Finally...Crispy Oven Fries!

I have a love/hate relationship with potatoes.  I love to eat them; I'm terrible at cooking them.  I make a mean mashed potato, but I can never get potato pancakes to crisp or oven fries to crunch...until now.  I stumbled across this recipe for Crispy Oven-Baked Potato Fries a few weeks ago at The Comfort of Cooking, and now I have a go-to recipe for homemade fries without all of the grease from a deep fryer.

These were delicious with just some salt and pepper, but I will surely experiment with other herbs and spices in the future.

Crispy Oven Fries
from The Comfort of Cooking
makes 3-4 servings

3 russet potatoes (about 1 1/2 lbs. total), peeled and cut lengthwise into even-sized wedges
5 Tbl vegetable, canola or peanut oil, divided
¾ tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste

Preheat the oven to 475˚ F. Place the potato wedges in a large mixing bowl. Cover with hot water; soak for 10-30 minutes. Put 4 tablespoons of the oil onto a heavy, rimmed baking sheet. Tilt the sheet side to side to evenly coat the pan with oil (a pastry brush can also help with this). Sprinkle the pan evenly with the salt and pepper. Set aside.

Drain the potatoes. Spread the wedges out on layers of paper towels or on clean kitchen towels. Pat dry with additional towels. Wipe out the now empty bowl so it is dry. Return the potatoes to the bowl and toss with the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil. Arrange the potato wedges on the prepared baking sheet in a single layer. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 5 minutes. Remove the foil and continue to bake until the bottoms of the potatoes are spotty golden brown, 12-20 minutes, rotating the baking sheet after 7 minutes. Using a metal spatula and tongs, flip each potato wedge keeping them in a single layer. Continue baking until the fries are golden and crisp, 5-10 minutes. Rotate the pan as needed to ensure even browning.

When the fries are finished baking, transfer to a paper-towel lined plate to drain some of the grease. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm.

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