# Oven Fries



## disco (Jun 2, 2021)

I’ve been doing oven fries for years. Deep frying is messy and bad for you. However, oven fries tend to have more of a baked potato type texture than the creamy interiors of French fries.

French fries are usually made by putting potatoes in a deep fryer for a couple of minutes to blanch them and then finishing them later to crisp them up. This gives the great crisp exterior and creamy centres that we love in French fries.

I wondered if I could use a similar technique to improve the consistency of oven fries. I decided to try giving them a hot water bath to blanch them.

I started by cutting up four medium potatoes into 1/2 inch fries. I don’t peel my potatoes. I put the fries in pot and covered with cold water for 20 minutes. This takes a lot of the surface starch off and improve how they brown.

While the soak, I mixed up a seasoning mix:


5 ml (1 tsp) seasoning salt
3 ml (1/2 tsp) paprika
3 ml (1/2 tsp) onion powder
3 ml (1/2 tsp) garlic powder
3 ml (1/2 tsp) black pepper








I greased a baking sheet with 15 ml (1 tbsp) of oil and put it in my Traeger Timberline which was preheated to 450 F (230 C).

I drained the the potatoes and then covered them with boiling water. Let them sit in the hot water on the counter for 10 minutes.







Toss the potatoes with 15 ml (1 tbsp) of oil and the seasoning mix then spread them in a single layer on the pan.







Turn the potatoes and cook until golden brown, ten to fifteen minutes.







The Verdict

This worked great. The potatoes had a great creamy texure. They aren’t as crisp as French fries. You can increase the crispness by adding some cornstarch to your seasoning mix but I don’t care for the bite with cornstarch. 

I will be adding the hot water bath to all future batches of oven fries.

Disco


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## jcam222 (Jun 2, 2021)

They look great, color is just like the fried ones at the fair.


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## zippy12 (Jun 2, 2021)

Looks great!


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## disco (Jun 2, 2021)

jcam222 said:


> They look great, color is just like the fried ones at the fair.



Thanks so much!



zippy12 said:


> Looks great!



Most kind!


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## Brokenhandle (Jun 2, 2021)

Looks delicious to me! Now I want fries!

Ryan


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## chef jimmyj (Jun 3, 2021)

Great idea! This is similar to parboiling chunks  of potato, draining,covering the pot and shaking them to rough up the surface a bit. Toss in seasoned oil and Roast. The precooked surface gets brown and more crisp than roasting raw potatoes...JJ


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## smokerjim (Jun 3, 2021)

looks like some tasty fries there disco!


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## MJB05615 (Jun 3, 2021)

Looks great Disco.  I love fries, can't get enough of them.  Great work.


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## SmokinAl (Jun 3, 2021)

Looks great Disco!
You have to get an Air fryer, they make fried foods just like an oil fryer.
Al


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## Bearcarver (Jun 3, 2021)

Those look Great, Disco!!
I make my Fries in my Air Fryer, and they come out Awesome!
I might try the Boiling water trick after my Cold Water Soak next time, just to see if there's any difference when made in my Ninja.
Nice Job, Disco!!
Like.

Bear


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## gmc2003 (Jun 4, 2021)

Looks great Disco, Imma gonna have to give a whirl. I don't peel my potatoes either. My mother used to tell us that's where all the nutrients are. Later in life I found out she was good at telling us those little white lies to get us to eat certain foods. 

Point for sure
Chris


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## noboundaries (Jun 4, 2021)

disco said:


> I started by cutting up four medium potatoes into 1/2 inch fries. I don’t peel my potatoes. I put the fries in pot and covered with cold water for 20 minutes. This takes a lot of the surface starch off and improve how they brown.





disco said:


> I drained the the potatoes and then covered them with boiling water. Let them sit in the hot water on the counter for 10 minutes.


I've always done the cold soak, but never tried following with a hot soak. Great experiment, and fantastic looking result! Definitely trying it soon. Thanks, Disco!


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## pushok2018 (Jun 4, 2021)

Nice looking fries! Interesting recipe with the boiling water.... Got to try it...


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## disco (Jun 4, 2021)

Brokenhandle said:


> Looks delicious to me! Now I want fries!
> 
> Ryan



Thanks, Ryan. I always want fries.



chef jimmyj said:


> Great idea! This is similar to parboiling chunks  of potato, draining,covering the pot and shaking them to rough up the surface a bit. Toss in seasoned oil and Roast. The precooked surface gets brown and more crisp than roasting raw potatoes...JJ



Thanks, Chef!



smokerjim said:


> looks like some tasty fries there disco!



Most kind, Jim!


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## disco (Jun 4, 2021)

MJB05615 said:


> Looks great Disco.  I love fries, can't get enough of them.  Great work.



Thank you very much!



SmokinAl said:


> Looks great Disco!
> You have to get an Air fryer, they make fried foods just like an oil fryer.
> Al



I have an air fryer and I do prefer fries made in it but I was looking to do them in the smoker as I had it fired up anyway and I'm cheap!



Bearcarver said:


> Those look Great, Disco!!
> I make my Fries in my Air Fryer, and they come out Awesome!
> I might try the Boiling water trick after my Cold Water Soak next time, just to see if there's any difference when made in my Ninja.
> Nice Job, Disco!!
> ...



Thanks, Bear. I do have an air fryer and use this method in it. I think it makes the centres of the fries creamier.


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## disco (Jun 4, 2021)

gmc2003 said:


> Looks great Disco, Imma gonna have to give a whirl. I don't peel my potatoes either. My mother used to tell us that's where all the nutrients are. Later in life I found out she was good at telling us those little white lies to get us to eat certain foods.
> 
> Point for sure
> Chris



I'm still angry over the fact that spinach didn't work on me like it did on Popeye. Am I aging myself?



noboundaries said:


> I've always done the cold soak, but never tried following with a hot soak. Great experiment, and fantastic looking result! Definitely trying it soon. Thanks, Disco!



I think it is an improvement but my buddy says it is too much work and he makes decent fries!



pushok2018 said:


> Nice looking fries! Interesting recipe with the boiling water.... Got to try it...



I think you'll like it!


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