Sweet Potato Fries with Sriracha Mayonnaise

I'm a big fan of sweet potatoes. Twice-baked, grilled, stuffed... I'll take them any which way you make them. For years I've been trying to make sweet potato fries that were actually crunchy. I failed many a time. Until now.


These came out delicious. The key to the crunch is soaking the potatoes, the cornstarch and making sure you don't over oil them.

To get the fries into perfect 1/4" shoestrings, I first cut the potatoes lengthwise using a mandolin. I think turned those pieces vertically and ran them across the mandolin again.

Some folks might scoff at the idea of dipping fries in mayonnaise, but it's common outside the US, and it's really good. And hey, put a little sriracha and cayenne in your mayo and you've got not only a great fry dipping sauce, but a good sandwich topping!

I found the original recipe over at The Art of Doing Stuff.

Makes: 2 large servings
Prep time: 8 hours
Cook time: 15-20 minutes
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

2 medium sweet potatoes, cut into 1/4" shoestrings
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
Sriracha mayonnaise (see below)

1. Put potatoes in a large bowl and fill with water. Let soak for 8 hours, changing the water every few hours or so.

2. Preheat oven to 425 F.

3. Remove potatoes from water and drain very well. Place into a large resealable baggie.

4. Add the cornstarch and shake to coat well.

5. Drizzle in a tablespoon of oil and shake to coat. Do not get them overly wet. Add more oil if needed.

6. Arrange fries on baking sheets so they do not touch. Bake 15-20 minutes or until crunchy. Remove to cooling racks or paper towel-lined plates.

For the Sriracha Mayonnaise:

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon (more or less) sriracha sauce
1/4-1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 cup mayonnaise

1. Combine all ingredients.