You Can Reheat Your Sad, Tasteless Potatoes on the Stove
“Leftover French Fries” is a controversial topic. Some people claim to have “never heard of them,” while other, more realistic people (reluctantly) accept them as casual takeaways and like to argue about the “best” way to warm them up.
Without a doubt, my deep fryer is the best roast warmer I have, but not everyone has table space for a small, powerful convection oven. My other strategy for dealing with fried potatoes – a waffle , but there is another, an incredibly simple way to help the fries back to normal: just heat it on a dry frying pan with non-stick coating.
The method suggestedby Chef John of Food Wishes, seen in the video above, is pretty simple. Place the fries on a non-stick baking sheet, making sure each fries are in contact with the surface of the pan. Heat a skillet over medium to high heat and stir every 30 to 45 seconds, making sure the potatoes come into contact with the skillet again after each stirring.
I tried this with some (13) French fries that had been in a take-out container in my fridge since Friday night. It worked. The fries got hot and they turned crunchy instead of crunchy on the outside. I dipped them in Russian mayonnaise. They were good.
I still prefer the deep fat fryer method – it is much easier and does a better job of getting rid of that “leftover” aroma, but it’s a second second. As promised, the heat from the pan drives the moisture away and causes the oil to move and groove the outside of the potatoes for a crispy character.
One side note: Chef John is serious about using medium to high heat and keeping the fries in motion. Hanging on one side of the roast for too long will cause it to become charred, charred, which is not what you want. (Burnt potatoes are still better than cold and damp ones, but hardly perfect.)