Step 1

Cut potatoes plank style - 1/4" thick by 1/2" wide. Place in a large bowl of cold ice water and chill in fridge for 30 minutes, changing water 3 times. Drain, pat completely dry.

Step 2

Place cornstarch in a large bowl and gently toss with potatoes to coat. Shake off excess and place on a wire rack (over a baking sheet) and let sit for 20 minutes to allow the cornstarch to form a white coating over the potatoes.

Step 3

Choose a heavy bottom sauce pan and fill at least 4" deep with oil (making sure you have 3-4" headroom at top to allow for the oil to bubble up). Bring oil up to 330°F using a deep-fry thermometer, then carefully drop a third of the potatoes into the oil. The ideal temperature of the oil is 325°F for cooking, however by increasing the heat initially at the start it will compensate for the drop in temperature once you add the potatoes.

Step 4

Gently stir the potatoes around and remove after 3-5 minutes when they can easily be cut with the side of fork, and their surface just starts to blister (but not brown). Use a mesh strainer and remove the potatoes from the oil, and place on a paper towel lined pan wire rack (with a baking sheet underneath). Fry the remaining potatoes the same way. Be sure not cook too many at once - this will dramatically lower the temperature of the oil, you want to maintain the temperature at 325°F during this initial fry. Let the slices sit for at least 10 minutes before the second fry (this will firm up the cornstarch coating).

Step 5

Increase oil temperature to 375°F then fry in batches for 1-2 minutes or until potatoes turn golden brown and are crisp. The ideal temperature of the oil for the second frying stage is 350°F, however by increasing the heat initially at the start it will compensate for the drop in temperature once you add the potatoes.

Step 6

Immediately strain out and place on wire rack (remove paper towel), shaking to remove any excess oil. Place fries into a bowl and generously sprinkle with salt. Repeat with remaining potatoes.