The science of saltiness. A veritable
ton of tempting toppings. A fast food franchise secret — unveiled. French fries might be heavenly on their own … but a few
hacks can make them delectable as hell. We know that salt can do wonders
when you're trying to emphasize a food's particular taste. And it pretty
much goes hand in hand with seasoning fries. But you have to make sure
that you salt them the right way. When you add too much salt, they will, naturally
enough, taste way too salty. In this case, you're not really enjoying the actual
flavors of the fries. On the other hand, if you salt too little, you could miss
out on creating some extra flavor, and then you're left with something
bland at best, and nobody wants that. But did you know that when you salt your fries
also makes a significant difference? It all depends on how you're cooking them. If you're
baking them in the oven, you can usually salt them before or after they're fully cooked. But
when you fry them, you should really stick to salting afterwards. The reason is that when the
fries come out of the fryer, the oil is still hot, and therefore the salt will stick better to
ensure you get that flavor you're craving. Oil can come in handy when cooking in the kitchen,
as it can help prevent sticking and also heighten the flavor of some foods. If you're sticking
to baking your frozen french fries in the oven, you better remember the oil, but perhaps
for a different reason than you'd expect. So grab that olive oil and toss your
fries with it before placing them in the oven so that they come out golden
and crispy just like they deserve to be. To do this while avoiding a mess, simply
place the fries in a plastic bag and then add olive oil directly to them. Toss
them by shaking the bag so that each fry is evenly coated with the oil. Then
take the fries out of the bag and place them on a baking sheet before putting them
in the oven. Once they're finished cooking, you'll pull out a sheet of perfectly baked fries
that have a nice texture and incredible flavor. If you're a fan of McDonald's fries, then you
surely recognize that there's something extra special about their flavor. It's truly what makes
these fries as delicious and popular as they are. The reason why they're so tasty is none other
than beef stock. That's right, McDonald's adds beef stock to their fries, and that's how they
achieve their unique and irresistible flavor. "What is this, some kind of beef house?" If you're trying to pull
off this same taste at home, we recommend opting for some unsalted
beef stock. Use it to make a brine to soak your fries in before frying them to
perfection just like McDonald's does. The end result will be just as delicious as when
you grab your fries to go from the drive-thru. When it comes to baking frozen french fries,
it can certainly be done on a baking sheet. But there's one other trick to make your
fries come out even better. Honestly, this may just be the absolute best frozen
french fry trick you can possibly pull off. To get your frozen french fries to come out as
extra crispy winners, you'll want to use an open wire rack when baking them. To do this right,
put a wire cooling rack in the baking tray, then add the fries and seasonings. The result
will be wonderfully crispy fries, as the wire rack helps keep the fries from touching the baking
tray so that there's no steam hitting the fries, which prevents them from coming out all soggy. And
now, who can resist those perfectly crispy fries?! Now that we've established how to bring
out the flavors of the fries themselves, don't forget to now include some extra
ingredients to make them even more flavorful and colorful. Lemon juice, for example,
can help fries maintain their golden color, as the acid from the juice helps lock
in the color and prevents any browning. And you may want to add some seasonings
beyond salt. Onion soup mix can pump some serious flavor into your fries by just
adding the right amount of something a little different. Italian seasoning
or chili powder also works well for something unique and fun. You could even add
the beloved everything but the bagel seasoning. And what better way to upgrade your fries than
by dousing them with cheese? Cheddar works well when you're really craving something warm and
gooey, or Swiss when you're craving something a bit more savory. Or you could really mix it up
by sprinkling some Parmesan or mozzarella. And when you add gravy into the mix, it can be even
better, as Canadians already know very well. If you're a big poutine fan who already ventures to
all the best places around the country to find the perfect bowl of fries topped with cheese curds and
gravy, why not try to master this dish at home? "The French call this poutine." If you own an air fryer, you already know what
this incredible kitchen appliance can do. But have you used it to cook your frozen french
fries? If you haven't yet, you definitely should, and here's why: your fries will taste deep fried
without actually being deep fried. They can also come out a lot crispier than they would in the
oven and can also take less time than other cooking methods. A toaster oven is also a great
option, thanks to the magic of the convection fan, which helps keep any unwanted moisture from
your fries so that they don't come out soggy. If you opt for a conventional oven, you'll
want to use a dark sheet pan to get the job done. You don't even need to add aluminum
foil with this method. All you need to do is oil the baking sheet and place the
fries directly on that. After baking, you can rest assured that you'll then have
a hot and crispy snack to chow down on. "Well, the French fries are pretty good."
