Sweet Potato Fries

I know I shouldn't be posting fries since most people are trying to shave off holiday pounds and detox from the one too many holiday sweets and such. But here I am, telling you to fry your vegetables.

I chose to fry these sweet potato fries instead of baking them because I wanted to make sure that my fries were crispy and not simply roasted. Maybe it was the jet lag I had from flying over 6,000 miles the day prior, but I was stubborn about how my fries turned out. After doing some research on a huge thread on Chow, I found that many people did not have success baking the fries without a convection oven. This is also where I saw that to amplify the crispiness, the sweet potatoes could be dredged in a little cornstarch. Several participants on the thread had noted that this was the best approach and it worked great. I was sold and decided to fry my fries so that I would enjoy them and feed my craving. They turned out fantastic and are good sprinkled with sea salt, Old Bay, or whatever else you feel like.

Sweet Potato Fries

(Printable Recipe)

2 large sweet potatoes, washed and scrubbed

1/2 cup corn starch

Vegetable oil

Sea salt or Old Bay, to taste

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. Cut the sweet potatoes into thin strips. Place in cold water and let sit for 20 minutes. Meanwhile heat a heavy bottomed pan over medium high heat with about two inches of oil.  Drain the sweet potatoes and dredge in cornstarch, shaking off any excess. Fry the sweet potatoes in batches until crispy, about 3-5 minutes. Sprinkle with sea salt or other preferred seasoning. Transfer to a baking sheet and stick in the oven while frying the remaining fries. Serves 4.