Oven Baked French Fries

[Marilyn R]

I have to share this, I've tried for months to perfect homemade French fries and after two meals of perfect fries,,, here's how you do it.  These don't come out soggy, burnt or yucky.  They're delicious.

 

Pre-preparation: 

 

Place oven racks at next to the lowest and next to the top of the oven.  Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.

 

Ingredients

 

Scrubbed Idaho (or other large spud, including yams)

Salt and other seasoning to taste.

 

Slice the potatoes into French fries the size you like them.  Toss them into a bowl of cool water.  Rinse well, then let them soak in cool water while you heat the oven to 415 degrees.  Drain them well, pat them dry with paper towels, distribute on the 2 cookie sheets, drizzle with olive oil and pop into the oven.

 

Bake 15 minutes, rearrange the cookie sheets, bake another 15 minutes, and you will have some very, very good French fries.

 

2 notes:  I've never used more than 3 potatoes, and if you use sweet potatoes, you'll get a good work out slicing, but they're really good!  3 spuds make enough to serve 5 people as a side, or 2 people and a hungry dog as a main course.

[kareng]

For sweet potatoes, try boiling the whole potato for about 5 minutes first.  Much easier to cut.

[tarnalberry]

The Cooks Illustrated cookbook on the science of cooking says to boil the cut potatoes in a pot of water with baking soda (I dot have the exact proportions right now). The acid starts dissolving the outer layer of potato, leading to a larger surface area to brown and crisp in the oven.

[Marilyn R]

Thanks for the tips, I appreciate them!