OVEN ROASTED FRIES

1. Thoroughly wash and dry your potatoes. Peel and slice them into fries ¼-⅓ inches thick and about 3-4 inches long (5 minutes). Use a large, very sharp chef’s knife for best safety and efficiency. [Metric: ideally ~0.64-0.84 cm thick and ~7.62-10.16 cm length)

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.

3. Before draining the potato water, prepare an area where the fries will dry. I usually stack 2 thick, clean dishtowels and layer some paper towels atop them. Then 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. In a small bowl or mug, shake together 2 tsp salt, ½ tsp black pepper, 1 tsp paprika, and ¼ or ½ tsp cayenne, if you want some extra heat. Once the fries are dry, toss them in a dry bowl with 1 tbsp olive oil and the seasoning blend. As long as they aren’t too damp, I usually re-use the paper towels and stack them onto a plate in order to blot cooked fries later.

5. Scatter the fries onto the large rimmed baking tray, ensuring they do not touch and all fries are touching the tray. I like to make sure that the thickest cuts are on the outermost edges. Bake at 425 F (~218 C) for 15 minutes.

6. After 15 minutes, flip the fries with a metal spatula, so the bottoms now face upward. They should be golden-brown. Bake again for another 12-15 minutes. Once crispy and golden-brown, scoop the fries onto a plate with some paper towels to blot them a bit. Try to let them cool a bit before enjoying dipped in a condiment of your choice, alongside a burger, with some lentil sloppy joes or slathered in chili. We recently had a nice honey mustard dip made with equal parts egg-free mayo and stone ground mustard, 1 tbsp honey and a pinch of ground turmeric for color.