What are good counter-top oven settings to reheat french fries soggy from refrigerating overnight?

Question

I have yesterday's French Fries (Chips for those of you across the Pond). They were stored in a refrigerator overnight and now are cold AND soggy.

What's a good technique to reheat them in a small counter-top electrical oven? E.g. temperature? bake/broil/convection setting? How long?

Constraints:

• I must heat them on a sheet of thin wrapping aluminum foil (over a loose grill, no tray)
• I would prefer a method that takes less than 5 minutes, but that's not a cut-off
• The main goal is to have them somewhat crispyish on the outside, and tasty (not hard, not soggy) on the inside
• The fries/chips size can be either McDonalds size (1/2 cm^2 square cross cut) or slightly larger diner size (~0.5cm x 1 cm cross cut)
• The amount is such that - evenly spreading them on an aluminum foil sheet the size of the oven's tray - they cover pretty much the whole sheet, in single layer
• this is at work, so I am unlikely to have access to any ingredients (e.g. any answer that starts with "sprinkle with xyz oil" is less desirable.

The fries are fully-cooked, from an order from an eatery, not home-cooked. So while I don't know the ingredients/coating/what they were fried in, a safe assumption is that the fries are either standard McDonalds recipe, or some sort of generic US Diner or midrange restaurant recipe, assuming one is known.

Answer 1

They won't be as good as when fresh (of course) but generally:

1. You want the oven pretty hot. How hot depends on the oven, size of fry, etc., but a good first guess would be 425°F–450°F. On most toaster ovens I've seen, that'd be as hot as it goes. Let the oven preheat. Unfortunately, heating the oven is going to take longer than your five minutes, probably ten to fifteen... But as long as you stay nearby (just in case) you can do something else while its heating.

2. Spread the fries evenly on your piece of foil. Fold up the edges of the foil a little to keep them from sliding off when you move it. (Note: A plain, uncoated aluminum quarter sheet pan probably fits in your toaster oven, and can be had for under $10.)

3. They won't take long. Listen for them to start to sizzle. Once they've sizzled for a little bit (say, 30 seconds) pull them out and flip them. Put them back in and let them sizzle a little longer. Take them out, sample one, put back in if not done yet. I can't give you a time (other than "a few minutes") because it's going to vary a lot based on the fry, and even how much it has dried out in the fridge. Judge when they're ready based on the sound (sizzle), smell, color (browning), and taking one out and tasting it.

Notes:

1. You may find adding some salt helps them a lot. Same with some finely ground pepper. Or other powdered seasoning mixes like Old Bay.

2. If the center isn't warm enough by the time the outside is browning, use a lower temperature next time. If the center is overdone (e.g., dried out) before browning sets in, use a higher temperature.

Answer 2

If you are not trying to reheat small scraps, they will be better right on the grill/rack, rather than on foil; foil or a pan help to promote "one soggy side", though you can turn them to help with that. Not using foil means they get to dry all around.

I would stay at 350-375F - that's where the fry oil typically is.

I make baked "fries" from raw potatoes this way in 15-20 minutes - reheating should be considerably faster.

Answer 3

In medium-hot skillet (fry pan) add a little oil. (not cooking spray)

Add fries in serving size batches to hot oil.

Stir & flip often until outside is crunchy & inside is hot, but not over cooked.

Drain on paper towels & salt to taste. (if needed)

I find this works best with room temperature, leftover fast food fries like McDonalds or Burger King fries.