Spicy Potato Wedges

Spicy Potato Wedges

Perhaps you call them french fries or freedom fries, wedges or chips. In New Zealand our accent transforms chips into chups. What’s more confusing is that chups in New Zealand are used to describe both the hot salty chups and the flavoured crisp variety. No matter what you call them, or how healthy your lifestyle, there are days where you simply need some hot potato chups.

Ingredients:
6 large potatoes ( I choose Russet)
5 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp chili powder
2 tbsp turmeric
2 tbsp cumin
2 tbsp red pepper flakes
1 tbsp black pepper
1 tsp salt 
 
A pot of boiling water or steamer    
A bowl of ice-water 

You can change the measurements of each spice, even opt-out of them all together and substitute your own to your taste. These are my favorites as together they produce a hot spicy flavor which is offset by the soft fluffy texture of the meat of the potato.

The directions may appear long, but it’s not as time-consuming or difficult as it looks. And like many recipes, once you’ve done it once it’ll be a breeze the second and third time.

Time: 50 minutes [including 30 minutes cooking time]          Preheat oven: 180˚C

Directions

1. Preheat your oven to 180˚C. Cut your washed potatoes into slices or chunks, depending on your preference. Don’t peel the potatoes. Cut out the eyes for sure, but keep the skin as it’s full of nutrients and adds a crunchy texture to the chips.

2. Get your ice-water ready. Fill a large bowl with cold water and a tray of ice. You’ll come back to the ice-water after step 3.

3. Into either a steamer or a pot of boiling water, add the raw potatoes and allow them to cook for 3/4 minutes. If they’re really chunky you many leave them for 5 minutes maximum but no longer. You don’t want the potatoes to be cooked right through and you definitely don’t want them mushy. When the time is up, tip them into your pre-prepared ice-water to immediately stop them from cooking. They should retain their shape and be back to room temperature in less than 2 minutes.

4. Transfer the potatoes to another bowl. At this point you can choose to pat them dry with a clean cloth. I do, as I think the flavor sticks better when the potatoes are dry, but it probably doesn’t make much difference.

5. Using your emptied ice-water bowl, combine the spices and the oil thoroughly. Add the potatoes to the mixture a handful at a time. Ensure that each potato is fully covered in the spicy goodness before transferring them to a lined baking tray.  They should look something like this..

6. Bake for 30 minutes at 180˚C. Give them a re-shuffle after 15 minutes so that they get crisp on all sides.  Let them breath for 7-10 minutes before serving as they’ll be surprisingly hot.   Serve with salsa or vegan sour cream. They taste good hot and cool.

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