This recipe comes with two stories: One, how we happened upon a bustling rosemary pant for just $2.50. And two, how we found a new restaurant in downtown Wichita that feels nothing like Kansas and everything like Portland, Oregon. Two terrific discoveries if you ask us.
First, the rosemary. I instagrammed a photo of our new herbs a couple weeks back and here’s a more flattering portrait of one of our new beauties. We’ve had basil for a while, which was a gift from friends that I use quite often in Thai and Italian dishes. But you can’t go wrong with more herbs. So when John and I were in our local Fresh Market a couple weeks back we saw an amazing deal: 2 herb plants for $5! I couldn’t believe it, and they looked so fresh. We instantly snagged a mint and rosemary and proceeded to the checkout to claim our prizes. The rest, as they say, is history.
The second part of this recipe is the inspiration behind it. We discovered this new restaurant in Wichita called Public that’s so rad we’ve literally been there three times already, purchased two Groupons for meals, and are going there tonight after we finish Christmas shopping.
Though I could say a lot about it, we love that they are committed to using fresh, local ingredients (a rarity in Kansas); serving creative and inspired dishes; and have daily $2 beer specials. Also, the owner used to live in Seattle, a city we’re quite fond of, and follows us on Twitter and totally RECOGNIZED us on our first visit. John and I have NEVER been recognized in public for Minimalist Baker, being that we’re such a young site (born just in June 2012). Needless to say we were flattered, impressed and are now hooked on this amazing new place.
On our first night there we invited a couple friends down and we split the rosemary garlic fries. I honestly wasn’t expecting anything amazing but one bite in and I was literally having a slow-motion intimate moment with that french fry. It was clearly hand cut, perfectly salted and studded with fresh pieces of minced garlic and rosemary. How very creative and delicious. So delicious, in fact, that once the fries were gone I was literally picking the rosemary out of the bottom of the bowl and putting it directly in my mouth. It was all over from there. I set off to recreate the recipe that very next day.
See how it all comes together? We discovered Public which led us to the rosemary which led us to this very recipe: a crispy baked french fry seasoned with fresh garlic and rosemary that’s casual enough to serve with a burger and sophisticated enough to serve to the snobbiest of foodies in your social circle. Trust us, we tried it and it was a winner on both accounts. Happy french-frying.
- 3 russet potatoes, roughly peeled and cut into even wedges or strips
- 2-3 Tbsp canola or olive oil to rim pan
- 1 Tbsp olive oil (for coating fries)
- sea salt and pepper to taste (~ ¼ tsp each)
- large handful rosemary
- 2-3 cloves fresh garlic, minced
- Preheat oven to 475 degrees.
- Soak potatoes in hot water for 15 minutes, then drain and dry thoroughly with paper towels or clean dish towels.
- Dry the bowl they were in and then place them back in. Drizzle with 1-2 Tbsp olive oil and add ¼ tsp eash salt and pepper and toss.
- Generously coat a rimmed baking sheet with canola oil and drain off any excess. Transfer fries to baking sheet and arrange in a single layer.
- Cover with foil and bake for 5 minutes. Then rmove foil and bake for 15 minutes more. Remove from oven to turn over with a spatula. If they stick, just gently nudge them with the spatula and they will lift off the sheet. Make sure to keep them in a single layer to ensure even baking. Place back in oven to cook for another 5 minutes.
- Remove from oven, flipping once more. Return to oven for 5-10 minutes more or until golden brown and crispy.
- Remove from oven and transfer to a large bowl. Season with additional salt to taste and minced garlic and rosemary while still hot. Toss and serve warm.
adapted from Annie’s Eats
Caitlin November 29, 2012 at 9:48 am
they look so crispy and delicious!
Tammy November 29, 2012 at 10:08 am
My daughter was just saying that she wanted to try to make french fries at home! Can’t wait to try these! Yum!
Tammy
Laura @ LauraLikesDesign November 29, 2012 at 11:08 am
These sound amazing and would be the perfect side to a delicious, grilled chicken breast!
Tricia November 29, 2012 at 12:45 pm
I am making these for – oops – I mean with dinner tonight. Okay, so maybe I’ll just be eating the fries. But I will share with my children :-) Seriously – I am so looking forward to these! Thank you for the recipe!!
Dana November 29, 2012 at 4:40 pm
haha, no shame! I ate these as an entree one time! They’re also excellent alongside chili :D
natalie@thesweetslife November 29, 2012 at 2:30 pm
FINISH Christmas shopping? as in, you’re done? oh boy, I better get moving!
and I think I want fries for dinner!
Dana November 29, 2012 at 4:41 pm
Oh no. I’ve barely begin! We were just done shopping THAT day; still lots to do. Happy fry eating, friend!
Kim November 29, 2012 at 6:13 pm
Hey you guys!! These look amazing!! We’re gonna be in Wichita the week before Christmas, so we’ll have to check out Public. Are you around that week?? I think we’re heading up to Abilene and beyond for part of the time, but we start and finish in Wichita. Yay Kansas (…in the winter…)!! :)
Kim
Dana November 29, 2012 at 8:10 pm
Kim! That’s SO lovely to hear. We will be traveling a bit over Christmas (likely will be out of town the 23rd -25th). BUT, it’s all up in the air so we’re flexible. What days will you be here? If we don’t get to see you definitely check out Public. It’s awesome.
Hart December 2, 2012 at 3:19 pm
Hey, this looks so yummy and easy to cook, I’ll really try this, Gracias for the recipe!! :)
JaimieG December 15, 2012 at 10:33 pm
What would be even better would be to roast some garlic and rosemary beforehand and turn it into a garlic rosemary infused dipping oil or butter
Maria December 28, 2012 at 7:32 am
I made these last night as a side for churascco with chimichuri sauce and they were dynamite! Thanks
Kelli H (Made in Sonoma) March 3, 2013 at 11:13 am
I made these last night for a small dinner party, to go with burgers, and they were amazing! I cut the potatoes into smaller sizes, more like regular restaurant fries (but pretty long) and they were the perfect crispiness.
I will definitely be making these again and again.