I. DOUBLE-FRIED

This is the tried-and-true method for creating large quantities of crispy fries. The first fry cooks the potatoes and drives out moisture; the second fry is done at a higher temperature to crisp and brown the exterior. To fry multiple batches, fry all the potatoes at the lower temperature first—fries may be held at that point for up to 2 hours and fried at the higher temperature just before serving. Please read about Deep-Frying.

Soak in a bowl of cold water to cover for 30 minutes:

Drain and dry on a kitchen towel to remove excess starch and moisture. Meanwhile, heat to 350°F in a deep-fryer, deep heavy pot, or Dutch oven:

Drop in the potatoes in batches, about 1 cup at a time, and fry until all the sputtering ceases, about 2 minutes. Scoop out the potatoes (which will be rather limp) with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Let cool for at least 5 minutes before the second frying; the potatoes can be held for up to 2 hours.

For the second frying, heat the oil to 365°F. Fry until the potatoes are golden brown and crisp, 2 to 3 minutes, then drain on paper towels. Never cover them, or they will get flabby. Sprinkle with:

Serve at once.

II. COLD-START

First popularized by the French chef Joël Robuchon, these small-batch, “cold-start” fries could not be easier—you do not need a thermometer, the fries require less fat to fry than standard French fries, which makes it more feasible to use duck fat, lard, or beef drippings. The only drawback is that it can only be done with one batch per pot of oil. If you do use a thermometer, you will see that the oil initially rises only to the temperature of boiling water. When all the moisture is simmered out of the potatoes, the oil temperature rises and the potatoes brown. Because this recipe does not get up to normal frying temperatures until the very end, you can even use moderate smoke-point fats like extra-virgin olive oil.

Cut potatoes, preferably Yukon Gold, peeled if desired, into fries as above. Make an even layer of them in the bottom of a saucepan or pot. Be sure the layer is on the thin side, no more than 2 inches thick (wider pans will be able to accommodate a larger batch). Add enough oil or melted lard, beef drippings, or duck fat to cover the fries by 1 inch. Bring the potatoes and oil to a simmer over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium. Cook, shaking the pan and gently stirring several times, until the potatoes turn crispy and golden brown, about 25 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and fish out the fries with a spider or slotted spoon. Drain on paper towels and promptly sprinkle with salt.

III. SHOESTRING FRIES

Cut the potatoes into strips no more than ³⁄₁₆ inch thick and cook as for version I. A mandoline or other vegetable slicer makes perfect shoestrings, but you can also use a knife or a food processor to cut the potatoes. They should brown in 2 to 3 minutes during the second frying; do not let them brown faster, or they will end up limp.