Late one night, not too long ago, I developed a craving for potato wedges. Crispy on the outside, soft and floury on the inside and perfect for dipping into some concoction of sauce. Isn’t dipping fun? The issues I faced were time and cooking method.

As I mentioned above, it was late, so my normal oven roasting method would not do. Half an hour, or there abouts, to attain my desired level of crispy was too long to wait. Frying, or deep frying, would cut down on the time required but it would add undesired fat to the mix. I’m not saying that it wouldn’t have worked well as a method, for it would have, but at that particular time I didn’t want to go that way.

How could I make quick crispy potato wedges without getting out a big ol’ pot of oil?

The answer: egg wash.

When you’re baking bread and use an egg wash on your yet to be baked loaf, the egg wash will contribute a distinctive finish as well as a crispier crust. If it can make bread crispier, I didn’t see why it wouldn’t do the same thing to a potato wedge. As an added bonus, the egg wash gives the flavoring elements of choice something to stick to, so that they stay on the potato.

It was as easy as pie. Separate an egg, whisk the white until frothy. Add some spices. Coat your wedges and bake. How frothy should the egg white be? This frothy:

Fifteen minutes later, you have some crispy on the outside, soft and floury on the inside potato wedges. Dipped into a creamy-spicy sour cream and sriracha dip, they were a great (and quick) midnight snack. Craving fulfilled.

Quick Potato Wedges in the Oven

Ingredients

2 potatoes, washed and scrubbed

1 egg white

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp black pepper

Directions
  • Crank the heat all the way up to 500° F to preheat the oven.
  • Cut both potatoes into 6-8 wedges (depending on how big your potato is) lengthwise.
  • In a bowl, whisk the egg white until frothy.
  • Add the salt, paprika and pepper to the bowl, and mix.
  • Toss the potato wedges with the egg white, draining off excess liquid.
  • Arrange on a baking sheet in a single layer, with some space in between.
  • Bake until browned, turning halfway through for even browning. (~15 minutes total, or 7-8 minutes per side).
  • Serve  with condiment of choice to hungry midnight snackers.

For the dip we ate our wedges with: just combine a tablespoon or two of sour cream with some sriracha (how ever much you want, it depends how spicy you like it). It’s so easy, but so very very tasty to dip potato wedges in.

Tags: , , , , , , , , ,