Baked Sweet Potato Fries with Chipotle Aioli

Just so you know, sweet potato fries are tricky. Delicious but tricky. It's so hard to get them crispy and perfectly browned. Last week I set out to perfect this delicious side item.

Sweet potato fries are one of my favorite ways to enjoy the french fry (for the moment) and also one of the healthiest. Nine times out of 10, if these are on a menu, I'll order them.

After several failed attempts including burned and soggy fries, I have a few tips to get you on the right track.

1) Soak the fries in water an hour to a half day prior to baking. Also, try to cut them around the same length and thickness.

2) Coat in a modest amount of cornstarch. Just enough for crunch but not enough to taste powdery.

3) Bake in small batches to ensure maximum crunch. Otherwise you'll end up with steamed, soggy fries. Sick.

I may not be 100% restaurant ready on these yet, but with a little more practice, I think I'll get the hang of it. Check it out.

Baked Sweet Potato Fries with Chipotle Aioli
Serves 4


Ingredients:

2 large sweet potatoes
2-3 Tbsp of cornstarch
Olive Oil
1/2 cup Mayonnaise
1 tsp adobo sauce 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425°. Peel and cut sweet potatoes into fries no thicker than 1/2″ and similar in length and thickness. Soak in water for minimum of one hour, but preferably for half a day.

Drain water from bowl and lift fries out by the handful.  Shake off excess water. They should be dry but still have enough moisture on them to allow the cornstarch to stick.

Put cornstarch in a plastic bag and drop all of your fries in. Blow a little air into the bag, twist the top and shake it vigorously.  Lift the fries out onto one or two baking sheets.

Coat with olive oil.  The more you use, the crispier and less sticking you’ll have, but the less healthy they’ll be.  Use two pans if you have to.  You want to make sure the fries aren’t crowded on the pan otherwise they’ll steam as opposed to getting crispy.

Bake for 15 minutes then check.  Once bottom of fries are getting crisp, flip them over and cook for another 5-10 minutes.

Chipotle Aioli:
Mix together mayo and adobo sauce.  Adjust to your taste.


[Recipe adapted from The Art of Doing Stuff]