French fries are the ultimate comfort food and such a perfect side kick to almost any entree main piece. One of my most prominent childhood memories when it comes to a summer day at the pool is french fries with ketchup and mayonesse – German style and a memory that I probably share with almost all my compatriotes. The most important aspect about the perfect French fries is their texture, they need to be crisp and crunchy. Nothing is worse than soggy fries. The emphasis in this recipe lays on the easy accessibility of the spices, because I wanted it to be a recipe that you can literally make any time without any extra shopping trips and right in that spur of the moment, when you feel like having fries, whether it’s as a main snack or as a side dish. Moreover they are made in the oven, so they are significantly more healthy than the fryer version or a store bought option.
Servings: 4 side dishes * Calories: 289 kcal (side dish) * Preparation time: 20 min * Start to finish: 50-55 min
Ingredients
- 8 medium sized waxy potatoes (do not use floury potatoes as they result in soggy fries)
- 4 tablespoons of vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 1 teaspoon of sugar
- 1.5 teaspoons of red pepper powder (non-spicy)
- 1/2 teaspoon of spicy pepper/chilli powder
- 1/2 teaspoon of curry powder
- 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder
Peel the potatoes and cut them into your desired thickness. If you want a crunchier outcome, slimmer is better. After cutting your fries, place them in large bowl and cover them with water with hot (not boiling) water and let them sit for half a minute. Then rinse the water (which should now be white and milky) and add another round of hot water. Thereby you remove any excess potato flour, which is key to making the fries turn out crunchy and crispy in the end. Repeat this until the water remains clear. Dry the potato sticks with kitchen towel. Now we are all set for the next important step: adding the spices. For that it is crucial that the fries are not moist or wet as the spices can then infuse much better and thus ensure a better taste.
Take a container with a lid that would fit all the potato sticks. Add the oil, salt and spices and whisk them well. Fill the future fries into the container, close the lid and shake the container until all potatoes are covered in the oil-spices-mix.
Spread the potato sticks on a baking tray with parchment paper. Bake them for 30-35 minutes (depending on the thickness of your fries) at 400 degrees Fahrenheit/200 degrees Celsius. Add extra salt before serving, if your taste buds tell you so.