Pub Grub, 101

Children love repetition. What else can I say?! I know I have posted about hamburgers before, but it was to share my recipe for Kaiser Buns. I neglected to post a good recipe for oven fries. So tonight I'm giving you two versions, the super easy one and the crispily browned, almost restaurant variety. I am the first to admit that on a hectic night when I'm tired or it's important to get dinner going quickly that I'll go for the simple recipe. But if you want really, really, good "fried" potatoes, then take the extra few minutes and make the recipe I'm about to divulge (and it's not mine; I stole it from Cook's magazine a few years back). Regardless of which becomes your favorite, both certainly have a place in your repertoire.

Mini Burgers are accompanying these yummy oven fries, prompted by my son asking if I could make the buns look more like McDonald's. I made smaller Kaiser Rolls and instead of slicing the tops I just gave them the standard egg wash and a sprinkle of sesame seeds. We topped the grass-fed beef burgers with uncured turkey bacon, Tillamook cheddar cheese, and barbecue sauce.

Ultimate Oven Fries

3 Russet potatoes, sliced as desired (I leave the peel on, but remove it if you like)
5 tbsp canola, peanut, or veg oil
kosher salt and pepper

Place the oven rack in the lowest position. Preheat to 475 degrees.

Place potatoes in a large bowl and cover with hot tap water. Let stand 10 minutes. Meanwhile, coat a large rimmed baking sheet with 4 tbsp of the oil. Sprinkle with 3/4 tsp salt and a generoud grinding of fresh pepper; set aside.

Drain potatoes. Spread out on a few layers of paper towels or a clean dish towel. Pat dry. Rinse and wipe out empty bowl; return potatoes to the bowl and toss with the remaining 1 tbsp oil. Arrange potatoes in a single layer on the baking sheet. Cover tightly with foil and bake 5 minutes. Remove foil and continue to bake 15-20 minutes, until the bottoms start to brown. remove from oven and use a spatula or tongs to flip each wedge. Return to the oven and bake another 15 minutes.

Drain on paper towels. Sprinkle with a little more salt and pepper and serve.

Serves 3-4.

Basic Oven Fries

This recipe is great to make when you don't want to pay too much attention to what the fries are doing. Set the oven on a lower temperature if you need a little longer to prepare your dinner, or on a higher setting to get everything on the table quickly. These won't get nearly as brown as the previous recipe (most of the time they stay soft), but peek occasionally to make sure they don't burn, flipping if needed).

3-4 Russet potatoes
cooking spray or canola oil
herbs to flavor or seasoning salt*

Preheat oven to 425, 450, or 475 degrees, depending on how long you want the potatoes to bake for. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray (or pour a little oil onto the pan and use a pastry brush to spread it).

Spread the potatoes in an even layer on the prepared sheet. Spray with additional cooking spray. Alternately, you may place them in a bowl with 1 tbsp oil and toss, spreading in an even layer after this step. Sprinkle with your favorite seasoning blend or plain salt.

Bake until softened and starting to brown, depending on the size of the wedges and your baking temperature. At 450 degrees this usually takes about 30 minutes for standard fry sizes, longer for jo-jo style wedges.

Serves 3-4.

*Seasoning blends we like: Penzey's Smoky 4/S Seasoning Salt (an MSG-free delicious blend); fresh garlic, dried parsley, and salt (sometimes adding parmesan after they come out of the oven); or Italian Seasoning, salt, and a little garlic powder. Plain sea salt is always a good choice as well. Read the labels in the grocery store if you choose to buy a seasoning salt there. Many brands have MSG in them!