Cover a large baking sheet with paper towels or paper bags to drain the fries on.
Scrub potatoes and dry them well. Without peeling, cut into ¼-inch batons. Place in a 4 to 5-quart heavy, deep frying pan or Dutch oven and add oil; it will barely cover the potatoes. I love to use my cast-iron Dutch oven for this!
Turn burner to high and bring oil to a boil, which will take about 5 minutes. Cook potatoes for another 15 minutes. Do not stir because they will break. At this point, you can use tongs or a thin spatula to gently scrape loose any potatoes that have stuck to the pan. You might find the ones at the bottom of the pan are darker than the ones near the top. Not to worry, just move them around a bit.
Continue to cook, stirring only if absolutely necessary, for 5 to 10 minutes longer, or until crisp and as golden as you like them. Use a large slotted spoon or flat strainer to scoop the fries from the oil. Spread them on the prepared baking sheet and immediately sprinkle them with the salt.
You can keep fries warm in a 200 degree oven but the texture is really best right from the fryer.