NuM NuM

These fries were NUM! When I cook I'm not a big fan of drowning anything in oil, but these fries were an exception since they were baked instead of deep fried. Apparently in my mind, I can justify anything being baked as healhty, even if it were a big ball of cheese...mmm cheeeese. Anyway, back to the fries.

These were really tasty and had a nice spicy kick to them since there's some cayenne pepper in the mix. The secret ingredient to these fries is the cornstarch. It makes them nice and crispy on the outside but soft in the middle. The first time I tried making these I roasted the minced garlic with the fries and they ended up burning and leaving a bitter taste in my mouth. The next day (yes, I made them two days in a row) I reserved the garlic and sprinkled them on top after the fries were done baking and it was an added yummy bonus. Both lobster and I had KICKIN' breath but they were yummy in the tummy.


Garlicky Oven Fries
Adapted from: Lottie + Doof
4 servings

6 garlic cloves, minced
5 tbsp canola oil
3 russet potatoes (about 8oz each), peeled and each cut into 10-12 wedges
2 tbsp cornstarch/cornflour
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
3/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1. Preheat oven to 475° F. Adjust oven rack to lowest position. Combine the garlic and oil in a large bowl and microwave until the garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute. Remove garlic and set aside and transfer 4 tablespoons of the oil to a rimmed baking sheet, tilting the sheet to coat.
2. Add the potatoes to the bowl with the remaining oil mixture and toss to coat. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and microwave on high power until the potatoes are translucent around the edges, 3 to 6 minutes, shaking the bowl to redistribute the potatoes halfway through cooking.
3. Combine the cornstarch, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and cayenne in a small bowl. Sprinkle over the hot potatoes and toss well to coat.
4. Arrange the potatoes in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet and bake until bottoms of potatoes are spotty golden brown, 11 to 14 minutes, rotating baking sheet after 10 minutes. Using metal spatula and tongs, scrape to loosen potatoes from pan, then flip each wedge, keeping potatoes in single layer. Continue baking until fries are golden and crisp, 5 to 10 minutes longer, rotating pan as needed if fries are browning unevenly.
5. Transfer fries to second baking sheet lined with paper towels to drain. Taste the potatoes and season with the reserved garlic from earlier and additional coarse kosher salt and pepper to taste and serve.

**Sweet potatoes are a good substitute since they're sweet and they mellow out the flavor of the spicy cayenne.