Margaret and Franco, friends of mine in Cleveland, Ohio, invited me to a lovely luncheon where they were serving fried fish and these amazing oven-baked potatoes that looked and tasted exactly like crispy french fries. They were fantastic! Crispy on the outside and soft and airy on the inside.
I made them for a family gathering and they were a huge hit with adults and kids alike. The kids thought that these potatoes were much better than the tater-tots that they all so adore. My kids have asked for these repeatedly since.
Since these potatoes are parboiled and finished in the oven with minimal use of oil, they are a heart-healthy side dish as well.
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 45-55 minutes
Yield: 10 servings
PrintIngredients
- 5 pounds (about 8 fist-sized) russet or red-skinned potatoes
- 3-4 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon salt added to boiling water
- Salt for seasoning after baking, if needed
- 1 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning, optional
INSTRUCTIONS
1.Preheat oven to 400F.
2. Fill a 5-quart pan with water, cover and set to boil. Add salt after the boil.
3. Meanwhile, peel all of the potatoes and place them in the boiling water at one time.
4. Boil for 5 minutes.
5. Drain the potatoes.
peeled, boiled potatoes
6. Cut potatoes to whatever shape and size you want. I like 1-inch cubes, but chunky french fries or 1/2-inch thick, long slices work well too.
7. Place the potatoes back in the 5-quart saucepan; cover them with the oil, salt, and seasoning (I used Old Bay seasoning)
8. Place the potatoes on the oven trays. Be sure to space the pieces apart as you want them to have enough air circulation around them so that they crisp up and not steam.
9. Place the trays in the oven and rotate them from top to bottom shelf and from front to back after 20 minutes to ensure even browning. Be sure to keep your face well away from the oven door because a lot of steam will be let off.
10. Check on them after another 25-30 minutes and see how they are browning.
Note: I have adjusted the instructions to this recipe recently to expedite the process. I do this often for new recipes until I come up with the best technique.
Written by Anju Kapur of Anju’s Table. All content and images on this site are copyright protected. Please do not use any of my images without my permission. Should you wish to share this recipe on your site, please add a link to this post as the source.