2020 Holiday Cooking Special Series, Day 9 - Baked Paprika Cottage Fries

 

2020 Holiday Cooking Special Series

Day 9: Baked Paprika Cottage Fries

Side dishes play an important role in every meal - they offer the unique opportunity to add complementary or contrasting flavors, elevate the entree, and ultimately provide balance to the entire meal. These crispy and absolutely tasty Baked Paprika Cottage Fries make the perfect side dish for any holiday meal...whether breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Cottage fries apparently derive their name from the round shapes which resemble shingled cottage roof designs.

For this recipe, pre-heat the oven to 375℉ then peel and slice 4 large potatoes into round slices that are about 1/8-inch as shown above. Try to cut them as uniformly as possible to facilitate even cooking. In addition, if you are looking to increase the size of the recipe, avoid trying to fit too many slices into one pan - overcrowding will result in steamed rather than crispy cottage fries. Smaller batches that are well spread out in different pans will ensure that you end up with beautifully golden and crispy baked fries. Spread the slices as much as possible in a large baking dish/pan then season generously with 1 teaspoon each of smoked paprika, ground black pepper, and salt. Drizzle about 2 tablespoons of olive oil over the slices and toss them by hand to ensure even distribution of the oil and spices. Place them into the middle rack in the oven and set them to bake for about 25 - 30 minutes. To achieve a deeper golden-brown hue and add a crispier texture to the fries, broil them on high for an additional 5 minutes. Once done, serve hot as a side dish or savor them on their own with a sauce of your choice. Enjoy! 😍😋🍟💖