Sweet potato fries

Name: Sweet potato fries
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 4 people
Ingredients: 500 g sweet potatoes; 500 ml cooking oil; 25 g corn starch; salt flakes

Sweet potato fries are a super tasty side, especially when paired with a hot main. If you put the potatoes in water first, some of the starch disappears and you get crispier fries!

Ingredients

Sweet potatoes	500 g
Cooking oil	500 ml
Corn starch	25 g
Salt flakes

Instructions

Scrub and rinse the sweet potatoes well. Cut into chips about half an inch thick and leave in cold water for at least an hour.
Drain the water and let the sweet potatoes dry on a towel.
Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed pan to 150°C. Fry the sweet potatoes in batches for 4-5 minutes until they are soft.
Remove and leave them to cool on paper towels or a towel.
Toss the fries in the corn starch.
Increase the heat of the oil to 180° and fry one last time until the fries are crispy. Sprinkle with salt flakes.
Ready!

Enjoy!

Sweet potato fries

How to make sweet potato fries in an air fryer

An air fryer is an excellent tool for making super-crispy sweet potato fries with minimal effort and less oil than the deep-fried version. Simply toss the sliced sweet potato chips with corn starch followed by a drizzle of oil until they are evenly coated. Then fry the chips in batches in the air fryer, preheated to 200°C, until golden and crispy. Season according to taste and serve. Tip: try seasoning your fries with garlic powder and sweet or smoked paprika before cooking them in the air fryer.

Why aren't my fries crispy?

Soggy fries are never fun. The reason or reasons for them coming out less-than-crispy can be many and varied, depending on your method of cooking. When deep frying, it's important to bring the oil to a high enough temperature, making sure that the fries are dry before they go in. Removing them too early from the oil is another sure path to sogginess. When baking or air frying, it's important not to overcrowd the sheet or frying basket. Overcrowding will cause the fries to steam instead of bake or fry, leaving them in a sorry state when served. Potatoes – sweet potatoes included – also contain more or less starch and water depending on the season, so be sure to check the variety you'll be using.

Should sweet potatoes be soaked before frying?

In this recipe, we soak the fries before cooking to remove some of the sweet potato's starch. We find that this gives a crispier result when deep frying. When soaking, the fries should be submerged for at least an hour, but they can stay in the water overnight or up to 24 hours. Just remember to dry them well before cooking. As for baking and air frying, some testing has shown that soaking doesn't make a significant difference to the end result. The only way to know for sure is to try different methods yourself and find the way to your perfect fries.

Can I freeze sweet potato fries?

Sweet potato fries are great for freezing, making it one of our favourite sides to prepare in bulk and have a batch ready for those busy weeknight dinners. Simply cut your sweet potatoes into fries, then blanch in batches by dropping them into boiling water for two minutes and then ice-cold water immediately after. Dry, divide into portions, pop them into freezer bags and freeze for up to six months. Cooking – whether deep frying, oven baking or air frying – can be done directly from frozen.