Baked Garlic Fries

Alright, so I already had a great recipe for baked fries, but I couldn’t resist adapting the one I found on Lottie + Doof for a garlic version. I used paprika instead of cayenne pepper and sea salt instead of kosher salt (I have five kinds of salt as it is, and since sea salt and kosher salt are so similar, I stick to the sea salt and grind it a bit if need be). These fries were crispy on the outside and mushy on the inside, just the way I like them. The garlic fits in really well here, and the paprika played a great supporting role. I loved this version of baked fries, and the Engineer said that he “would prefer these to 90% of the fries out there” – high praise indeed!

6 garlic cloves, minced
6 Tbsp vegetable oil
3 russet potatoes (about 8oz each), each cut into 12 wedges
2 Tbsp cornstarch
1 ½ tsp kosher salt
¾ tsp freshly ground black pepper
½ tsp garlic powder
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper, Korean pepper or paprika

Preheat oven to 475 °F. Combine the garlic and oil in a large bowl and microwave until the garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute. Transfer 5 Tbsp of the oil (leaving the garlic in the bowl) to a rimmed baking sheet lined with aluminum foil, tilting the sheet to coat.

Add the potatoes to the bowl with the remaining oil mixture and toss to coat. Cover 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.

Combine the cornstarch, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and cayenne in a small bowl. Sprinkle over the hot potatoes and toss well to coat. Arrange the potatoes in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet and bake, turning once, until deep golden brown and crisp, 30 to 40 minutes. Serve.