NO-FRY SWEET POTATO FRIES

1. Thoroughly wash your sweet potatoes if you haven’t already. Peel and slice them into fries about 3-4″ long as close to ¼-⅓” thick as possible (definitely not more than ½ inch). Use a large, very sharp chef’s knife for best safety and efficiency (5 minutes). [Metric: ideally ~7.62-10.16 cm length and ~0.64-0.84 cm thick)

2. Rinse the fries under cold water in a strainer or colander for 1-2 minutes. Then soak the fries in a large bowl filled with cold water. The best results come from soaking potatoes in cold water overnight (or all day, if you prepare them in the morning), but even a 20-30 minute soak does wonders. Before draining the starchy water, prepare an area where the fries will dry. I usually stack 2 thick, clean dishtowels and layer some paper towels atop them.

Alternatively, if you don’t have the time nor patience to soak the fries for a while, you can boil them for 3 minutes. Fill a saucepot with water and bring to a boil over medium heat. Make sure it is deep enough so the fries aren’t crowded! Don’t boil for over 3 minutes or else the fries will be overly softened and too delicate while handling!

3. Strain the fries, pat dry and blot them on the paper towels to dry further. Spread them out so they aren’t piled on each other.

***while the fries dry***

4. Preheat the oven to 425 F (~218 C). Get out a large, rimmed baking tray and line it with parchment paper. In a small bowl or mug, shake together 2 tsp salt, ½ tsp black pepper, 1 tsp paprika, and ¼-½ tsp cayenne, if you want some extra heat. I also love adding 1 tsp dried oregano or tarragon to sweet potato fries!

5. Once the fries have dried a bit, dust them with corn starch so they crisp up more in the oven. I recommend working in batches, using about 1 tsp corn starch per ½ lb of sweet potatoes. Put the first batch in a gallon-sized zippered bag, toss in 1 tsp corn starch, and shake until lightly coated. Empty into a large, dry bowl and repeat. Alternatively, you can put the fries in a large bowl and use a fine mesh strainer to sift corn starch over them. Start with 1 tsp, gently toss the fries, and then add 1 more tsp. Corn starch tends to clump in areas, which can taste chalky, so we want it evenly and lightly distributed. (5 min)

6. Lightly toss the fries in 1 tbsp olive oil and the seasoning blend. Scatter the fries onto the large rimmed baking tray, spacing them apart. I like to make sure that the thickest cuts are on the outermost edges. Feel free to crack some extra salt and pepper. Bake at 425 F (~218 C) for 15 minutes.

7. After 15 minutes, flip the fries so the bottoms now face upward. Bake again for another 12-15 minutes. Once crispy and slightly browned, scoop the fries onto a plate. Try to let them cool a bit before enjoying with a condiment of your choice, alongside a burger, with some lentil sloppy joes or slathered in chili. Although I’m a ranch dip fan, we recently had a nice honey mustard dip made with equal parts egg-free mayo + stone ground mustard, 1 tbsp honey and a pinch of ground turmeric for color.