Oven Fries

how to: make the perfect oven fries

January 12th, 2011 - by Deborah

Now that the New Year is here, I know many of you have made a resolution to eat better.  One way of doing this is skipping the fried foods and going for baked.  I know you have all heard of oven fries, and many of you have probably made them before, but I just learned a new method that has totally changed how I make mine!  (Thanks Rachael Ray!)
This is more of a method than a recipe, because times will all depend on how thick and big you cut your potato slices.  But the secret?  Boiling the fries before they go into the oven.  Believe me - it makes the inside nice and soft while the outside gets crispy from a high oven temperature.  And it speeds up the process as well!
1st - set a pot of water over high heat to get it boiling.  Also preheat your oven to the highest temperature it will go to.
2nd - cut your potatoes.  I like mine thinner, but you can definitley do big wedges or small stick - however you prefer your fries.  Leave the peel on or take them off -it’s all up to you!
3rd - drop the potatoes into the boiling water.  Cook until just barely tender - make sure you don’t cook them so much that they fall apart!
4th - drain potatoes and transfer to a baking sheet.  Cover with olive oil and any seasoning you want.  Put into the preheated oven.
5th - Cook until crispy on the edges.  I like to turn mine once or twice during this time so that they get evenly browned.
6th - remove from oven and enjoy - I like mine with some fry sauce!!
You’ll note from the picture that I did both regular potatoes and sweet potatoes.  The method works for both, although I’ve never been able to get the sweet potato fries quite as crispy on the outside as the regular potatoes.  But they still are delicious (and healthy!)