Sweet potato fries are one of my favorite snacks/side dishes, but I've had a heck of a time experimenting with various cooking methods in order to get them just right. They tend to turn out limp and mushy whether they are baked or fried, cut into rustic wedges or perfectly julienned. But after several mediocre attempts at recreating a restaurant-worthy fry I finally nailed it, so I wanted to share two imperative steps that will ensure that ever-elusive crispy texture:
1.) Soak your potatoes in water for about an hour prior to baking in order to coax out some of the starches. Starch holds moisture in the potato, and the more moisture in the potato, the harder it will be to crisp up. It may seem counter-intuitive, but just try it and see! Just make sure to get the potatoes as dry as possible using paper towels (or even a blowdryer!) before baking.
2.) Coat the fries in a thin layer of corn starch before baking- this is EVERYTHING.
I made two fun dipping sauces to accompany the french fries. Now, we've all had ketchup and we've all had honey mustard, but I punched them both up by adding some unexpected flavors- I just love a twist on the same old thing. I had some leftovers from a batch of homemade ketchup so I added pureed roasted beets and a bit of balsamic and ginger for a nice kick (you could easily make this with store bought ketchup though). Then I whipped up some honey mustard and mixed in a few drops of truffle oil at the end. Yum! What are your favorite dipping sauces for french fries?
Ingredients
for the fries:
2 sweet potatoes, peeled
1-2 tbsp canola oil
1-2 tbsp cornstarch
salt and pepper, to taste
for the beet ketchup:
2 medium sized beets, roasted and peeled
1/2 cup ketchup
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced
salt and pepper, to taste
for the truffle honey mustard:
3 tbsp mayonnaise
2 tsp honey
2 tsp spicy brown mustard
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1/8 tsp truffle oil
salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
1. Using a mandolin, cut potatoes into thick julienned slices. Soak in a bowl of cold water for approximately 1 hour.
2. Meanwhile, make the dipping sauces: for the beet ketchup, cut the beets into 1-inch chunks and transfer to a food processor. Add the ketchup, vinegar, olive oil, ginger, salt and pepper. Process until the mixture is smooth, 2 to 3 minutes. Strain mixture through a fine mesh sieve into a small bowl, pressing down on solids with a wooden spoon For the truffle honey mustard, whisk all ingredients together in a small bowl. Set dipping sauces aside until ready to serve.
3. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Drain potatoes and pat with paper towels until very dry.
4. Place cornstarch in a plastic bag and add potatoes. Secure the top closed and shake vigorously to coat potatoes. Remove from bag and place onto a parchment lined baking sheet.
5. Coat fries with oil and spread fries in a single layer, taking care not to overcrowd the pan (otherwise the potatoes will steam).
6. Bake for 15 minutes, rotate pan and cook for another 5-10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper just before serving.
*Optional: add a bit of cinnamon and brown sugar to your french fry seasonings, I love it this way!
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