French fries would be very near the top of my desert island food list (maybe right below wine and cheese). I'm not really a sweets girl, but when it comes to salt and crunch, I'm a goner. I cannot resist a basket of crispy fries! Sadly, I can't eat fries every day of my life and also fit into my clothes, so I have a major life dilemma. These oven fries solve all my problems instantly! They taste just as good (if not better, imo) than traditional frites, but they're baked at high heat in the oven instead of sizzled in a pot full of oil. I tried baking them coated with garlic and herbs, but found that the high heat of the oven was burning the aromatics, so I now infuse the olive oil first with garlic and rosemary, remove those ingredients and then add the potatoes. Flipping your fries a little over halfway through baking allows them to brown evenly, but if they wont budge, give them a little longer in the oven before flipping. And russet potatoes (plain old baking potatoes) work best in this recipe, so don't get all fancy on me! This simple, foolproof method has me eating fries (almost) every day guilt-free!
prep time: ~10 min. cook time: ~50 min. serves: 4-6
INGREDIENTS
3 medium sized russet potatoes, cut into standard fry sized "sticks"
2 sprigs rosemary
2 garlic cloves, lightly smashed but still intact
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat the oven to 450° with rack set in between the middle and uppermost level. Line two baking sheets with parchment and distribute the oil, garlic and rosemary between the two. Place in the oven for 3-5 minutes, until the garlic and herbs begin to brown, to allow the oil to infuse with their flavors. Remove the trays from the oven and discard the rosemary and garlic. Divide the potato sticks, salt and pepper between the two pans and CAREFULLY toss to coat in the hot oil. Lay the potatoes out in an even layer- they should not be overlapping or touching too much- and pop back in the oven for 25 minutes, rotating the pans if they won't both fit on the same rack in the oven. Flip the potatoes and cook another 15-20 minutes, until they are very brown on the outside and tender on the inside. Remove to a serving bowl and sprinkle with a little more coarse salt. Eat with wild abandon!