Introduction
If I had to pick a favorite food, potatoes would probably be my choice. They’re cheap, have a decent shelf life, and have lots of culinary applications.
I’d say they’re most often associated with being fried, or covered in cheese or a hearty gravy. Those are surely the most delicious applications, and these potato wedges are no exception.
What Are Potato Wedges?
Potato wedges are potatoes that have been cut into a pointed “wedge” shape. Said shapes are usually baked or fried – often with a generous amount of oil to help browning and build flavor. Salt and pepper are the most common seasonings, but herbs or cheese can also be used.
What You Need to Make Potato Wedges
All you need to make these are potatoes, a high smoke point oil, and some seasonings.
For the potatoes, I recommend using russets. I also recommend leaving the skins on, but you’re free to peel them if you’d like.
For oil, use either vegetable oil or avocado oil (avocado if you want a healthier option).
You technically don’t need seasonings, but I highly recommend using at least salt and pepper. You can use things like herbs or grated parmesan, but those are more finicky and prone to burning.
Best Tips for Making Potato Wedges
Use a hot oven. Not only will using more heat cook them more quickly, you’ll also get a deeper browning, which means more flavor.
Use a dark baking sheet. A dark pan will retain more heat and cook the food more quickly.
Don’t turn the food. I know it seems crazy, but I get best results from these when I don’t turn/flip them. Worrying about turning them messes with the oven’s heat, and makes the whole process less consistent and more time consuming. Instead, focus on getting a very deep golden brown on just one side (the side touching the pan, usually). The other sides will still be lightly browned, and it’s a much easier and more consistent process.
Conclusion and Recipe
Below I’ve listed the ingredients, ingredient amounts, and steps for making oven-roasted potato wedges. If you like this recipe, or potato recipes in general, check out my home fries with vegetables. You can also follow me on WordPress or Pinterest.
Following will also alert you to my new posts. My next post will be about the best way of making oven-baked chicken breast. If that sounds good to you, be sure to follow 🙂
Ingredients
1 lb russet potatoes, about 3 medium potatoes, 454 grams
2 Tbsps vegetable oil, 28 grams
1 tsp kosher salt, 6 grams
Black pepper, as needed*
Preparation
Preheat your oven to 450 f (232 c). While it’s preheating, wash, dry and cut** your potatoes.
Add the potatoes and other ingredients to a bowl, then mix to combine. Place potatoes cut-side down on a dark baking sheet, then bake for 20-25 minutes***.
Notes
* If you want a heavy pepper motif, use about half as much pepper as you do salt. If you don’t want a strong pepper flavor, use a quarter as much.
** Cutting these can be a bit tricky, but it’s a pretty simple process.
First, cut a small slice off the bottom of each potato. This gives you a flat, more stable surface to work with. Cut each potato in half long-ways, then cut each half in half – again, long-ways. Finally, cut each quarter in half long-ways.
You’ll need to do the final cut at an angle, which can be awkward. However, you should be fine as long as the bottom of the potato is always flat. Note that the first slice can make some of the pieces awkwardly shaped, but that’s no big deal.
*** This is just a rough estimate. If your oven cooks hot or unevenly, you may want to check them a bit earlier.
Comments