Rosemary & Sea Salt Oven Fries

If you're like me, you hate a messy kitchen. You appreciate your oven and your dishwasher because you're the type of gal or guy who hates fuss.

I like to make french fries in the oven. While I appreciate the taste of deep fried foods, I don't like the mess. I also found that with the right ingredients, I can eat like a fatty with less guilt. While you shouldn't eat this every day, this is a great recipe for when you're craving something salty and rich, but are too lazy to go out and pick something up. Here's what you'll need:

Ingredients for the Fries:

• 3 large russet potatoes (these are the most inexpensive kind at the supermarket - you can substitute for other types if you wish)
• Cooking spray (optional)
• 2 springs of fresh rosemary (or 1 tsp herbs de provence)
• 1/2 tsp fresh cracked black pepper
• 1 Tb white truffle oil (or olive oil)
• 3/4 tsp french sea salt (or 1/2 tsp fine sea salt or kosher salt)

Ingredients for the Dipping Sauce:

• 2 Tb mayonnaise
• 3 Tb ketchup
• 1/2 tsp mild curry powder (if you don't like curry, don't use this)

Tools:

• Sheet pan
• Potato Peeler (optional)
• Chef knife (optional)
• Aluminum foil
• Oven

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees
• Line sheet pan with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray (I like to do this because it helps keep the fries from sticking to the foil)
• Peel potatoes and cut into pieces until they look more or less like rough cut fries (do not cut too thin or too thick)
• Pile potatoes onto sheet pan and add the truffle oil
• Mince the rosemary sprigs and throw them on top
• Crack the black pepper over the pile
• Throw the sea salt on top

• Once your pile looks like this, mix it all together with your hands, making sure that the ingredients are evenly distributed and spread out on the sheet pan
• Put in the oven for 30 - 35 minutes, turning the pan halfway into the cooking time
• While the fries cook, make the dipping sauce:
• Mix the mayonnaise, ketchup, and curry power in a small bowl - this sauce sounds weird, but it's good!
• cover the sauce with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator until the fries are done
• Your finished product... tada! Makes one healthy serving or two European servings.

Chef's Tip:
For good fries, you need good quality ingredients. You don't have to break the bank to eat well. Buy store brand condiments from places like Trader Joe's and Whole Foods. You get great quality ingredients, but at a lower price because you're not paying extra for the brand name. I picked up the truffle oil and french sea salt at Homegoods. The sea salt was only $3.99 and the truffle oil was $5.99 - bam!