crispy oven fries

with tartar sauce

Easy Bake Oven

Probably my favorite thing to eat in the world besides a good burger are good fries, which sadly are kinda of hard to come by in restaurants and fast food joints, these days. But no worries, I got you.

These oven-baked fries are so good because 1. you don’t have to bust out the deep fryer and 2. they are super flavorful even before you bake them ( thanks to super salty boiling water), plus they are soft and fluffy on the inside, while retaining a respectable level of crispness on the outside.

This recipe may seem a little scary because there is a large amount of salt used, but trust me, like pasta, you need the salt so your fries are not only tasty on the outside, but inside as well.

The adding vinegar bit comes from Ethan Chlebowski- he has a pretty extensive video on YouTube about crispy oven bake fries which (if you’re interested), you should check out…Anyway, the vinegar is a nice addition because although it doesn’t really add any flavor, it helps to keep the boiled potato intact and improves the overall texture.

Obviously, ketchup is a natural pairing with fries, but I also love to dip them in a tart tartar sauce. Maybe it’s the years I spent living in Seattle (it seems to be their thing there - like ranch is in California), but it’s my preferred dip of choice. But like I always say, you do you.

INGREDIENTS:

Fries

  • 700-800 g russet potatoes ( 2-3 medium sized), peeled and cut into wedges

  • 1 T kosher salt (for boiling water) + more for sprinkling ( I use Diamond, use half if using table salt or Morton)

  • 1 T vinegar (for boiling water)

  • 1/4 C oil (I recommend peanut or other high-heat oil)

Quick Tartar Sauce

  • 1/4 C vegan mayo

  • 2 T dice dill pickle + 1- 2 T of juice

  • 1-2 T lemon juice (freshly squeezed )

  • 1 T fresh chopped dill (can sub with 1 tsp. dry)

  • 1/8 tsp. celery seed (optional)

  • salt (to taste)

  • pepper (optional)

Equipment:

  • Medium or large pot

  • Large baking sheet (or two)

  • Small bowl

  • Strainer

  • Tongs

  • Cooling rack

  • Paper towels

Pair up

These crispy fries are a perfect pairing for my Fried Catfished Tofu

Catfished Tofu Recipe

Directions:

Tartar sauce

  1. Add the mayo to your small bowl and add chopped pickle, dill, pickle juice, celery seed, salt, and pepper

  2. Mix until well combined, then add the fresh lemon juice ( 1 tablespoon at a time, to suite your taste)

  3. Mix sauce again and taste for seasoning, add more salt, herbs or lemon juice as needed

  4. Set aside

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450° F

fries

  1. Cut peeled potatoes into 1 inch wedges ( I like em' chunky, but cut to 1/2" if you like a thinner, even crispier fry)

  2. Place potatoes in a large pot and cover with water- place on high heat and bring to a boil

  3. Once boiling, add salt and vinegar (vinegar doesn't really contribute to taste, but it helps the potatoes to maintain their structure)

  4. Cook 8-10 minutes or until fork tender, but not falling apart

  5. When potatoes are close to being finished, pour your oil on a baking sheet and place in the oven- this gives the oil a head start heating up, resulting in crispier fries

  6. Drain the potatoes and pat them dry a little

  7. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and carefully place the potatoes onto the baking sheet- turn them in the oil to evenly coat

  8. Top Tip: Make sure to spread out your potato wedges so they not crowded or touching on the baking sheet- if there are too many potatoes on your pan, they will steam and not reach maximum crispiness!

  9. Place the potatoes in the oven on the middle rack and bake for 15-20 minutes (if you have hot spots in your oven, flip the baking sheet around halfway through so the potatoes bake evenly) ** every oven is different, so I suggest you start checking your fries at the 10 minute mark to check to see how brown they are getting **

  10. After the first side is done, carefully flip potatoes with tongs or a slotted spatula so the other side can get crispy and golden- about another 10-20 minutes

  11. When fries are golden brown, remove them from oven and pat the excess oil with a paper towel

  12. If you find they need more seasoning, add it while they're hot ( but give one a try, because depending on your taste, they may be seasoned enough for you)

Don’t like tartar sauce? Eat these fries with ketchup, bbq sauce, malt vinegar, ranch, or honey mustard.

Let me know if you give this recipe a try!

Thanks for taking the time to stop by, until next time…

xxDebbiexx