There's Only One Potato Variety You Should Choose For Home Fries

There's no tuber more beloved than the humble potato. Mash, boil, fry, shred, steam, or roast it, and you can get a tasty result. Undoubtedly, the foodstuff's versatile, but there are some nuances to consider. Say you're striving for a perfectly browned batch of home fries with that mouthwatering contrast of crispy exterior to soft inside. In addition to perfecting your technique, you'll want to select the optimal spud variety.

Go for a tuber that's high in starch with a dry consistency. For such qualities, there's no better choice than russet potatoes. After a parboiling step — which is also essential to make legitimately crispy french fries at home — the vegetable will turn creamy. This potato variety tenderizes profoundly, since it contains an abundance of large starch molecules. Such a distinct structure soaks in a good amount of water, leading to the desired soft consistency. So you'll simply need an ample-spaced pan for frying, and a batch of ideally textured home fries will emerge.

Russet potatoes look like a classic potato. Large and elongated, brown, and with a rough, often dirt-covered exterior, they conceal their magic. The flavor is balanced with neutral, yet slightly earthy notes. In contrast to the skin, the mouthfeel is silky smooth, with an airy texture.

Such a combination of factors makes the russet a popular potato type. They're often used to make a baked potato, as well as tater tots and hash browns. So it comes as no surprise that they're also the home fry go-to. Their ample size makes it easy to chop into perfect cubes, and the thicker skin brings textural variety into the mix. Not to mention this particular potato variety is usually easy to find, so hunting down this type won't take much effort. Just take care in the preparation — you might want to use a salad spinner to remove excess water from your fries — and before you know it, a batch of russet potato home fries will be sure to impress.