Saturday, October 31, 2009

Sweet Potatos Fries

Sweet potato fries have become so darn popular that I wouldn't be surprised if McDonald's started selling them soon. I know I'd buy them!

When my husband decided to smoke 25 pounds of meat, he also decided to send out an email (at midnite, mind you), inviting some people over that night for a last minute dinner party to help us eat it. I was informed of our dinner guests when I woke up in the morning :) Which is totally fine by me by the way. I love having people come over. Short notice or no notice, if show up at my doorstep, I'll gladly feed you. Plus, it forces me to clean, and sometimes, I need that extra push of motivation.

Since this was literally last minute, I whipped up some cole slaw before heading off to work and picked up some sweet potatoes on my way home because I thought it'd be a nice pairing. And they really were. I especially like them dipped in the BBQ sauce my husband made.

And because sweet potato fries tend to be quite soggy, I used my good friend google for some tips and tricks. The secrets that I decided to use were soaking the sweet potatoes in water after cutting them and dusting them with corn starch before frying. The fries came out crisp and delicious, but I'm still open to suggestions on how to make them even crispier. If you've got any suggestions, I'd love to hear them!

Ingredients:
- Sweet potatoes
- Corn starch
- Salt
- Chili powder

Directions:
- Peel the sweet potatoes and cut them into matchsticks.
- Soak the matchsticks in water until you're ready to fry.
- Heat some oil (a heavy bottomed pot would be best) to about 350 degrees.
- Dry the sweet potatoes (I used my salad spinner).
- Dust them in corn starch right before frying. (If your first batch doesn't come out as crispy as you'd like it to be, use a thicker coating)
- Carefully drop the coated fries into the oil and fry until they are golden browned and crispy.
- Remove them from the oil and spread them on a cooling rack, letting the excess oil drip away.
- Sprinkle salt and chili powder while the oil is still hot so that it will stick better.
- Stuff your face - these things are seriously addicting!

19 comments:

chow and chatter said...

oh yummy wow your braver than me thats short notice!

Kathleen said...

I sooooo want to be your neighbor!!

Reeni said...

I made oven baked sweet potato fries the other night! I bet frying them is really delicious! Have you tried double frying them? Fry them once but not until their all the way cooked, and then fry them again. I see chefs on TV doing this - never tried it myself. When I'm oven frying I toss them with bread crumbs first.

ann low said...

WOW! I prefer this than the McDonald french fries.

Sonia ~ Nasi Lemak Lover said...

This look so simple to cook and yummy too.

Laura in Paris said...

I never eat anything fried .. but I confess your "sweet potatos fries" made me want to eat them. Great coating with the corn starch!

That Girl said...

I am so thankful for you and your research - my sweet potato fries are ALWAYS soggy.

momgateway said...

Thanks for dropping by. That's so smart to use cornstarch!

Jo said...

These look really good. I love sweet potato - usually have them steamed or cooked over a BBQ. Your fried chips version sounds great too! Go quickly patent the recipe before MacD gets a hold of it.

Claudia said...

What a grand feast you must have had - wish I lived nearby. Must try these fries - a nice change and they look scrumptious.

Juliana said...

Oh! Is it that way that creates a thin layer of crunchiness? I love these sweet potatoes :-)

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lisaiscooking said...

I love sweet potato fries, and that's true they are a little soggy sometimes. Great tips for making them crispier!

averagebetty said...

YUM! Great recipe! I really want to try these!

Noob Cook said...

It's a great idea! I will buy them too! :D

Sook said...

Sweet potato fries are our family's new favorite! I love adding paprika and crushed red pepper to it. It's delicious!

MaryBeth said...

You have found my 1 fall true love...i love sweet tater fries. I get them at Burgerville every fall. THey look delish!!

pigpigscorner said...

These are definitely better than potatoes, love the sweetness of it!

dp said...

Sweet potato fries are my favorite. We have a local burger chain in PDX that serves them only during the fall and I eat them about once a week. So good!