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March 16, 2013

Sweet Potato Fries


Some people may find this odd, but I actually prefer sweet potato fries over regular fries.  Not that I don't like regular fries....I definitely do.  However if I have the option, I would choose sweet potato fries.  My son HATES sweet potatoes and it just doesn't make sense to me.  Kids like sweet things right?  So it would stand to reason he'd like sweet potatoes!  I just don't get it. 

I had one sweet potato on it's last leg in the fridge the other day, and since my husband was out of town I knew it was a good time to use it up.  As I scoured my freezer for something to eat I came across a box of veggie burgers.  What goes with burgers?  Fries.  So I set out to make these sweet potato fries.  Homemade sweet potato fries are difficult to get crispy, so this time I decided to use the Cooks Illustrated method of making fries in hopes that it would help.  They suggest soaking them in hot water first.  They also do a few other things to ensure a soft center with a crispy outside, but since sweet potatoes are pretty soft when cooked I didn't use their other methods for these.   


 
I think the soaking helped.  They were delicious, although no matter how they turned out they would be delicious to me.  I like dipping mine in honey mustard sauce - so good!  So here's how I made them......

Sweet Potato Fries (serves 4)

3 sweet potatoes peeled & cut lengthwise into French fry type slices (I like mine more on the thin side)
2+ tbsp. vegetable, canola or olive oil

Garlic Salt

Preheat the oven to 425˚ F. Place the potatoes in a large bowl. Cover with hot water and soak for at least one hour.  

Drain the potatoes. Spread them out on layers of paper towels or on kitchen towels and pat dry with additional towels.  Place on baking sheet & drizzle oil over top.  Toss the fries until each one is coated with the oil, then arrange them on the baking sheet in a single layer - make sure no fry is touching another.

Bake for 15 minutes, then turn each fry over, being sure to keep them in a single layer. Continue baking until the fries are golden and crisp, 10-15 more minutes. Rotate the pan if needed for even browning.  When the fries are finished baking, sprinkle some garlic salt to taste then toss to combine.  Serve warm with your favorite dipping sauce – I like honey mustard ☺

5 comments:

  1. I've never heard of soaking the potato pieces in hot water! I'm totally giving this a try tonight. I wonder if it would work for regular potatoes too? My bf doesn't like SP either so I'm making regular fries for him and SP for me :)

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  2. Cooks Illustrated originally did this with regular potatoes. I decided to try it with the sweet potatoes and it worked for me. They also covered the pan with tin foil for a little while to create a steam which softens the inside of the fries to perfection, but I didn't do this with the sweet potatoes because they are pretty soft when cooked anyways. Good luck!

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  3. These look delicious! I was planning on making burgers this weekend and these sweet potato fries would go fantastically with them. Definitely trying them out!

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  4. I finally got around to making these tonight, and while they didn't quite turn out how they should have, due to my errors, my 4 year old said they were good!! I haven't been able to get her to eat sweet potatoes since she was in a high chair, so that in itself is a major accomplishment. Someday I will get sweet potato fries to be crispy on the outside.

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  5. Getting sweet potato fries to be crispy is no easy task. Good to hear your daughter liked them, so they couldn't have turned out too bad! Thank you for commenting & good luck in the future!

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