CRUNCHY OVEN FRIES In need of a quick fix? Crunchy oven fries don’t live up to the simple-yet-lofty culinary standards set by a French fry, but they’re equally tasty in their own way Since they’re cooked in the relatively-low-energy environment of the oven (remember, 375°F oil is far more efficient at transferring heat than even a 500°F oven), you need to take a few extra steps to ensure proper crust formation First you’ve gotta help them thicken their skins I tried simply battering and baking some, but it’s a no-go The watery potatoes sog out their skins far too quickly Starting them out by boiling them in vinegar-spiked water is a much better first step, allowing the crust to stay intact after frying Potatoes baked from raw (left) end up with thin, soggy crusts Parcooked potatoes (right) stay crisp after baking Then I tried dozens of variations of coating, from thick egg-based batters to simple dustings, and in the end, I found the best method is to toss the boiled potatoes with a bit of buttermilk, which is just thick enough to coat them in a layer of liquid that then forms a thin sheath when combined with the flour and cornstarch I dredge them in Of the dozen kinds of flour I tried, flour, cornstarch, and potato starch were the favorites Flour on its own, with its relatively high protein content (around 12 percent for allpurpose), forms a crust that’s a little too leathery Cornstarch and potato starch on their own are powdery and pale Combining flour with cornstarch dilutes the flour’s protein content, creating a thinner, more delicate crunch that’s further enhanced by a bit of baking powder Finally, to best emulate frying in the oven, you need to add the potatoes to a fully preheated pan with a layer of oil in it, so that they sizzle upon contact NOTE: These seasoned planks are also great deep-fried Follow the recipe as directed through step (skip preheating the oven and the rimmed baking sheet), then deep-fry the potatoes in two batches in 2 quarts peanut oil ... oil in it, so that they sizzle upon contact NOTE: These seasoned planks are also great deep-fried Follow the recipe as directed through step (skip preheating the oven and the rimmed baking sheet), then deep-fry the potatoes in two batches in 2 quarts peanut oil... potato starch were the favorites Flour on its own, with its relatively high protein content (around 12 percent for allpurpose), forms a crust that’s a little too leathery Cornstarch and potato starch on their...a bit of buttermilk, which is just thick enough to coat them in a layer of liquid that then forms a thin sheath when combined with the flour and cornstarch I dredge them in Of the dozen kinds of flour I tried, flour, cornstarch, and