Equipment
Ingredients
For the Potatoes
- 1000 g potatoes, skin-on
- 10 g rice flour
- 30 ml olive oil
- salt, to taste
For the Pickled Herb Stems
- 3 g cilantro, stems, chopped
- 22½ ml apple cider vinegar
For the Smoky-sweet Nuts
- 45 ml olive oil
- 40 g pine nuts
- 30 g almonds, roughly chopped
- 6 g light brown sugar
- 2 g nigella seeds
- 2 g urfa chile flakes
- 2 g aleppo chile flakes
- 1 g smoked paprika
- 1 g salt
For the Tahini Yogurt
- 60 g greek yogurt
- 50 g tahini
- 22½ ml lemon juice
- 2 garlic, minced
- 37½ ml water
- 1 g salt
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 840 kcal
- Protein
- 17 g
- Carbohydrates
- 121 g
- Fat
- 36 g
- Fiber
- 13 g
- Sugar
- 10 g
- Sodium
- 715 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 4 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 20 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 9 g
- Cholesterol
- 1 mg
- Potassium
- 2669 mg
- Calcium
- 69 mg
- Iron
- 1.8 mg
- Magnesium
- 61 mg
- Phosphorus
- 207 mg
- Zinc
- 1.6 mg
- Vitamin A
- 37 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 80 mg
- Vitamin E
- 6.0 mg
- Vitamin K
- 18 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.1 mg
- Thiamin
- 0.26 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.14 mg
- Niacin
- 1.6 mg
- Folate
- 21 mcg
- Water
- 34 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Preheat your oven to 200°C (400°F). Line a large baking sheet with foil.
Cut the potatoes into fry-shape, roughly 1cm wide. In a large bowl, toss the potato sticks with rice flour, olive oil, and salt (start with 5g / 1 teaspoon). Spread them evenly on the prepared baking sheet, ensuring they do not overlap. Cover the baking sheet tightly with foil and bake for 15 minutes to steam and soften the potatoes.
While the potatoes are in the oven, prepare the pickled herb stems. Combine the chopped herb stems and apple cider vinegar in a small bowl and set aside.
Prepare the smoky-sweet nuts. Heat olive oil in a small frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the pine nuts and almonds and toast, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 1-3 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat immediately and stir in the brown sugar, nigella seeds, Urfa chile flakes, Aleppo chile flakes, smoked paprika, and salt. Transfer the nut mixture to a bowl and set aside.
Make the tahini yogurt sauce. In a bowl, combine the Greek yogurt, tahini, lemon juice, minced garlic, 37.5ml (2 1/2 tablespoons) of water, and salt. Whisk until smooth. Add another 30-60ml (1-2 tablespoons) of water if needed to achieve a pourable consistency, as it may thicken upon standing.
Remove the foil from the potatoes. Increase the oven temperature to 220°C (425°F). Return the baking sheet to the oven and bake for another 15 minutes. Gently flip the fries with a spatula, separating any that have stuck together. Bake for an additional 20-25 minutes, or until golden and crispy. Let the fries cool for 5 minutes.
To serve, arrange the oven fries on a large platter. Drizzle generously with the tahini yogurt sauce. Spoon the smoky-sweet nut mixture over the fries, followed by the pickled herb stems and their pickling liquid. Serve immediately.
Chef's Notes
- For extra-crispy fries, soak the cut potatoes in cold water for 30 minutes before coating and baking. Pat dry thoroughly.
- If you don't have rice flour, use cornstarch or all-purpose flour instead.
- Adjust the amount of chile flakes to your spice preference.
- The recipe is vegetarian and can be made vegan by ensuring the yogurt is vegan-friendly.
Storage
Refrigerator: 2 days — Store fries and sauce separately in airtight containers. Reheat fries in oven or air fryer for best results. Nuts should be stored at room temperature in an airtight container.
Reheating: Reheat fries in a preheated oven at 200°C (400°F) for 5-7 minutes, or until crisp. Alternatively, reheat in an air fryer. Rewarm tahini yogurt gently if needed. Nuts can be served at room temperature.
Troubleshooting
Fries are not crispy
Cause: Potatoes were not dried properly, or the oven wasn't hot enough, or fries were overcrowded.
Fix: Return to the hot oven for a few minutes, or use air fryer to crisp up. Serve immediately.
Prevention: Dry the potatoes thoroughly after cutting; ensure oven is fully preheated; bake in batches if needed.
Fries are burnt
Cause: Oven too hot or fries cooked too long.
Fix: Remove burnt fries and serve the rest. If severely burnt, discard and start over.
Prevention: Use a reliable oven thermometer; watch fries closely during baking, flipping frequently.
Tahini Yogurt is too thick.
Cause: Not enough water added to the tahini yogurt.
Fix: Add a bit more water to loosen to desired consistency.
Prevention: Add the correct amount of water to the yogurt to begin.
Cultural Context
While oven-baked fries are a modern adaptation, the core components of this dish draw inspiration from Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisines. Tahini, a staple in these regions, provides a creamy base, while the use of nuts, herbs, and spices in the topping reflects traditional flavor profiles found in various mezze and savory dishes.
