French fries have long been considered to be a kind of Jekyll and Hyde food they are
absolutely delicious when they're fresh out of the fryer, but after they've cooled off
a bit, they lose quite a bit of their appeal, and any leftover french fries tend to be notoriously
difficult to revive.
But wait, don't abandon those fries on the plate!
While the microwave is definitely not the way to go if you want your fries to be edible
the day after, there are several methods of reheating leftover fries that will render
them crunchy and delicious once more.
"The French fries are pretty good."
"French fried potaters?"
"Yeah.
French fries."
One experience with microwave-warmed day-old fries is all you need to learn that it turns
fries into a soggy mess.
If you've ever wondered why, there are a few reasons.
For one thing, a microwave heats from the inside out, so your fries won't get crispy
without being overcooked.
For another, the heat can be uneven, so some fries may burn while others stay limp.
And if you're reheating them in any kind of container, that container will trap the moisture
inside and basically steam-cook your fries.
It might not be as simple as the microwave, but the best way to reheat fries involves
frying them a second time.
You do not need a deep fryer similar to the one that birthed your fries in the first place,
and, in fact, you wouldn't want to re-immerse them in such a huge quantity of oil, anyway.
What you are going to need, however, is a large skillet and just a bit of oil, around
two teaspoons for every cup of fries.
First, you'll heat the skillet over medium heat, then you add the oil and heat it until
it's shimmering.
Add a single layer of fries, and cook them for one minute before flipping them with a
spatula.
Let them fry for about 30 seconds longer, then salt them and eat them while they're
hot.
Be sure not to overcrowd the pan with fries, though.
If you're reheating a lot of fries, do so in small batches.
If you have too many fries in too small a pan, they may end up steamed instead of sauteed,
and won't be much better than if you'd used the microwave after all.
If you're reheating a large amount of fries, using your oven will also work quite well.
However, in order to ensure crispness, it is very important that you actually take the
time to preheat the oven to 450 degrees, and that you also use a sturdy baking sheet.
A skillet will also work, as long as all your fries fit in without crowding.
You can oil your baking sheet, although it's not entirely necessary that you do so.
No matter what, you should put the sheet or pan in the oven without fries while the oven
is doing its preheating.
Once it's reached the proper temperature, take the hot pan out and spread a single layer
of fries on top.
Next, return it to the hot oven, and check the fries every few minutes until they've
reached the desired degree of crispiness.
A single serving of fries should take just a few minutes, but it might take up to 10
minutes if you're reheating a large batch.
Once the fries are done, remove them from the oven and season to taste.
"They're really good french fries."
"Thank you, well they are mine."
If you want to get creative, you can try putting them in your waffle iron to create some jumbo-sized
waffle fries.
You can also chop them up and use them to make hash browns or home fries, or you could
use them in a breakfast burrito, a skillet or a frittata, or even in a soup.
You could even try making them into poutine, too.
While reheated and/or repurposed fries are never going to be quite as wonderful the second
time around, isn't that also true of so many things in life?
Just seize the day, grab the salt shaker, and scarf down those almost-as-good fries
before they cool down again.
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