Baked Parmesan Herb Fries With Roasted Garlic Aioli

Picture biting into a golden-brown fry that’s crispy on the outside, soft and fluffy on the inside, and smothered with fresh herbs, parmesan cheese, and creamy garlic aioli. Sound heavenly??? Keep reading.

Fresh rosemary, thyme, parsley, and basil come together with salty parmesan and garlic aioli in this recipe to form one of the best fry toppings of all time. Something about the herbs transforms the flavor of the fries… and the garlic aioli? That speaks for itself. Garlic truly makes everything better. And garlic and herbs just belong together, ya know?

To make the fries, you’re only going to need a few ingredients:

• Russet potatoes: Don’t substitute! They are the perfect texture and taste for french fries. For my fries, I leave the skin on the potatoes. Partially because I’m too lazy to peel them, and partially because I like that rustic look. Whether or not you want to peel them is totally up to you!

• Vegetable oil: You can use canola, peanut oil, or anything with a high smoke point. I toss the fries in the oil and also coat the baking sheet with it. Be pretty generous, since this is what gets them to crisp up!
• Salt & Pepper: To your taste! I add about 2 teaspoons of salt and 1 teaspoon of pepper while I’m tossing the fries in the oil, and then add an extra sprinkle of salt once they’re lined up on the baking sheet and abut to go into the oven.

The secret to crispy fries that are soft and fluffy on the inside: Soak your fries in hot tap water!! I used to hate making oven fries because they never turned out right, but then I discovered this trick and it changed the game for me. So don’t skip this step, it’s so worth it! They only need about 10 minutes. Make sure you dry them off well!

Note: Roast the garlic for the aioli first. Roasting the garlic takes about 35-45 minutes, so while the garlic is cooking you can prepare your fries and the herbs. The oven will already be at 475° when the garlic is done, so you can just pop your fries in the oven! While the fries cook, let the garlic cool down and then make the aioli in the food processor.

Baked Parmesan Herb Fries With Roasted Garlic Aioli

For the roasted garlic aioli:

• 2 whole heads garlic (with the tops cut off, roasted)
• Olive oil (drizzled over garlic before roasting)
• Salt & pepper
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• Juice of 1 lemon (about 1/3 cup)
• 3 tbsp parmesan
• 1/2 tablespoon dijon mustard
• Splash Worcestershire sauce
• 1-2 extra garlic cloves (raw (not roasted))

For herb topping:

• 1 tablespoon parsley (finely chopped)
• 1 tablespoon rosemary (finely chopped)
• 1 tablespoon basil (finely chopped)
• 1 tablespoon thyme (finely chopped)
• 3 tablespoons of parmesan (grated)

For the fries:

• 1 1/2 pounds russet potatoes (cut into matchsticks, about 1/2 inch thick)
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper

For the roasted garlic aioli:

1. Preheat oven to 475°. Chop the tops off of the two heads of garlic so that the cloves inside are exposed. Place on a sheet of tin foil, then drizzle with olive oil and a dash of salt and pepper. Wrap the heads of garlic in the tin foil, creating a pouch. Place in the oven and roast for 35-45 minutes, or until the garlic looks slightly golden and softened.
2. Let the garlic cool and then squeeze the pulp from the skins, into a food processor. Combine 1 cup of mayonnaise, lemon juice, parmesan, dijon, Worcestershire, and 1-2 extra cloves of garlic in the food processor, until smooth.

For the parmesan herb topping:

1. Finely chop parsley, rosemary, basil, and thyme. Transfer to a bowl and add in your 3 tablespoons of grated parmesan. Set aside.

For the fries:

1. Preheat your oven to 475°. Wash your potatoes, and peel if desired. Cut the potatoes into matchsticks, about 1/2 inch thick. Make sure the size of each fry is roughly uniform, so they cook evenly.
2. Transfer cut potatoes to a large bowl, then submerge in hot tap water. Soak the fries for about 10 minutes.
3. Once the fries have soaked, thoroughly dry them with a clean dishtowel. Transfer to a clean, dry bowl and toss with 1/4 cup of oil, 2 teaspoons of salt, and 1 teaspoon of pepper.
4. Coat your baking sheet in oil. Line up the fries on the baking sheet, making sure there is space between each fry. Don’t overcrowd the pan, or else they will steam instead of getting crispy! Sprinkle with an extra dash of salt before you pop them in the oven, if desired.
5. Bake the fries for 20-25 minutes, or until you notice them getting lightly golden-brown. After 20-25 minutes, take the fries out and flip them. Bake for another 5-10 minutes, or until your desired crispiness is achieved.

Assemble:

1. Transfer your fries to a bowl or serving platter. Drizzle the fries with garlic aioli (tip: to make mine look pretty, I put some aioli in a plastic bag and then cut one of the corners off so I could squeeze it out.) Sprinkle the parmesan and herb mixture over the fries, and top with extra parmesan cheese. Dip your fries in the extra aioli and enjoy!

Side Dish, Snack

fries, garlic, herbs, parmesean