Chef Hector Jiménez Bravo, known for his recipe videos on Instagram, showed how to make the popular fast-food dish — crispy french fries — at home. According to the Styler project (Styler is an entertainment project by RBC-Ukraine that tells stories about people, trends, and recipes), the key to a "restaurant-quality" texture lies not in the brand of oil, but in the sequence of preparatory steps: blanching, an ice bath, a thin layer of cornstarch, and pre-freezing. The original article with a link to the chef's video is published on styler.rbc.ua.
The Star Ingredient: Cornstarch
Among several readily available ingredients, cornstarch plays a special role in the recipe. A thin layer of starch on the surface of the potato sticks forms an appetizing crust during frying: it absorbs residual moisture and, upon contact with hot oil, quickly "seals," creating a crunch. It is important not to overdo it — a light, even coating over the entire surface is enough, not a thick breading. It is precisely this technique that, in essence, turns ordinary potatoes into a homemade fast-food alternative, and it also appears as the "secret ingredient" in other breakdowns of crispy fries.
Blanching and the Ice Bath: Texture Control
The potatoes are first peeled and cut into uniform sticks — a consistent size is critical, otherwise some pieces will burn while others remain raw. The sticks are then dropped into salted boiling water and cooked for about three minutes: the goal of this stage is not to fully cook the potatoes, but merely to soften them slightly. After that, the potatoes are quickly transferred to a bowl of cold water with ice cubes. The ice bath stops the cooking process and preserves the desired texture, and before the next stage the sticks are thoroughly dried with a paper towel: excess moisture before frying is unacceptable.
Freezing and the Final Fry
The dried potatoes are coated with cornstarch, laid out in a single layer on a board, and placed in the freezer for approximately 50–60 minutes. Freezing, as the chef explains, delivers the desired contrast of textures — a crispy exterior and a soft center. Once the sticks are sufficiently frozen, they are fried in a large amount of well-heated vegetable oil: the potatoes should be able to "swim" freely in the oil, so the pan is not overloaded. They are cooked until an even golden crust forms, then the oil is allowed to drain, and at the very end they are salted while shaking so the salt distributes evenly. The result is a golden, crispy crust on the outside and a tender texture inside.
Context: Other Dishes by the Same Chef
The french fry recipe is part of a broader series of culinary features featuring Hector Jiménez Bravo. Ukrainian media have covered his other dishes in the same vein: for example, a potato pie from the "circus chef" and an "ideal" gratin that will "warm you up in any weather." This confirms that the french fries in this article are not the only, but one of the simplest and most reproducible home dishes in his collection, designed for the situation when "the guests are already at the door."
