Italian Fries

One of my favorite cooking shows to watch is Mad Hungry.  Lucinda Scala Quinn offers many new ways to make your favorite foods, and the best part is that they are SIMPLE.  When I saw her make these Italian Fries my mouth was watering.  I love the combination of Romano and Parmesan cheeses with the fresh parsley.  These fries bake at a high temperature so they are crispy and delicious, just like the fried version.  I halved this recipe and it made plenty for our small family and paired nicely with old fashioned classic hamburgers.

Italian Fries

recipe from Mad Hungry

Ingredients:

6 -7 Idaho potatoes, peeled and sliced into 1/3-inch-thick French fry-style strips (see potato prep in #2 below)
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon dried Italian herbs
2 cups freshly grated Romano cheese (I used 1/2 cup of Parmesan and 1 1/2 cup of Romano)
1/4 cup parsley leaves, finely chopped
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) salted butter, cut into cubes
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Potato Prep: For a French-fry cut, peel the potatoes and slice lengthwise into 1/3-inch-thick slices. Stack the slices on top of one another, a few at a time, and slice lengthwise into 1/3-inch-thick strips. Peeled and sliced potatoes can turn brown pretty quickly. To avoid this, try floating the peeled, cut pieces in cold, salted water. Let soak for a couple minutes.

3. Drain the potatoes and pat dry with paper towels. Spread 1 tablespoon of the olive oil on each of 2 rimmed baking sheets and spread out the potatoes. Overlapping is fine.

4. Sprinkle the dried herbs evenly over the potatoes. Liberally spread the cheese and parsley on top. Drizzle the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil over the cheese. Scatter the cubed butter around the pans.

5. Bake until the potatoes are golden brown, rotating the pans after 30 minutes, for 45 to 50 minutes total. Use a spatula to lift off the potatoes with all the crusty cheese adhered to them. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot.

Enjoy.  They won't last long!