After making these oven-baked fries, you just might not want to eat fries another way again. Now I realize that’s a rather bold statement to make, but how can you not when the end result is a healthy, full-flavor thick steak fry that’s easy to make and uses ingredients you likely have on hand?Around the Sweetnicks kitchen, it seems the potatoes sprout and go soft faster than I can use them, which drives me this side of crazy. I had a few to use up the other day, and when I spied this recipe for Parmesan Steak Fries on the Cooking Light Bulletin Board, I knew I had the answer. Nicholas and I love the thicker-cut steak fries, as opposed to the skinnier ones, and even better when they’re crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside.
I told him the plan and he grabbed his Home Depot apron, jumped on the stepstool, and asked me to roll up his sleeves. He scrubbed the potatoes for me, I chopped them, and then he mixed the egg whites. Within just a few minutes, the potato spears were baking peacefully away in the oven and we killed time coloring in the kitchen.
When they came out of the oven, we just knew they would be good. You could tell they were going to be nice and crispy, and it was all we could do to wait for them to cool off. We got a small plate of ketchup for dipping, and dug in. Big grins filled our faces as we went back for more.
“Mama, these are so good, we could open up our own restaurant.”
A kid after my own heart.
The next day, he was still talking about the french fries … and the restaurant.
“We could open up the restaurant in our house and have people come over and cook for them.”
“Honey, I wish we could, but in New Jersey, that’s against the rules. You have to have it in a real restaurant.”
“But why?”
“Because they have to come out and inspect the kitchen and make sure it’s clean and everything.”
“But our kitchen is clean!”
“I know, honey, it’s just one of those rules.”
“OK then, we’ll just open up a regular restaurant instead.”
Maybe one of these days, it won’t be such a big dream, but in the meantime, we’re going to enjoy these so-good-we-should-open-up-a-restaurant Parmesan Steak Fries and you can too.
Parmesan Steak Fries
Recipe courtesy of Everyday Food via CLBB
3 large egg whites
1 tsp coarse salt
3 baking potatoes
1-1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a wide, shallow bowl, whisk egg whites with salt until frothy. Cut each potato into 6 long spears. Add to egg whites and turn to coat.
Lift spears out of egg whites, shaking off excess. Sprinkle with cheese until coated. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Bake without turning until potatoes are fork-tender and golden brown, about 30 minutes. Season to taste.
OMG! I had that idea too when I was a kid and imagined the whole thing out. ‘Cept it was illegal in New York too and my family didn’t go for it. And my “menu,” which included fluffer nutter sandwiches, peanut butter and banana sandwiches and cheese and crackers wasn’t exactly gourmet . . .
But those fries look awesome.