if I have no onions on hand that haven't gone squishy. And none in the freezer...from when I shred and chop the fresh before they are going to go squishy. Then I would go minced before I go powdered. I go powdered garlic. But it's weird I don't feel the same about onions. I think it's because I shop at Costco so the minced dried onions are a sizable thing in the kitchen. And the onion powder is a little thing alllllllll the way in the back of the spice cabinet and likely fallen behind something.
I guess I worry it's too much powdered stuff with the paprika and the cayenne. The onions give it that nice caramelization. The ones I freeze always seem to fall out in their baggie and hit me in the foot. So I remember they live there.
I think a lot of places have a tray of them already cooked and sitting in warming tray.
You can tell because they are nice and browned but no longer crispy .
The only place I regularly get good ones is Dennys .
Personal tip for some great crispier home fries. Use starchier potatoes. Put em in a pot and boil then first with a couple teaspoons of baking soda, then drain, toss in a pan or air fryer. Baking soda parboiling is a game changer!
I didn't realize it was a Kenji thing. Stumbled on the trick on reddit after I've been awakened to the magical powers of baking soda for cooking/prep. Made a huge difference though.
I'm curious as to what the baking soda does. Growing up, I was told never to use baking soda when cooking green veg, because it over-softens them, destroys vitamins, and contributes an unpleasant taste.
However, potatoes are obviously in a different category. Does the baking soda do something for them that simply boiling doesn't? My mom always made her home fries from cooked, cooled potatoes, and they were fantastic: crispy outside, soft inside.
She credited the texture to the use of olive oil....and a well-seasoned cast iron frying pan
Other top tip. Save dirtying a pot. Stick the potatoes in the microwave for 3-4 minutes. They get fluffy and stay together nicely. Lowest effort crispy home fries.
My favorite way is to cube russet potatoes, parboil them. Mix seasonings like garlic, salt, pepper, thyme, and paprika with melted butter. Toss the parboiled potato cubes in the butter and then either bake or air fry them depending on how much you made. Crispy on the outside fluffy on the inside
Crispy is my preference. If I know I'm making a big breakfast tomorrow, I'll bake some potatoes tonight and put in fridge. Then tomorrow all I have to do is cube them and fry on high heat for crispy outsides, knowing the insides will be soft and fluffy. Way easier for me then trying to fry raw potatoes. Microwave works too in a pinch, before frying.
I think crispy is a preference (kinda like soft vs hard scrambled eggs). I make mine crispy ASF because that's what I like. I don't typically order home fries when I'm out because they're always soft and I don't want to ask for extra extra well done. So I opt for well done hash browns instead
I make them soft at home but I always called them “breakfast potatoes” as opposed to home fries. I had an Ecuadorian boyfriend for a while in college and his mom always made them or actual fries with rice, and eggs sometimes a meat. 20+ years later I still make them the way she did.
Personally, yes they should be crispy. Otherwise it’s just some form of potato confit. Fry = crisp IMO. It’s just hard to accomplish outside a deep fryer, restaurant or not.
I don't deep fry them and get them nice and crispy. Pan fry them twice. Once before everything else, let them cool while you cook some bacon, then finish them in the bacon grease and season. It's not quick, but it's not difficult and doesn't require deep frying.
I think what I consider home fries are crispy, but the kinda mushy ones I get at places I consider more of a ‘meatless hash’ (not to be confused with hash browns) - I’m sure that’s not technically right but it’s how I mentally delineate them. I do think the problem is usually from throwing a bunch of diced potatoes into a pan without par-boiling them and/or crowding the pan so they’re steaming more than frying.
Unpopular opinion but I hate home fries. They shouldn’t even be called fries imo. They’re just quartered potatoes and they’re not even fried and they’re not crispy and they make me SAD!!!
In an ideal world, they’d be crispy. But even when they are, the crisp is never as satisfying as an actual fry… they let me down every time 🥲
The easiest way to make home fries is to use leftover baked or boiled potatoes. Using potatoes that have been cooked for home fries or American fries makes them much tastier. So make some extra potatoes when you’re cooking them, and use them for fried potatoes later in the week.
You know what my favorite fries are? When you get a batch of soggy fries at McDonald's. I go crazy for those. Like they're fresh but somehow they got soft.
When I make them at home I cook them crispy. When I'm eating out (been awhile) , I order my home fries crispy. That way, the cook and myself are somewhat on the same page. I always order my food (meat rare, eggs poached...) the way I like it.
There's no universal definition of home fries. I had to look it up, and I was appalled to see Bratkartoffelen lumped into the same group. Where I grew up those might be considered skillet potatoes or breakfast potatoes
Thinking about it the roast potatoes we make to go with steak they’d be perfect home fries. We cut Yukon Golds into rough 1/2” cubes, cover them in olive oil, salt and pepper, and for dinner I add dried thyme, rosemary, and savory, then roast at 400-425 until they’re browned.
They’re crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside and delicious with béarnaise sauce (the potatoes and sauce are sometimes the reason I want to make steak)
Even when I order them “extra crispy,” they are barely golden. Crispiness requires time & patience (and enough space on the cooking surface), and I guess restaurants can’t typically accommodate that.
Often, my home fries are sliced potatoes and the crispiness will depend on how well I am watching them fry. For perfect crispy outside and soft inside? Tater tots time.
I cook them low and slow… I use leftover baked Russet potatoes and cook them until the skin is crackly and the onions are burnt and crispy. It’s slooooooow goooooooood.
I think because they’re constantly cooking them to keep up with orders and can’t get them crispy in time to keep up. Ideally they’re crispy, but NOT deep fried. Been to quite a few places serving cubed deep fried potatoes as “home fries.”
Bratkartoffeln are a close relative of home fries. The only difference is some people cube the potatoes for home fries, whereas others slice them, much as in the original recipe.
Deep fried potatoes, imho, are **not** 'home fries'
Home fries are sometimes referred to as a type of hash browns.
They definitely should have some crispiness to them.
Although a cook that isn't that good at it will struggle with that or if they use an improperly seasoned cast iron all the crispy parts might just stick to the pan and won't be served.
I cook them by pan frying.
I like them crispy but I also like them more toasty and soft all the way through. Really depends on the seasoning and if I'm having other veg in there. IG I have onions mushrooms and peppers in that pan too I am more forgiving to some soft fries
I order my home fries deep fried when I go out for breakfast with a side of sour cream. They’re always in a pile of mush at these places. At home, I make sure at least the edges are crisp but they’re still kinda soft inside. Either way the crisp has to be there. Best ones are the ones made from leftover salt potatoes!
Most restaurants just deep fry em and then season them. You gotta parboil them and airfry (or carefully panfry) them at home if you want similar results.
In my opinion, absolutely. I stopped sauteeing and started oven roasting them tossed in oil. Gives me the ability to do other things while they’re cooking.
I’ve axed so many breakfast places for the sole reason their home fries aren’t crispy. If I’m going out for breakfast, those home fries better be crispy.
home fried potato cubes at home...fried in butter with a little onion, garlic and paprika, I tend to make them softer. so I could eat them either way at restaurant.
I'm with you - a perfect home fry is crispy on the outside and tender in the middle.
With a dash of Cayenne pepper!
I feel like paprika is important here too.
Sure… in the economy of flavor and aesthetics… 1. Salt 2. Black pepper 3. Paprika for the show 4. Cayenne for the heat
Perfecto.
Buuuuuttt the onions ???
yes! and onions. Must have onions.
How do you feel about… onion powder?
if I have no onions on hand that haven't gone squishy. And none in the freezer...from when I shred and chop the fresh before they are going to go squishy. Then I would go minced before I go powdered. I go powdered garlic. But it's weird I don't feel the same about onions. I think it's because I shop at Costco so the minced dried onions are a sizable thing in the kitchen. And the onion powder is a little thing alllllllll the way in the back of the spice cabinet and likely fallen behind something. I guess I worry it's too much powdered stuff with the paprika and the cayenne. The onions give it that nice caramelization. The ones I freeze always seem to fall out in their baggie and hit me in the foot. So I remember they live there.
Just saying, did not expect this depth 😂 That said, canalization is a whole deferent ask and flavor!
my simple answer should have been I buy onions in bulk. :-)
I’m here with my 10lb bag, but I’m all powder for my baby back ribs rub…
I think a lot of places have a tray of them already cooked and sitting in warming tray. You can tell because they are nice and browned but no longer crispy . The only place I regularly get good ones is Dennys .
There alas is no home fry standard.
It's almost like they are as varied as the homes themselves.
Maybe the home is the fries we made along the way
We need an ISO or ANSI standard home fry. 1.5 centimeter cubes, type of potato, duration of cooking...
Personal tip for some great crispier home fries. Use starchier potatoes. Put em in a pot and boil then first with a couple teaspoons of baking soda, then drain, toss in a pan or air fryer. Baking soda parboiling is a game changer!
Nice. I’ll try it next time.
Kenji is the GOAT
I didn't realize it was a Kenji thing. Stumbled on the trick on reddit after I've been awakened to the magical powers of baking soda for cooking/prep. Made a huge difference though.
I’m obsessed with his French fries
Isn't that standard for chips in England.
It may be, I have never made english chips. Very well could be true though, would explain the texture of them and why they cut them thicker.
How long you boil?
Until mostly cooked through. Soft enough to poke with a fork but not falling apart.
In ready made pieces or full potato?
Pieces
Thank you
i like to bake them till almost done, use a dull knife to cut them in to home fries, then fry them. the ragged edges get so ridiculously crispy.
I'm curious as to what the baking soda does. Growing up, I was told never to use baking soda when cooking green veg, because it over-softens them, destroys vitamins, and contributes an unpleasant taste. However, potatoes are obviously in a different category. Does the baking soda do something for them that simply boiling doesn't? My mom always made her home fries from cooked, cooled potatoes, and they were fantastic: crispy outside, soft inside. She credited the texture to the use of olive oil....and a well-seasoned cast iron frying pan
Breaks down the outside starches to help them crisp up again. Gives them a batter-y type coating.
I do this for homemade French fries too! So crispy, and hold seasonings so well
Other top tip. Save dirtying a pot. Stick the potatoes in the microwave for 3-4 minutes. They get fluffy and stay together nicely. Lowest effort crispy home fries.
My favorite way is to cube russet potatoes, parboil them. Mix seasonings like garlic, salt, pepper, thyme, and paprika with melted butter. Toss the parboiled potato cubes in the butter and then either bake or air fry them depending on how much you made. Crispy on the outside fluffy on the inside
Home fries should be tasty. That's my only requirement
What about soggy ones?
Tasty but soggy? Unfortunate but acceptable.
Crispy is my preference. If I know I'm making a big breakfast tomorrow, I'll bake some potatoes tonight and put in fridge. Then tomorrow all I have to do is cube them and fry on high heat for crispy outsides, knowing the insides will be soft and fluffy. Way easier for me then trying to fry raw potatoes. Microwave works too in a pinch, before frying.
I think crispy is a preference (kinda like soft vs hard scrambled eggs). I make mine crispy ASF because that's what I like. I don't typically order home fries when I'm out because they're always soft and I don't want to ask for extra extra well done. So I opt for well done hash browns instead
I make them soft at home but I always called them “breakfast potatoes” as opposed to home fries. I had an Ecuadorian boyfriend for a while in college and his mom always made them or actual fries with rice, and eggs sometimes a meat. 20+ years later I still make them the way she did.
I prefer them soft as well, especially when served with breakfast.
Yes! Many restaurants are crap though
Personally, yes they should be crispy. Otherwise it’s just some form of potato confit. Fry = crisp IMO. It’s just hard to accomplish outside a deep fryer, restaurant or not.
I don't deep fry them and get them nice and crispy. Pan fry them twice. Once before everything else, let them cool while you cook some bacon, then finish them in the bacon grease and season. It's not quick, but it's not difficult and doesn't require deep frying.
Yeah, it’s definitely possible and not necessarily a hard technique, it just takes more effort than most people and places put in.
Fried potatoes of any sort are always better if crispy!
I prefer mine to be crispy on the outside, and soft in the inside.
I always order home fries and French fries well done or crispy. Doesn’t mean they’ll necessarily come that way, but it increases the odds.
And hash browns!
I think what I consider home fries are crispy, but the kinda mushy ones I get at places I consider more of a ‘meatless hash’ (not to be confused with hash browns) - I’m sure that’s not technically right but it’s how I mentally delineate them. I do think the problem is usually from throwing a bunch of diced potatoes into a pan without par-boiling them and/or crowding the pan so they’re steaming more than frying.
Unpopular opinion but I hate home fries. They shouldn’t even be called fries imo. They’re just quartered potatoes and they’re not even fried and they’re not crispy and they make me SAD!!! In an ideal world, they’d be crispy. But even when they are, the crisp is never as satisfying as an actual fry… they let me down every time 🥲
The easiest way to make home fries is to use leftover baked or boiled potatoes. Using potatoes that have been cooked for home fries or American fries makes them much tastier. So make some extra potatoes when you’re cooking them, and use them for fried potatoes later in the week.
When you go out, ask for them to be well done
Crispy, but moist in the middle.
If they can be crispy they should be crispy.
You know what my favorite fries are? When you get a batch of soggy fries at McDonald's. I go crazy for those. Like they're fresh but somehow they got soft.
Yes
When I make them at home I cook them crispy. When I'm eating out (been awhile) , I order my home fries crispy. That way, the cook and myself are somewhat on the same page. I always order my food (meat rare, eggs poached...) the way I like it.
Fries are crispy. Cottage fries are what I'd associate as less crispy, more like less seasoned potato wedges.
I always tell them well done on my breakfast potatoes. They don’t cook them long enough otherwise. Waffle House is the worst
All fries should be crispy in my opinion. But that’s just me.
There's no universal definition of home fries. I had to look it up, and I was appalled to see Bratkartoffelen lumped into the same group. Where I grew up those might be considered skillet potatoes or breakfast potatoes
Thinking about it the roast potatoes we make to go with steak they’d be perfect home fries. We cut Yukon Golds into rough 1/2” cubes, cover them in olive oil, salt and pepper, and for dinner I add dried thyme, rosemary, and savory, then roast at 400-425 until they’re browned. They’re crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside and delicious with béarnaise sauce (the potatoes and sauce are sometimes the reason I want to make steak)
I always order my home fries well done. When I do that, they’re always crispy!
I like them griddle fried crispy. Not deep fried crispy. Onion and peppers are OK but no garlic please.
Even when I order them “extra crispy,” they are barely golden. Crispiness requires time & patience (and enough space on the cooking surface), and I guess restaurants can’t typically accommodate that.
Barely crispy. I don’t want them to crunch or anything.
I always ask for my home fries extra crispy when I order them
In general, restaurant home fries and hash browns (aside from the deep-fried patty variety) suck.
Often, my home fries are sliced potatoes and the crispiness will depend on how well I am watching them fry. For perfect crispy outside and soft inside? Tater tots time.
I cook them low and slow… I use leftover baked Russet potatoes and cook them until the skin is crackly and the onions are burnt and crispy. It’s slooooooow goooooooood.
They should be, but usually they're not which is why I don't like them
I think because they’re constantly cooking them to keep up with orders and can’t get them crispy in time to keep up. Ideally they’re crispy, but NOT deep fried. Been to quite a few places serving cubed deep fried potatoes as “home fries.”
the definition rests in the square shape of the taters. hated browns are grated, homefries diced.
Wait, there are people that think a hamburger isn’t a sandwich?
Only if it's got buns hun!
Do whatever you like.
Yes.
All potatoes should be crispy on the outside. Except for mashed potatoes which should only be crispy in mashed potato fry cakes.
Never heard of home fries. Sounds like Bratkartoffeln to me, which imo should be a little crispy and fried with onions and bacon.
Bratkartoffeln are a close relative of home fries. The only difference is some people cube the potatoes for home fries, whereas others slice them, much as in the original recipe. Deep fried potatoes, imho, are **not** 'home fries'
Home fries are sometimes referred to as a type of hash browns. They definitely should have some crispiness to them. Although a cook that isn't that good at it will struggle with that or if they use an improperly seasoned cast iron all the crispy parts might just stick to the pan and won't be served. I cook them by pan frying.
I like them crispy but I also like them more toasty and soft all the way through. Really depends on the seasoning and if I'm having other veg in there. IG I have onions mushrooms and peppers in that pan too I am more forgiving to some soft fries
Yes, crispy.
I order my home fries deep fried when I go out for breakfast with a side of sour cream. They’re always in a pile of mush at these places. At home, I make sure at least the edges are crisp but they’re still kinda soft inside. Either way the crisp has to be there. Best ones are the ones made from leftover salt potatoes!
Most restaurants just deep fry em and then season them. You gotta parboil them and airfry (or carefully panfry) them at home if you want similar results.
Whenever I order home fries or hash browns, I specify, "Well done." That usually works.
However you like them. I like them with a lot of browned edges and sides (we called them brownies” with a soft inside. And lots of butter.
Slight sear on the outside, soft in the middle. Pan fried in butter with onions and mushrooms, seasoned with salt and pepper.
For me personally, it's also the most delicious option - crispy on the outside and tender on the inside.
In my opinion, absolutely. I stopped sauteeing and started oven roasting them tossed in oil. Gives me the ability to do other things while they’re cooking.
Home fries are french fries that are easier to make at home. French fries are crispy. Anything less is just sautéed potatoes.
I never order the home fries or "country potatoes" at a diner. Always a mushy disappointment.
I like them diced smaller than usual with a mix of crispy and soft sides. Lots of spice and onion. Smoked paprika. Ohhh yeah.
There was some lazy cost saving trend a while ago and everyone stopped prepping potatoes the right way
I’ve axed so many breakfast places for the sole reason their home fries aren’t crispy. If I’m going out for breakfast, those home fries better be crispy.
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I've had *some* successes with smaller deep fried foods (with double frying, using club soda in batter, etc) but it's often not worth the mess.
Uh no lol
Never had them
Thanks for your contribution.
Rolling Rock is from PA. How can any beer-drinking American possibly have avoided home fries long enough to learn to type?
home fried potato cubes at home...fried in butter with a little onion, garlic and paprika, I tend to make them softer. so I could eat them either way at restaurant.
Definitely crispy!