Sweetest Potatoes

Have you ever noticed that sweet potatoes sometimes come out a bit bland? A trick to ensure optimum sweetness is to bring them slowly up to temperature. The longer they spend at a moderate temp, the more their starch gets converted to sugar. (America’s Test Kitchen saves the day again.) So, even through deep-fryer-equipped restaurants have the market cornered on truly crisp sweet potato fries, you can easily make the sweetest.

(Serves 3-4)

• 2 large sweet potatoes
• 2 Tbsp cornstarch
• 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
• Salt

A good way to make sure sweet potatoes will cook evenly is to cut them in thick slices, all the same thickness – 3/4 inch is good. The different diameters will not be an issue. Toss the cut potatoes with cornstarch in a big bowl. Then oil, then salt – half a teaspoon is a good start. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil, spread the potatoes out into a single layer, and cover with more foil. Place into cold oven on middle rack and turn heat to 400. Set timer for 30 mins. Then, remove foil. Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until well-browned on the bottom. Flip potatoes, and bake for 10-15 more minutes or until browned on both sides. Serve hot with ketchup or Ranch.

(I’ve used this method for a holiday side dish, too. Omit cornstarch and cook as directed, the day before the feast or whenever makes sense. Transfer potatoes to a glass baking dish to refrigerate until ready, then reheat, covered with foil.)