Who can resist a good french fry? I, for one, can. It’s not that I don’t enjoy these salty, deep-fried spuds every now and again, but I can just as easily do without them. These crispy baked french fries, however, are a different matter. I could eat these lightly seasoned potatoes by the handful. And because they’re roasted and not fried, you won’t feel guilty doing so (unless you’re on a no- or low-carb diet, of course).
The trick to getting a crisp crust is removing as much excess liquid from the tubers as possible prior to seasoning and baking them. To do this, simply sprinkle the cut potatoes with a little sugar (yes, sugar) and let them sit for 30 minutes. Then blot them dry with a paper towel and proceed with the recipe. Don’t skip this step or you’ll be sorry. Serve these baked french fries with burgers or topped with grated cheese for a delicious appetizer or bar bite.
Recipe adapted from Apple of My Eye.
- 1 pound fingerling potatoes (see notes)
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon sea salt, plus more, to taste
- ¼ teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon dried basil
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- fresh parsley, grated cheese (for topping, optional)
- Cut the potatoes into medium-sized wedges and place in a colander over the sink. Sprinkle with sugar and set aside for 30 minutes, allowing excess water to drain.
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
- Pat the potatoes with a paper towel, removing as much liquid as you can, and place in a medium bowl.
- Add olive oil, garlic powder, salt, herbs and pepper to the potatoes and toss to coat. Lay the potatoes on a baking sheet in a single layer.
- Bake for 15 minutes, remove from the oven and stir gently. Bake for an additional 10-15 minutes until potatoes are golden and crispy.
- Sprinkle with parsley, grated cheese and extra salt, if desired.
