Oven-Baked Fries
Yummy! Crispy! Delicious! Fries are the best food in the whole wide world!
I always say jokingly that if I got stuck on a desert island and could only have one food with me, it would be fries! My mother used to call me potato girl for my love of all things spud. When I go out to eat, it can be the fanciest, most upscale restaurant, but I order fries. I judge a restaurant by its fries. They can’t be thick cut, they can’t be coated and they definitely can’t be crinkle cut! Straight cut, crispy, hot and salty!
When I make fries at home, I don’t deep fry them. I’ve tried a few times over the years and just found it to be way too time consuming and I didn’t love the way they came out. I’ve perfected my oven-baked fries and am so happy with them. The key is to use a real cookie sheet. It is so, so important and makes a huge difference. It allows the pan to get hot enough and conducts the heat well, cooking the fries (or any food, for that matter!) properly inside with a crispy outside. I am the first person to say “Why spend extra money? Just use disposables!” but truthfully, I have paid for my cookie sheets a hundred times over by now by not using disposables and there are plenty of cookie sheets out there that are great and not expensive. Between milchig, fleishig and pareve, I probably have about 15 cookie sheets and I really use all of them. The cookie sheets I have always bought in the past are no longer available, but these are a great alternative
For the fries, I like to use russet or Idaho potatoes. They are high in starch and make the crispiest fries. You don’t have to peel them, but that’s another big no-no for me — I don’t like “dirty fries.”
When cutting the potatoes, I find it easiest to cut them as pictured.
Spread them on a cookie sheet (you can line it with good-quality parchment paper — I like Kirkland brand). You don’t want them too crowded; they should be in one even layer — use more than one cookie sheet if necessary. If they’re too crowded, the fries will end up steaming and not crisp up.
Oven-Baked Fries
Ingredients
- 5-6 medium russet or Idaho potatoes, peeled and cut
- Coarse sea salt
- Black pepper
- Cayenne pepper (optional)
- 1/4-1/2 cup oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Arrange fries in a single layer on a REAL baking sheet and toss with spices and oil.
- Bake for 40 minutes-1 hour, until fries are crispy.
Recipe by Faigy Murray | https://mykitchenmystudio.com/oven-baked-fries/
