Sweet potato fries

I honestly couldn’t tell you the last time I ate a white potato. We never cook them at home, and any mash, chips or baked potatoes we have are always sweet potatoes.

My favourite thing about these fries is that they can be reheated without going soggy, and might even taste better second time around. Mine and my boyfriend’s schedules don’t always align, so instead of me waiting until 10pm to eat dinner, I can cook these in advance, eat mine, then pop his back in the oven in time for him to get home. Brilliant.

The amount you need varies from person to person, but I go by the general rule of – would I eat a jacket potato this size? If the answer is yes, that’s the size of potato I’d use for fries for one. I tend to slice them about 1-1.5cm thick, then into standard chip sized pieces, without bothering to peel the potatoes. As long as they’re clean, I can’t really see the point.

sweet potato cake upton

Heat your oven before you put your chips in, otherwise they can go a bit soggy, and the secret to crunchy ones is to make sure none of your fries are touching on the baking tray. This can sometimes mean I get three trays worth from one meal because they all have to be stood alone like soldiers, but it really does make all the difference to have them in a single layer. You can toss them in olive oil, coconut oil or leave them naked, or sprinkle them with cajun spices if that’s what kind of mood you’re in.

I bake them at about 170 degrees until I can smell them, which takes about 25-35 minutes depending on how many you’re cooking at once.

It’s not necessary, of course, to spend 15 minutes cutting letters out of spare potato because you think you’re arty. Ugh.