 Photo by John D. Ivanko/farmsteadchef.com |
We thought we ate through last year’s entire potato crop. We started fantasizing over those first new Red Norlands to come in early summer, but then we found another bag of last fall’s Yukon Golds in the root cellar starting to sprout. Feeling tired of our usual mashed or roasted potatoes, we needed some culinary enticement and new-recipe motivation.
Every spring, we go through the process of clearing out and eating through last year’s preserved harvest to make room for the new. Not only does this save us money, it gives us the incentive to stir up some imagination in the kitchen when we find backlogs of produce that need to be creatively dressed up.
That “spring around the corner” feeling also motivates us to eat a bit lighter, to get out of winter-comfort-food mode (how we loved those Loaded Baked Potato Skins during these past cold months), and to prepare our palates (and bodies!) for the anticipated outdoor-growing season. Our recipe for crispy fries fits the bill as a crunchy, healthier alternative to French fries.
With this recipe, feel free to experiment with different seasonings, replacing the oregano with basil or a combination of marjoram and thyme. However, be sure to use dried herbs as they stick better to the potato.
We like to serve crispy fries with dipping sauces. While ketchup works well as classic accompaniment to fries, try our Ranch Dressing or even our Honey Jalapeño Dressing to add some excitement to the plate.
Crispy fries taste best fresh and hot out of the oven; only make what you will eat immediately. That being said, we find them addictive, so make enough to satisfy and share!
Recipe: Crispy Fries
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients
- 3 medium potatoes, unpeeled
- 3 egg whites
- 1/4 cup flour
- 1/3 cup breadcrumbs
- 2 tsp. seasoned salt
- 2 tsp. oregano
- 1 tsp. paprika
Preparation
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Cut potatoes lengthwise into roughly equal-sized wedges, about 6 per potato.
Beat egg whites in a small bowl just until foamy. In another small bowl, combine the flour, breadcrumbs, salt, oregano and paprika.
Dip each potato wedge into egg whites, and then roll in breadcrumb mixture until fully coated. Place potato wedges on lightly oiled baking sheet.
Bake, uncovered, for about 45 minutes or until golden brown. Flip potatoes about halfway through baking to keep them crispy.
Savoring the good life,
