Parboil fries until the outside softens before air frying or baking
Boil cut potatoes until the exterior starts to soften, then finish in an air fryer or oven for a crisp outside.
After rinsing, boil the cut potatoes until the outside begins to get soft, then dry and cook at high heat to crisp.
The short version
- Boil only until the exterior softens
- Dry before crisping
How to do it
- 1
Cut potatoes into fry/chip shapes.
Watch this step - 2
Rinse to remove excess starch.
Watch this step - 3
Boil until the outside starts to soften.
Don’t fully cook them through; aim for a softened exterior.
Watch this step - 4
What goes wrong
Overboiling until fries fall apart
Stop boiling once the outside starts to soften
Why it works
Parboiling jump-starts cooking and roughens/softens the exterior so it can dehydrate and crisp faster during the final cook.
Put it to use
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