Baked French Fries - Perfected!

Sources:

http://www.cooksillustrated.com/

and

Annie's Eats

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I have been making baked fries at home for a very long time.  They have always tasted good, but the consistency has never been perfect.  I thought that this was simply because they were well, baked.  I found out recently that I was totally wrong.  Baked fries can actually be just as tasty as fried fries!  This is a huge deal because french fries are, as you probably know, one of the best tasting things on earth. 

After reading the recipe below, you may think that it sounds like a lot of work, and that's actually what I thought at first too.  I am used to pretty much putting the fries in, flipping them once, and getting them out.  This method definitely takes more steps, but it's actually very easy and 100% worth it.  The fries are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside - just like real fries!  I will never make baked fries the old way again.  

I have to give credit to Cooks Illustrated who came up with this ingenious way of baking the fries and thanks to one of my favorite bloggers, Annie's Eats, for sharing this recipe on her blog. Enjoy! 

Ingredients: 

- 3-4 russet potatoes, peeled and cut into wedges
- 5 tbsp of vegetable oil 
- 3/4 tsp of kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 1/3 tsp ground black pepper, plus more to taste 

Directions: 

Preheat the oven to 475 degrees.  First, peel and cut the potatoes into even sized wedges.  Soak the potato wedges in a large bowl with hot water for 10 to 30 minutes (I soaked them for as long as it took for the oven to heat up).  Then, brush 4 tablespoons of oil on a heavy baking sheet.  Sprinkle the salt and pepper evenly on the sheet and set aside. 

After the potatoes have been soaked, drain them and pat them dry with paper/kitchen towels.  Place the potatoes back into the dried bowl and toss the them with the remaining tablespoon of oil. Then, place the potatoes on the baking sheet in a single layer. Cover the sheet tightly with aluminum foil and bake for five minutes. 

Once five minutes has passed, remove the tinfoil and continue baking for about 15-20 minutes, rotating the baking sheet after 10 minutes. Then, flip the wedges over and then bake for 5-15 minutes, rotating the sheet as many times as needed to cook the potatoes evenly.  

If needed, put the broiler on for a minute or two at the end to make sure they are extra crispy and browned.  Place the fries on a paper towel and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Serve immediately.