Oven Baked Sweet Potato Fries

One of my favorite things to order in  a restaurant are sweet potato fries.  I finally found a way to make sweet potato fries baked in the oven.  For years I have made oven French fries with white potatoes. 

When I started trying to make sweet potato oven fries, I could not get a crispy texture.  I love sweet potatoes made most any way, but my husband won't eat them unless they have a crispy texture.  He has tried many times to eat a baked sweet potato or a sweet potato casserole, but he cannot get past the texture. 

I finally tried the recipe below, and the potatoes come out with a crispy texture.  When they first come out of the oven, they don't seem that crispy, but after a couple of minutes, the crispness starts to develop.  They are not as crispy as deep fried sweet potatoes, but I like them very much, and the hubby approved. 

CRISPY OVEN BAKED SWEET POTATO FRIES

2-4 Tbsp. cornstarch

2-4 sweet potatoes
small amount of canola oil
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste

 Preheat oven to 425.

 Peel the sweet potatoes, then cut into very thin strips.  Place the sweet potatoes into a bowl and cover with cold water.  Let them sit in the water for an hour or up to overnight.

Cover a half sheet pan or pans with foil, then spray with oil.

 Drain water from the potatoes, then place in a kitchen towel to dry thoroughly, although a very small amount of moisture can remain.  Place potatoes into a large plastic bag and add the cornstarch.  Roll potatoes around in bag to distribute the cornstarch evenly. 

Place potatoes on the prepared foil and put a small amount of canola oil on them and move them around to distribute the oil.  Do not put salt on them at this point. 

 Place potatoes in the oven and cook 15 minutes.  Turn potatoes over with a spatula and cook another 15 minutes, turn over again, and continue to bake until to desired degree of browning.  When they are to desired amount of browning, turn oven off and prop oven door open and let them sit in the oven for another 10 minutes. 

Remove from oven and apply salt and pepper to taste.