Frozen fries are engineered to be consistent, and consistency is the only thing they have on a potato you cut yourself. A hand-cut fry has irregular edges that catch the oil, a starchy interior that stays fluffy, and a flavour that actually tastes like potato.

The double fry is not optional. The first pass at a lower temperature cooks the inside through without colouring it, the rest lets the surface dry, and the second pass at high heat is what builds the crust. Skip a stage and you get a fry that is either pale or hollow.

Season them the second they come out of the oil, while the surface is still hot enough to hold the salt. A salt pig on the counter makes that easy — a pinch from above, from a height, so it lands evenly instead of in one spot.