When I first moved out on my own, one of the first items I acquired for my kitchen was a deep fat fryer.
I’m a sucker for anything fried, but I could eat French fries every day and never get sick of them. Joey makes fun of me, because if there is any kind of variation of fries on a menu, he knows I’m probably going to get it.
Philly cheesesteak fries? Yep. Chili cheese fries? Of course. Fajita steak fries? Yes, please.
Of course, using a deep fryer on the regular is a pretty terrible idea, so my well-loved appliance finally went in the donation pile in September. It was time to say goodbye and not give into deep frying temptation.
But then I got my hands on an air fryer, and while I have managed to stay away from the French fries for the most part, getting to make “fried” foods with very little oil has been extremely appealing.
This week, Joey and I were collaborating on a meal. He was cooking the main dish, and I took on our side. After glancing a few times at the bag of yellow potatoes on our counter, I decided it was time to use the air fryer, but since Joey was making pork chops, I figured fries weren’t quite fancy enough, so I turned to the Internet.
The recipe I tried comes from the blog “40 aprons” by Cheryl Malik. You can find the original at https://40aprons.com/air-fryer-potatoes/. I changed up her seasonings a bit.
Air Fryer Potatoes
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds potatoes
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3/4 teaspoon garlic salt
- 3/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon rosemary
Instructions
- Cut the potatoes into about one-inch pieces. You don’t need to peel them unless that’s your preference.
- Toss the potatoes in the oil and seasonings until they’re well coated and add them to the basket of the air fryer.
- Cook the potatoes on the “fry” setting at 400 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring the potatoes halfway through. Once the potatoes’ outsides are browned and they are fork tender, remove them from the air fryer and serve immediately.
Making these potatoes was really simple, and the flavors and texture were out of this world. The potatoes were soft and creamy on the inside and crispy on the outside. It was awesome. Plus, it was so much quicker than making them in the oven, and it didn’t heat up my whole kitchen in the process.
This recipe will definitely be going into my recipe box to make again sometime, and even though they weren’t French fries, they still earned my vote.
I guess I’ll just have to admit I don’t just have a French fries obsession—it’s probably just potatoes in general. But, just like with my deep fat fryer, I’ll have to keep myself in check to keep myself eating healthy.
This piece first appeared in print on July 23, 2020.
Spice Up Your Life is a weekly newspaper column written by Lindsey Young in south central Kansas. If you are interested in sponsoring this column, please contact us through the “Contact Lindsey” link at the top of the page.
