Your first mistake is using frozen fries and the second not drying your potatoes well enough before adding them to the oil. I use only russett potatoes soaked in cold water and then dried well on paper towels before frying in hot oil, in a cast iron pot. I've yet to have a "fourth of July" explosion. Also I think the best fries are double fried.

I read some of the reviews on line using your method and many of them were not good.

~Ann

Since too cool oil results in oily fries, I can only imagine what cold oil would do -- and the moisture will come out of the oil when it reaches the boiling point for water, so you will have popping and splattering -- the larger the particles of ice, the more popping and splattering, I'm with Ann on this one. Even if you want to skip the first fry and use frozen, dry them off before frying.

Coincidentally, just a few hours ago I accidentally googled myself into a Serious Eats article about fries. A few interesting twists for making what Kenji considers "perfect fries":

-Start by blanching them in water with a bit of vinegar.
-Two brief, hot frying sessions.
-Freeze the fries at least overnight between fryings.

This mimics the science between McDonalds fries. Apparently freezing is not just for commercial convenience!

I've always just done a double fry, first at lower temp then at higher, with fresh potatoes. But I'll definitely be trying this method out. I guess I'm in for some Fourth of July splattering? Not looking forward to that part.

Here is a link that might be useful: Serious Eats

There are some reasons why cold oil method may work.

1. Frozen potato strips may not actually be wet, the frost on them makes them look wet. The freezer can dry out the fries' surface very effectively (freezer burn).

2. When you start with cold oil, it gives time for the potato inside to be cooked, eliminating the need to fry twice. The cold oil takes a long while to get from room temperature to get to 350F, plenty of time for the water to evaporate and bubbled out gently before explosive frying happens.

The OP tried the method more than once, apparently the method works for him every time.

dcarch

Serious Eats:

"--- I find it remarkable that the bigwigs have discovered a way to create a frozen fry that even a one armed eyeless chimp has trouble screwing up.---"

A racist statement?

dcarch

Many of the workers I have seen at McDonalds are black and Hispanic.

dcarch

This post was edited by dcarch on Sat, Feb 7, 15 at 13:16

In the fall, when I clean up the garden, I make a hoard of fries. Clean them, cut them, soak them, DRY THEM, then drop them in a hot fryer. I have never had an explosion of any kind.

After frying, I lay them out on paper towel to soak up the extra grease, spread them out on cookie sheet and freeze them. When they are solid, I bag them up and leave them in the freezer until I want to use them. I can either refry them or our favorite is to spread them back out on cookie sheets and bake them at 350, 10 minutes or so and turn them for another 10 minutes.

"--- I find it remarkable that the bigwigs have discovered a way to create a frozen fry that even a one armed eyeless chimp has trouble screwing up.---"

That's hyperbole - exaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken literally.

Although I'll grant you that it might be offensive to physically challenged chimpanzees. But since they can't read...

That cold oil method is something I saw on America's Test Kitchen, and I tried it, but wasn't particularly impressed. The fries weren't awful, and weren't particularly good either, but I didn't use frozen fries, so maybe that was a problem.

Like others, I do not generally use frozen fries, I slice and soak, then dry, fresh potatoes. I haven't gotten that "4th of July" effect either, although if I dump a bunch in at once I can get a pretty good boil-up. I fry twice, that makes them nice and crispy. I do freeze potatoes for fries occasionally, when I have a huge excess in the garden. I used to freeze them every year so the girls had frozen fries as a snack they could just put in the oven after school, but now I don't expend freezer space since I have no teenagers at home.

Here few McDonald's workers are black or Hispanic, but the McDonald's nearest us is next to the college campus and they have a rotating door of mostly bleary eyed, hung over, uncaring, gum popping and rude college aged Caucasian females who can never get an order right and heaven forbid you might actually order coffee, you'll get the evil eye in spades AND cold coffee. Whatever, I seldom go there, except for coffee and occasionally to feed the dog, and I've learned to go inside, not through the drive through. That way when the coffee is cold, I hand it right back to them.

By the way, their new muffins? They are truly awful, bad enough that I have not been inclined to give them a second chance.

Annie

Please keep in mind that frozen fries have already gone through the process of starting with a potato, cutting, first fry and then freezing. At least that is my understanding.

So when you buy frozen fries they are ready for the second fry much the same way as some are advocating.

Know what I had this weekend? We tried a new local burger joint and they had fries cooked in beef fat. Yep, that's right, no veggie oil. Mmm! Missed that. Made from real potatoes. Cost a bit and well worth it.

What needs to be kept in mind, is that they are still frozen fries. And in no way can they be compared to french fries made from freshly cut russett potatoes that have been double fried.

Rob, I wish we had a good local burger joint. I don't think I have ever had fries cooked in beef fat.

~Ann