Snack Attack: How To Make Extra-Crispy Potato Sticks
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Just Cook It! is Justin Chapple's new gift to the home cooking community. Join Food & Wine's culinary director in chapter after chapter of simple recipes made for making-ahead, that you never knew you needed in your life. Forget the fries and take a break from chips — the new crunchy spud in your life needs to be these extra-crispy potato sticks.
One of my all-time favorite snacks is Potato Stix. You know the ones—those crispy matchsticks sold in indestructible tins providing the ultimate protection against breakage. I've always opted for the supersized container, which reminds me of the extra-tall Folgers coffee cans my grandma would use. The edge of the can would lightly scratch my forearm when I tried to reach the bottom for the crumbs. Ah, those glorious crumbs were everything to me.
Nowadays, I use Potato Stix to add crunch to everything from lobster rolls to salads. Sadly, they're becoming harder to find, so I've developed this recipe for extra-crispy potato sticks. They're not quite the same, but they do offer a fabulous crunch. And they're amazing dipped into chipotle mayo.
Do It Ahead: The chipotle mayo can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- 1 pound russet or other baking potatoes
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1 canned chipotle in adobo
- 1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Place a large rimmed baking sheet in the center of the oven to preheat for at least 10 minutes.
- Using a large sharp knife, cut a ¼-inch-thick slice off the bottom of each potato to keep them from rolling around. Cut the potatoes lengthwise into ¼-inch-thick slices. Stack the slices and then cut them lengthwise into ¼-inch-thick sticks.
- In a large bowl, toss the potato sticks with the olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and immediately add the potato sticks to it, spreading them in an even layer.
- Bake for about 30 minutes, until browned and crisp; stir the potato sticks halfway through baking.
- Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, chipotle, adobo sauce, and lime juice. Season the chipotle mayo with salt and pepper.
- Serve the potato sticks with the chipotle mayo for dipping.