Super-Crisp Steak Fries

Crisp steak fries are a staple at many steakhouses, but we’ve never had luck when cooking them at home. They have typically turned out limp and sodden with oil, or worse yet, still raw in the middle. How could we make fries that were crisp and browned on the exterior and light and fluffy on the interior? Here’s what we discovered:

Test Kitchen Discoveries

• Choose russet potatoes for the lightest texture. Be sure to purchase uniformly shaped potatoes for the most even cooking. Wedges of mixed sizes will cook unevenly--some may burn.
• Microwave the wedges to partially cook them before frying. This step ensures that the interior of each wedge will be fluffy and tender.
• Unusual as it sounds, add a little cornstarch directly to the frying oil. An accident during testing taught us that this method lent the potato wedges the crispiest texture and best coloring.
• Cook the fries in batches to prevent the temperature of the oil from dropping too much. If the oil cools, the potatoes will absorb the oil and turn limp.