The Best Oil Swap For French Fries With Next-Level Flavor

French fries are a classic. Between their crispy exterior and cloud-like interior, the humble spuds tick all the right boxes in terms of texture. There is, however, an opportunity to improve shoestring, crinkle-cut, waffle fries, and the like when it comes to flavor. Rather than sprinkle fries with seasoning post-fry or serve them with a bold dipping sauce, the experts suggest infusing flavor into fries as they cook. When Tasting Table spoke to Guillaume Thivet, the executive chef at Grand Brasserie, he told us that elevating gustatory complexity is as easy as trading in vegetable oil for a more nuanced cooking fat.

Thivet is known for his ability to craft delicious dishes that teem with depth — and french fries are no different. The trick is simply knowing how to maximize flavor in unexpected ways. For example, when it comes to cooking french fries, vegetable oils tend to be the go-to option due to their high smoke point. That said, they can be quite neutral tasting, which is why Thivet recommends ditching one-dimensional oils for savory duck fat.

"Duck fat imparts a wonderful flavor to anything you cook in it," explains Thivet. Along with adding richness, duck fat even gives fries gamey undertones as well as a subtly sweet edge, not to mention that the so-called liquid gold also has its textural advantages, ensuring ultra crispy frites. But that's not all: Much like other foods fried in duck fat, like Takashi Yagihashi's chicken, french fries also take on an especially gleaming golden hue, making them all the more irresistible.

"[Duck fat] fries are the best — crispy, tender, and loaded with flavor," shares Thivet. Yet, this is particularly true with high quality duck fat (think: options with a minimal ingredients list). Often, jars are available at supermarkets or specialty stores, but duck fat can also be purchased online from brands like Fatworks. If all else fails, you can render your own duck fat by placing pieces of duck skin in a pot with water and simmering until the water has evaporated and the skin has turned crisp.

Since it can be pricier than vegetable oil, it's best to use duck fat strategically. For instance, we suggest frying in a tall pot, as this allows you to use less fat — just be sure that at least a few inches of liquid fill the pot in order to promote even cooking. Additionally, it's also wise to fry the taters in batches. However, the most important tip for making tasty fries is to double fry them for the crunchiest result.

Thanks to the flavors imparted by duck fat, fries cooked in liquid gold require little more than a dash of salt before serving. But they can also be enhanced with chopped parsley for freshness or truffles for extra umami. Alternatively, add cheese and duck gravy to make a savory duck poutine. In any case, as long as you follow Guillaume Thivet's advice to fry spuds in duck fat, an otherwise simple batch of french fries are guaranteed to impress!