Potato wedges have always been a favorite food for both children and adults; This dish is easy to make and is perfect for barbecues and parties. Make it in large quantities because this food will run out quickly!
Ingredients
For 4-6 servings
- 4 large potatoes
- 4 tbsp olive oil or vegetable oil
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 3/4 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 tsp other herbs and spices, such as minced garlic, rosemary, or cumin
Step
Method 1 of 2: Preparing the Potatoes
Step 1. Choose firm, firm potatoes that have a high or medium starch content
Potatoes that are high in starch content (such as russet potatoes and sweet potatoes in general, including the jewel yam type) have a high absorption capacity with a soft and light texture. Medium starch potatoes or potatoes that can be made into a variety of dishes (such as Yukon Gold, red gold, white, blue, and purple potatoes) have a higher moisture content than high-starch potatoes and are less prone to crumbling.
- The potatoes you use should be firm and heavy. Watch out for potatoes that are green, wrinkled, sprouted, mottled and have mushy spots -- these are signs of poor quality potatoes or have a bitter taste.
- If you are using a potato you have at home and you find green spots on the surface, make sure you cut off the portion and throw it away. The green patches on potatoes are mildly toxic and will upset your digestive system.
- Store potatoes in a dry and cool place. Try not to store potatoes in places that are too cold (such as in the refrigerator), as the starch will turn into sugar, which will change the taste of the potatoes.
Step 2. Brush the potatoes using a vegetable brush and cold water
Potatoes grow in the soil. Even if the potatoes were cleaned before you bought them, there may still be some soil left in the tiny indentations (or "eyes") of the potatoes. Do not brush the surface of the potato too hard, as the skin may peel off. Gently brush the potatoes.
- Even pesticides are used on organic food sources, so take precautions and make sure you wash all organic products you plan to use.
- You don't need to use a special vegetable-cleaning soap to clean potatoes--just running water will suffice.
Step 3. Cut the potato in half lengthwise, then cut the halves into thirds
You will get six potato wedges. Try to cut the potatoes into equal-sized wedges so that all the pieces are of the same level of doneness. If the potato strips are of unequal thickness, the thin pieces will burn while waiting for the thick pieces to fully cook.
- Each potato cut into quarters will give you a thick, but not too thick, wedge. If your slices are thicker, they will be crunchy and golden on the outside when cooked, but not cooked on the inside.
- If you don't bake them right away (for example, because you have to prepare other dishes or wait for the oven to get hot enough), place the potato strips in a bowl of cold water with a little lemon juice or vinegar. This method will prevent discoloration of the potatoes.
- Don't soak the potatoes in the bowl for more than two hours--the potatoes will absorb the water in the bowl and may strip some of the vitamins in the potatoes.
- You can peel the potatoes before cutting them if you don't want to eat the skin, but they may not retain their shape when baked. Potato skins are more full of vitamins than their flesh, so they will lose some of their nutritional value without the skin.
Step 4. Place the potato wedges, salt, pepper and oil in a large bowl and mix with your hands
The oil will help the spices stick to the potatoes. Make sure the spices and oil are evenly distributed so that each potato wedge is fully coated in the spices.
- Make sure your hands are clean before handling food.
- If you want to add flavor--such as minced garlic, chopped rosemary, cumin, or thyme--put it in a bowl and mix it with the rest of the ingredients.
Method 2 of 2: Baking Potatoes
Step 1. Preheat the oven to 218 degrees Celsius
Place the grill rack in the center or bottom of the oven. If your oven tends to be a bit low, use the bottom rack to expose the potatoes to a hot enough temperature to crisp them up. If your oven tends to cook dishes quickly, use the center rack instead.
If you're roasting sweet potatoes, make sure you place them on the middle or top rack, so the starch doesn't caramelize too quickly and burn the sweet potato pieces
Step 2. Place the potato strips evenly on a baking sheet lined with foil or parchment
Make sure you place the potato pieces evenly, and don't stack them on top of each other. Placing the potato wedges in a stack and crammed together on the baking sheet will cause the potatoes to steam rather than bake, resulting in the potatoes becoming soft and soggy in the end.
- If you're worried that the potatoes will stick to each other, use a non-stick spray or sprinkle with a little more olive oil. Oil-sprayed potatoes will prevent them from sticking together, but take this extra step if you want.
- Position the potatoes so that one side of the cut is flat on the pan, and the other side is facing up. The slices should not be placed standing with the back facing down (the skinned side of the potato), with both sides of the cut (or the potato filling) facing up.
Step 3. Bake the potatoes for 25-30 minutes, turning the sides of each potato slice after 15 minutes
Use oven mitts to remove the pan from the oven and turn the sides of each potato wedge with a spatula. You could burn your hands from hitting the top of the oven if you try to put your hands in the oven and flip the potatoes without removing the pan first.
If you are cooking two potato wedges at the same time, make sure you switch the positions of the two pans when turning the potato wedges sideways. Pans placed on the lower rack of the oven must be moved to a higher shelf, and vice versa. This way, the potatoes in the two pans will cook evenly and will be done at about the same time
Step 4. Remove the potatoes from the oven when they are golden and crispy on the outside but soft on the inside
You can pierce chunks of potatoes with a fork to see if they're cooked through--the inside should be soft and not tough when pierced with a fork.
- You can season the potatoes with a pinch of salt or a garnish such as chives or chopped parsley.
- Serve with ketchup, hot sauce, lime and chipotle mayo, malt vinegar, or any other sauce you prefer.
Warning
- The potato wedges are too hot after removing from the oven, so allow them to cool for a few minutes before eating.
- Never leave the oven unattended.
- Use the oven only with adult supervision.
- Knives must be used by adults.
Necessary Things
- Baking trays
- Big bowl
- Knife
- Aluminum foil or parchment
- Spatula
- Oven
- Oven gloves
