That step is a huge win in the overall process. It'll prevent the fries from breaking allowing you to use russets no problem

Feels like this video was made for me through the ether... been experimenting for months, and this was just fantastic. Thank you as always!!!

Russets can be improved by parboiling 10min w/ a little vinegar - the lower pH will slow the maillard reaction upon frying such that you use a slightly hotter temp for longer too cook the water out without the fries burning

I've seen these types of potatoes at my local farmers market in St. Catharines, Ontario in Canada. I haven't seen them this year yet but I think they are in season later in the summer if I remember correctly. I will definitely try this out when I can get my hands on some!

Brian, we have a lot in common. I may not be a former baker or run a wildly successful cooking KZfaq channel, but I sure as hell can smash an entire bowl of fries as well.

I really appreciate how methodically you talk through every step. I'm guilty of more than a few failed experiments and the edumacation as to why I may have erred is awesome.

Looks so good!

Thx for sharing,

Благодарю за мастер-класс, обязательно приготовлю ! 👍Thanks for the tutorial, I'll definitely make it!

My secret weapon for really great fries have been triple cooked chips (UK). Cook in water + vinegar first, 2nd fry low temp, 3rd fry high temp. Delicious!

Congrats on the 1M subs!!

Bro ur channel is a gold mine ❤ thx a lot u earned a sub 👍

Awesome. thanks again!! :)

Happy New Year and thank you for the useful hints. Finally someone to eat French fries with ketchup like me. Greetings from the heavily coated mayo Europe 😅I like your channel. Blessings.

That crunch!

Thanks! I'll have to see if our local farmers' markets have the Kennebecs. My mom used to make fries at home in the 60s and 70s and she'd do the two-step thing, and they were tasty (probably to a large extent because we ate them while they were still quite hot). BTW, your French accent is charmingly midwestern, mawn-soor!

I've turned countless thousands of pounds of potatoes into french fries and this is the process we'd always use. No other way to do it

I'm LOLing at the timing of this video. I just made your fish & chips recipe last weekend, so I was rewatching that video in preparation. Today's video is an extended version of the "chip" portion, from the Kennebec potatoes to the method. Since I was doing the fish batter GF, I followed your advice & stuck to Ore-Ida steak fries in the air fryer so I could focus my attention on frying the fish - which was EXCELLENT, BTW. It didn't stay as crispy as wheat flour but the fish inside was perfectly cooked, and I hadn't had a good, old-fashioned fish fry in years. Really scratched the itch! Thanks for the great recipe & technique.

Literally made homemade fries last night and complained to my husband that they never seem to come out right 😅 definitely gonna try this cutting and cooking method next time!

Whoa!!! World class!!!

I remember when I first found your channel a billion years ago (Weeds and Sardines) and I was so happy to find both gardening and cooking in one place. Sigh. Good times.

Would this same process produce a great sweet potato fry, or do you think that would require a different technique?? Love your channel, thanks for all the great advice

I have so many of your videos saved to try

Right off the bat I think you have the absolute right idea about the precook. In my younger days, I worked at a famous fast food hamburger place that is famous for it's huge portions of home made French fries. And their procedure was a much shorter precook, in a much hotter oil...The same temp oil they did the final cook in. And in my own personal quest for perfection, I learned to do it almost identically to yours. I concluded 290 (splitting hairs), but also did 5 minutes. So MUCH MUCH more cooking in the precook than at 5...erm, that famous Hamburger place. The procedure you are using is PERFECT for serving the public in my opinion. it will yield a fry that most people will think is perfect. I would suggest an added step that people could use if they like those random straggler fries that got either overcooked in precook due to being smaller than average, or just got broken after precook and before final. And that is a 60 second blanch in boiling water prior to precook. This does 2 things, it cooks them more and weakens the surface so they get a more penetrated crunch, and it also helps them get drier prior to precooking in hot oil. When you take them out of hot water, the moisture on the surface tends to self dry as it is hotter and evaporates more aggressively. Again...This is only for people that like something a little more crunchy, broken down, and a tad greasier, due to the surface not being as secure. Also, one last tip...in the early process of rinsing, if you have the time, rather than rinsing 3 times at once, wait 30 minutes between rinses, and agitate them multiple times during each 30 minute period. Also this method will help mitigate the difference in results from a Russet to a Kennebec. As you said, nothing will replace the Kennebec, but this will get the Russet closer.

I’m really looking forward to seeing if you get any dope recipes from Alaska

Must be a complete coincidence that in my area Kennebec potatoes are common, especially potato seeds. For years I've just stuck to Yukon potatoes because they're good all around and I love mashed potatoes. I might give these a try next year.

The Operative Word is they make me "HAPPY" 😊 😋😊

I do mine with russets but I cheat by coating them with a small amount of corn starch. Double cook as well and they're absolutely perfect!

Love the content , since we are neighbors and this is the Show Me State ,well I'm south in the Ozarks and have been having a heck of a time perfecting Navaho Fry Bread . Used to get some from a small local restaurant that is no longer around and the bread was one of my go to comfort foods . You should be able to crack this nut with your impressive baking knowledge ! Keep up the videos ! Your take on crab ragoons or General chicken/ sweet & sour / cashew chicken would be a good episode the Ozarks Chinese food has its own thing vs the NW and their tempura batter fried versions and cashew chicken well that's a local thing and if the chicken is not breaded the same , it just aint right lol .

I’m from St. Catharines Ontario Canada. Thx a lot Todd didn’t know If we can get here in St. Catharines 👍🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦

congrats on a million subbies!

I understand that variety makes all of the difference. Could par-baking the fry effect a similar result as par frying?

Very nice!

That's good information. I love Fries

Happily, I live in Maine - which is a great potato-growing state - and live less than an hour's drive from Kennebec County. We stocked these as seed potatoes when I worked at any Agway and they can be found at farmers markets, like the vid said. I never appreciated the differences in the kitchen between these and Russets. Thanks.

Greetings from Belgium. You get a lot of things right and a few not so right. From a health perspective the temperature of your second bake is really too high. You need to avoid acrylamides. 345° F would be ideal for most potato varieties. Soaking the fries is a waste of time, and you want a thickness of 1 cm, not 1.5 cm. This ensures that you can bake at 345° F, and it only requires 2-3 min., not 7-10 min. Kennebec is a very good choice because it has a medium starch content and it's the right size.

Just wondering if you were still planning a special million subscriber video?? Great stuff as always!

Thanks for the video. Unfortunately we don't get that kind of potatoes in our supermarkets in Trinidad and Tobago (in the Caribbean). We get only russet. Those fries look so delicious.

Our preference is using yukon gold for most of our potato dishes. We also rinse the starch off of the fries and soak them.

Never heard of Kennebec potatoes before and will have to find them in my area if I can. Really good info about the science/process as I’m trying to step up my french fry game. I’ve noticed if I let my russet potatoes soak overnight I tend to not get an overcooked brown color on my fries either. Thanks for the 18-36 hour refrigerator tip since I’ve only been doing 8 hours, maybe my russet potatoes will be less brown if I let them soak longer

Congrats on getting a million subs man. Been here since Weeds&Sardines. ❤❤❤

I pretty much do everything you mentioned, except I like the russets better as I like the dark color and texture, and I triple fry about 30 mins apart. I also try to tear the ends a bit before the 3rd frying to get that extra crispiness. Then salt and cayenne pepper. Mmm...

These look way better than most homemade fries, but I still have the best results if I freeze them first. They turn out far crispier for me. (using Russets) I've heard it has to do with moisture content and surface vs interior cooking, but whatever the reason, freezing works for me. I'll have to find some Kennebecs.

That fry crunch asmr 🤤

Thanks for this. Did you experiment with freezing the fries after the first cook to rupture the cell walls and make them fluffier?

What's your opinion of a pre-boil with water and vinegar to remove excess sugars before the frying?

These remind me of English chips. I had some in England last year and what a revelation. ❤❤❤❤❤

Definitely gonna look for these at the farmers market

@brianlagerstrom; Good technique, as usual. Pro tip from the fry capital of the world -Belgium-: 1st fry in ox white, far more flavourfull. Then freeze the fries. 2nd fry in peanut oil to chrisp up. You're welcome!

Great show, Thanks!! What would be the Irish equivalent of those elusive Kennelbacs?

My secret tip for drastically improving that crispy outside creamy inside texture, is boiling the fries after being cut, then freezing them, then frying at low temp, freeze them again if you really want to go the extra mile, and then fry them hot to serve. Yields perfect restaurant fries even with the lacking variety of potatoes i can get where I live!

hi Bri first time i heard of kennebec potatoes i will def look for them at my organic store🙏🙏👍👍😋😋😋😋

Might have to try my hand at truffle & parmesan fries after seeing this.

I have two fry secrets. The first one is also a secret for popcorn. Instead of salting with kosher or table salt, put a 1:10 ratio by weight of MSG to salt in a mortar and pestle and grind into a powder. This will make the salt stick MUCH better. Instead of dipping in just ketchup, mix up a 1:2 ratio by volume of Worcestershire to ketchup.

Hey Bri - Made your Apple Galette over the weekend. HUGE HIT!

I used to prep fries for a major canadian fast food place, and this is how we prepped them. Cut, wash and blanche.

Hey Bri! Do you have any other recommendations for other recipes that kennebec potatoes are particularly good for?

These are fire! Heston Blumenthal’s fries are the gold standard in my opinion.

THANK YOU YOUNG MAN...

"Unadulterated mouth pleasure" Hahaha! You kill me. Thanks for the tip about Kennebec potatoes, great video.

Used to use these all the time in Maine. I think they originated in Presque Isle Maine.

My trick is freeze them after 1st fry or technically Heston Blumenthalls trick to be more specific. It works great but u have to plan ahead to make them

When I used to live with my parents, I used to make homemade fries as my late night snack after coming home late from work. Pretty sure my mom only bought Russets, which is what I'd use, and all of this tracks with what you said. I was younger and still learning to cook for myself so I didn't double fry. I simply cut my potatoes, heated the oil, and fried. I knew to salt right out of the oil, but they never really crisped, and they never looked nice. However, they were always soft, a little fluffy, and simply delicious as is or dipped in some yellow mustard. Thanks for the info Bri, definitely gonna have to take another shot at my fries of yore with this method even if I can't find Kennebecs! 👍

When I married my husband, he was an "only kennebec potatoe" guy haha we grow them in our garden, but we are lucky that we live in an area where we have a farmers market around every corner that sells them as well!

YES!

Try rendered down chicken fat for deep frying chips and English style battered fish. Its amazing and the golden colour

I love how in every video Brian comes in with his first ingredients and looks at them like: “where did this potatoes come from?” Thanks for all the work Brian. Love the videos.

those look like the kind of fries I would absolutely DOUSE in malt vinegar. So good!

BTW if you live in Europe and are looking for a good potato variety you should look for Bintje Potatoes (pronounced bintsh) ! The are probably the best kind of potatoes for Fry making. Every proper fry cooked in belgium is made with this one, and every respectable fry enthusiast in europe uses them. I dont know if this variety is produced in north america but in europe it is for sure.

Nice Fry Bri :)

Every year we used to raise 800-1,200 lbs of mostly Kennebecs. Prolific and long-lasting, they were one of our favorite potatoes.

Yum!

❤Kennebec - They are delicious and good for anything; I grow them in my garden. Last harvest fries are mind blowing. Reaction @8:20 - spot on. Not kidding. Russets are preferred by stores and restaurants because of abundance and grow fast, you can get a couple harvests per year. Like imagine the Russet like a 1500 pick up truck, it does the job very well, loved by many. The Kennebec is like a Camaro, you pick your date up with it.

Where I live the main potatoes sold in stores are the atlantic and kennebec varieties, interchangeably sold as "white" potatoes, and russets are sold as russets, not white potatoes. White potatoes are better mashed, baked, fried, boiled, everything. Never understood why russets are the "default" potato in the US when they just aren't as good.

Hey Bri! Made your buns this weekend and they’re so good I just ate two of them straight up lol. Think I’ll make these fries and a burger with the buns. Cheers!

Hey Bri, compared to the double fry method how different of a result that Parboiling the potato first?

7:24 "These fries are literally PERFECT" 🤣

Triple cook the fries for next level 👌

Kennebec's are a common as muck here is Australia. They are one of about three varieties of potatoes that every supermarket will always have in stock.😀

Crispy on the outside, smooth on the inside... armadillo!

I agree. Use peanut oil rather than canola.

You can also use a french fry cutter. Those things are amazing and helped me get a very even, consistent cut in my fries. That, and boiling my fries in a pot of water with 1 TBsp of white wine vinegar and plenty of salt, gave me the best home fries I've had in a long time.

Here I sit in the capital of Maine in Kennebec county. Taters are mostly grown in Aroostook though. Still yummy! Thanks!

I've seen many videos on how to make the best French Fries. Some videos advise you to use white vinegar and parboil them instead of this long waiting period in a container with water. I think both ways work. The double frying is 100% the best way to get the right crunch on the outside and the tenderness inside. Unfortunately, I can't get a hold of any kind of the potatoes you've mentioned. I always used very starchy and mushy boiling potatoes, and it worked the best for me.

We usually leave the skin on and put the bowl in the freezer for at least 20 minutes before frying or baking. The whole potato can be eaten so if you're going to peel them don't throw out the the skin. Fry them up and season them as a side dish. I can't recall the last time I peeled a spud.

We need to learn these secret weapons moreee ….😊

If you're willing to dedicate a couple hours to the process you absolutely can get amazing glassy exterior fluffy interior fries with the lowly russet. The trick is you boil the fries with a heaping teaspoon of baking soda for 5-6 min (pull and drain when you see the smaller fries begin to break in half or small shards flake off the larger ones). Drain and dry on paper towels and stash in the fridge on a cookie sheet until cold. Take them out of the fridge and let them come up to room temp and fry at 375 until you get the browning you desire. Voila. Best fries ever. Love your channel by the way.

Kennebec potatoes are what "In 'n Out" uses for its FF. Good stuff.

I got a easier trick that works in any potato and even sort of work with Airfryer: cut the chips on the thick side, boil them to the point their cooked but don’t break. And then fry them. You can even do doble fry like with korean fry chicken. Love your videos by the way.

I wonder if you can use a dehydrator for 10-20 minutes to get the fridge potatoes totally dry and higher internal temp. They won't get much past 120F but all the moisture on the surface should be done.

We’re going on an adventure!!! Is all I could think of during this video 😂

I asked an employee at IN-N-OUT Burger (here in El Segundo, Ca), what potato they use for their fries, his reply; Kennebeck.