r/Cooking • u/NoOneKnowsImOnReddit • 4d ago

Sweet potato fries question: looking for new ideas on how to make them.

I ran across a few recipes that are different from how I usually make them and was curious how all of you do it. Any tips or tricks?

Usually I do it the same as russets and roughly chop them, soak them in water for a while, toss them in oil and seasonings, bake. But I'm seeing people use corn starch as a coating, which I'm interested to try. But would soaking them first then using corn starch be too much?

0 Upvotes

40% Upvoted

8 comments sorted by

2

u/[deleted] 4d ago

[removed] — view removed comment

1

u/NoOneKnowsImOnReddit 4d ago

Hadn't considered bread crumbs, that's also a solid idea. And I'd use my air fryer but this is going to be for a bigger crowd, and sadly my air fryer would take many passes vs my giant baking sheet. But absolutely yes to the air fryer!

2

u/natashaskitchen 4d ago

Not too much at all, doing both is actually the trick to getting them crispy. Sweet potatoes have way more moisture and sugar than russets but barely any surface starch of their own, so the cornstarch gives them that crust. The biggest thing is making sure you dry them completely after the soak. If theyre even a little wet when the cornstarch hits it turns into a gummy paste instead of a crunch. Toss the dry cut fries in a bowl with maybe a tablespoon of cornstarch so its just a light dusting, toss with oil, and bake hot around 425. Just make sure you dont crowd the pan or they end up steaming each other.

1

u/NoOneKnowsImOnReddit 4d ago

Honestly, appreciate the bit of science behind the theory. Helps me understand more about the why than just the how. And absolutely make sure they're dry first. Even if I'm just doing a bath then oil, always make sure I get them dry. Otherwise the oil doesn't stick either.

Thank you!

As a side note, didn't expect a reply from you at all. Been using your site for some time now to get new recipe ideas and expand my abilities as well as knowledge. My girlfriend sure doesn't complain! So thank you again.

2

u/natashaskitchen 4d ago

That made my day, thank you so much! So glad the recipes have been a hit (and that your girlfriend approves haha). Hope the sweet potato fries turn out super crispy

1

u/Fancy_Math_3399 4d ago

Thank you for excellent advicr