Sweet Potato Fries with Gochujang Sauce

Sweet potatoes have long been a staple in Asia and South America and the craze with sweet potato fries is no surprise. After all, sweet potatoes do pack a wallop in vitamins, more so than their plain potato cousins. Don’t let the name of this dish fool you though- these are as good for you as they are delicious. No deep fried fries here. Just use a little know-how with olive oil, seasonings and the good old oven to create crispy on the outside, soft and warm on the inside sweet potato fries with a savory, spicy Gochujang dipping sauce.

Makes 1 small basket (serves 3 to 4 as appetizer or snack)

Ingredients

2 medium to large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into long wedges

Vegetable oil for coating

¼ cup olive oil

1 teaspoon garlic powder

¾ teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon salt

¾ teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon parsley flakes

For Sauce:

2 heaping tablespoons Gochujang paste

6 to 8 garlic cloves finely minced

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1 tablespoon sambal oelek

2 tablespoons plum sauce

Method

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Coat a non-stick baking pan lightly with vegetable oil.

In a large mixing bowl, drizzle the olive oil over the potato wedges. Sprinkle all of the herbs and spices and toss gently to coat the potatoes thoroughly. Place on baking pan so that the potatoes are all evenly spread out and none should be on top of each other.

Bake for 35 to 45 minutes until golden crispy. While the potatoes are baking, place all the ingredients for the sauce in a bowl and whisk until thoroughly combined.

Tip: It’s highly important not to crowd the sweet potatoes on the baking pan. They must each be lying on the pan, not on top of each other. If you have too many close together or stacked on top of each other, they will become soggy instead of crispy due to steaming instead of roasting.