Baked Thick-Cut Fries

Nothing beats a serving of piping hot salty fries, and after you've tried this Dutch take on the classic side dish you might never want to go back to thin, peeled fries. Unpeeled fries are called luie wijven friet or ''lazy wives' fries'' in Dutch, and while the name denotes old gender household roles, it also points out the fries' most relevant characteristic: not a lot of work. You simply need a few baking potatoes, oil, salt and pepper to taste, and any dried herb you'd like. That's it. No peeling, frying, or double frying: cut, season, bake. And then you'll have a beautiful side dish that is the perfect accompaniment to burgers, hot dogs, steaks, or any grilled protein such as fish or chicken. Even on their own, these are fantastic finger food to share with friends while having a pre-dinner drink.

By crisping up the potatoes in the oven, you're not only saving a ton of calories in frying oil, but also a lot of work, as you just need to place a baking sheet with the potatoes into the oven and come back after 30 minutes to take them out. You don't even need to soak the potatoes to remove excess starch. These thick wedges have a great rustic look and have a ton of flavor, as the crispy skin does add a touch of earthiness in addition to its delicious texture. Serve with any creamy sauce of your liking, like spicy mayo, tartare, Russian dressing, or chunkier preparations like artichoke or cheese dips.

For this recipe, you need baking potatoes, which means that you have to buy high-starch potatoes like russets, the best type for both frying and baking. They cook fast and have a light texture, so when frying or oven frying, these potatoes produce the best fries, with or without skin. Other potatoes with less starch like yellow potatoes might work too, but they won't be as long or yield the thick wedges this recipe is intended to have. But, no matter which route you decide to go, give a try to our lazy recipe, and discover how no-work doesn't mean that there won't be a ton of flavor.