I won’t call them french fries because of my loyalty to my beloved Belgium. The Belgians call them frites, which translates to ‘fries’ in English. Legend has it that American soldiers were stationed in the French-speaking part of Belgium during World War I and, thinking they were in France, called them ‘french fries’. Tip: If you happen to be visiting Belgium, never call them french fries. We make oven roasted fries at least once a week and I honestly think they taste better roasted in the oven than deep fried. Give it a try!
The amount of fries you make is highly dependent upon the number of people you are hosting and their appetite for fries. For that reason, I’m not going to bother with amounts for this recipe.
The importance of soaking potatoes in salt water
Anytime I’m preparing any type of potato dish that is sliced or diced, I soak the potatoes in the refrigerator in salt water for several hours. This process removes excess starch and helps you achieve a crisper potato texture and better flavor. For fries, sometimes I peel the potatoes and sometimes I don’t. Please do whatever you like.
When you’re ready to cook the potatoes:
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
- Drain the potatoes and pat dry.
- Drizzle a large, rimmed sheet pan with olive oil and add the potatoes in a single layer.
- (Optional) If you like an onion flavor, we often add a generous amount of sliced onions to the sheet pan. If you add them right away, they will be dark and crispy. Alternatively, you can add them halfway through the cooking process for less well-done onions.
- Season with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. Sometimes we go crazy and add other seasonings as well.
In general, the fries will be done in approximately 40 minutes. Watch them closely in order to achieve your desired doneness. I also recommend taking them out of the oven a few times and using a spatula to toss them for more even cooking.
Best,
Lisa