Recipes

Peri peri fries at home: crispy every time, with the double-fry trick

گھر پر پیری پیری فرائز

Last reviewed 15 November 20262 min read

Short answer

Cut potatoes into 1 cm sticks, soak them in cold water for 30 minutes, dry well and toss with a spoon of cornflour. Fry once at about 160°C until soft, rest 10 minutes, then fry again at 180–190°C until golden. Toss immediately with 1½–2 tsp peri peri seasoning in a big bowl.

Makes:: Serves 3–4
Prep:: 40 min
Cook:: 20 min

Ingredients

4 medium potatoes (about 700 g)
1 tbsp cornflour
Oil for deep frying
1½–2 tsp peri peri seasoning
Salt only if needed (taste the fries after seasoning first)
Dip: 3 tbsp mayonnaise, 1 small garlic clove grated, a squeeze of lemon, a pinch of peri peri

Method

Peel the potatoes (or leave the skin on) and cut into sticks about 1 cm thick.
Soak in cold water for 30 minutes to wash off surface starch, then drain and dry completely on a kitchen towel.
Toss the dry sticks with the cornflour so each one has a very thin coat.
First fry: heat oil to about 160°C (a stick should bubble gently). Fry in batches for 5–6 minutes until soft but still pale. Lift out and rest at least 10 minutes.
Second fry: heat the oil to 180–190°C and fry again for 2–3 minutes until golden and crisp.
Tip the hot fries into a large bowl, sprinkle the peri peri over them and toss straight away so the seasoning sticks.
Stir the dip ingredients together and serve at once.

Why fries go soft

Wet potatoes and one long fry make limp fries. Soaking removes extra starch, drying stops the oil from cooling, and the second hot fry is what makes the outside crisp.

Season while they are hot. Once fries cool, powder slides off instead of sticking.

Air fryer method

After soaking and drying, toss the sticks with 1 tbsp oil and the cornflour. Air-fry at 200°C for 18–20 minutes, shaking the basket twice, then toss with peri peri while hot.

More ways to use peri peri

Wings: rub 1 kg chicken wings with 1 tbsp peri peri seasoning, 1 tbsp oil and lemon juice, rest 1 hour and bake at 220°C for 35–40 minutes, turning once, until cooked through.

Also good on popcorn, paratha rolls, corn on the cob and grilled paneer. For a pizza night, it sits in the Pizza Night Kit with pizza seasoning, oregano and chilli flakes.

Common questions

How much peri peri should I use?

Start with 1½ teaspoons for 700 g of potatoes, taste, and add more if you like it hotter. Taste before adding salt, because a seasoning blend may already be salted.