Potato wedges are just one of those things that I don’t think to make very often. I have no idea why I don’t think of it… they’re so incredibly easy, and taste fantastic fresh out of the oven. Every once in a while I find myself buying a package of frozen french fries or tater tots or wedges, and since I’m trying to eliminate preservatives altogether this year, I’ve got to make them myself. The tater tots might be a tall order (and oh, how I love those!) but the potato wedges couldn’t be easier. In fact, it’s not much easier than opening up the bag of frozen ones.
Start by grabbing a handful of potatoes. I used 5 russets, since that’s what I usually have on hand this time of year. I just used the smaller ones that come in a bag, not the jumbo baking potatoes. If you use the jumbos, you’ll need to adjust your baking time I think. Scrub your potatoes well and remove any blemishes or eyes, but leave the peels on. Adds fiber.
Then cut each potato in half, then half again, and then cut each of those quarters in half so that you have eight wedges per potato.
Next, combine your melted butter, oil, and seasoning salt. (Yes, you probably could get away with less fat… I like them just the way they are, so I’m not changing it for my tastes.)
Then, a few wedges at a time, roll the wedges in your butter mixture and lay them on a baking sheet. One half-sheet pan was the perfect size for my 40 potato wedges. When they’ve all been dipped, give them all a sprinkle of freshly ground pepper.
Pop in the oven to bake for 30 minutes, pull out, turn each wedge over with a tongs, and then put the pan back in the oven for another 15 minutes.
When they come out, they will be perfect. Transfer to a paper-towel lined plate to drain for a minute before serving up with ketchup or sour cream. If you’re feeling fancy, give them a sprinkle of fresh herbs or Parmesan cheese. Eat them before they get cold, and you’ll all be very, very happy.
Potato Wedges
5 russet potatoes
4 tablespoons butter, melted 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 teaspoons seasoning salt freshly ground black pepperDirections:
Preheat oven to 450ºF.
Wash each potato well, peel if desired, although peeling is not necessary. Cut each potato into eight wedges, cutting first in half, then half again, and then halves of the quarters.
Combine the melted butter, olive oil and seasoning salt in a small bowl. Mix well to combine.
Toss the potato wedges in the butter/oil mixture and lay them out on a baking sheet individually, make sure the wedges are not actually touching each other.
Sprinkle all the wedges with freshly ground pepper and then bake for 45 minutes. Flip them at the 30 minute mark to crisp both sides.
Serve with ketchup or sour cream for dipping.
The potatoes look great – do you remember if you had much of the butter/olive oil left, just trying to gauge how much butter/oil is actually used.
On the other hand, I should just go for it since they look so good. Were they crispy on the outside?
Not sure if your family likes sweet potatoes or if you make them, but baked sweet potatoe fries are great too.
I maybe had a teaspoon or so of the oil left, which I then just drizzled over the wedges in the pan. It seemed a shame to waste it!
They were crispy on the outside, soft and luscious on the inside. Sadly, my family does not care for sweet potatoes in general. But I like them! Sweet potato fries dipped in aioli are amazing!
Oh yea – these look fantastic. I always sprinkle fresh rosemary on my potatoes – this looks great!
-Darius
http://www.everydaycookin.com
Mmm. Fresh rosemary would be wonderful! Too bad it’s buried under four feet of snow…