Oven Fries

I love French fries, but not the prospect of deep-frying at home. I tried the ATK Crispiest Oven Fries, but I didn’t use non-stick spray and they stuck pretty badly to the pan. I kept a few key elements to the recipe, though. Presenting the Fidget version:

Oven Fries
My two secrets are: potato starch and griddle pans! Potato starch, unlike cornstarch, has a wonderful flavor that gives a “fried” taste to these lightly crisp, tender potato wedges. And as for the griddle pans, I have two. One came from my Grandma as a bridal shower gift in 2004! It was so useful, as so much more than a camp griddle, that we snagged another one on sale at the outdoor gear store. I use them in the oven more often than on the stove, they fit side-by-side on my oven rack and nothing sticks to them (or at least not for long) during cleanup. If you have a conventional baking sheet, line with parchment paper or nonstick spray. The baking times will probably be a bit longer.
Heat up your cast iron skillet along with the oven and make an effortless main dish of sausages to go along with your yummy fries!

• 2 lbs Yukon Gold potatoes (4-6 medium)
• 2 Tbsp potato starch
• 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
• Salt

Wash and dry the potatoes. Cut each longwise, halving the shorter width dimension, so you have 2 shallow domes. Trim a narrow slice off the the longer edges of each dome, and cut into 4-5 slices, about 1/2-inch thick. Some precision here will produce uniform wedges that will cook evenly and be nicely browned on both flat sides.
In a large bowl, toss wedges with 2 Tbsp potato starch until evenly coated. Then toss with a generous 2 Tbsp oil until they are moistened and hardly any dry starch is visible.
On two griddle pans (or a parchment-lined baking sheet) arrange potatoes in neat rows with space around each piece. Cover with foil, place on bottom oven rack, and preheat to 425. (Place cast iron skillet on middle rack if making sausages, and thinly slice one onion while oven heats.)
When oven is up to temp, remove foil from pans and check potatoes. Give them 5-10 more minutes if needed until bottoms are golden-brown. Sprinkle with salt, flip, and salt the other side. Continue to cook until other sides are browned, then remove to a paper-towel lined platter and serve immediately. With ketchup, of course!
(Meanwhile, cook sausages: move preheated cast-iron skillet to stove top, add 1 Tbsp oil, and heat over medium-high until oil is shimmering. Add 3-4 fresh sausages, cook 1 minute, flip, cook 1 minute, reduce heat, and cook each side 1 minute more. Move sausages to outer edges of pan, add 1 thinly sliced onion to the center, and stir to coat with oil. Place in oven and cook for 5-10 more minutes or until sausages register 160-170 internal temp. Serve on rolls with onions and other desired condiments – and a side of fries!)