Air Fryer French Fries

• 2 lbrusset potatoes — 2 large — russets only, waxy potatoes go leathery
• 1 1/2 tbspneutral oil — avocado or canola
• 3/4 tspfine sea salt — plus more at the end
• —black pepper or paprika — to taste — optional

Method

1. 01

   Cut the potatoes into 1/4-inch sticks — peel or don't, we don't. Keep the thickness even or the thin ones will burn while the fat ones flop.

2. 02

   Soak the cut fries in cold water for at least 30 minutes (an hour is better), swishing once or twice. The water goes cloudy — that's surface starch leaving, and it's the difference between crisp and gummy.

3. 03

   Drain and dry the fries until your towel comes away dry. Toss with the oil and salt until every stick is coated thin and even.

4. 04

   First cook: air fry at 320°F for 12 minutes, shaking once. They'll look pale, blond, and unpromising. This stage cooks the inside; trust it.

5. 05

   Second cook: crank to 400°F and fry 10–13 more minutes, shaking every 4, until deep gold with browned edges. Work in two batches for this stage if your basket is more than half full — crowding is fatal here.

6. 06

   Salt again the second they come out, while the surface still grabs it. Eat immediately, standing over the basket like everyone actually does.