A toaster oven is an excellent way to cook small portions of food. Epicurious recommends using toaster ovens because they are energy-efficient and because they don't heat up the kitchen on hot summer days to the same extent as a regular oven. However, if you want to use a toaster oven to make waffle fries, you'll need to have a few pieces of equipment and follow a few basic steps to ensure that your fries end up crisp and delicious.
Step 1
Scrub your potatoes or, if you like, peel them. However, consider leaving the peels on. According to "The Doctors Book of Food Remedies," potato skins contain more potassium than a banana.
Step 2
Use your mandolin to cut the cleaned potatoes into waffle shapes. Be sure to use the hand guard and to follow the manufacturer's safety instructions while using a mandolin.
Step 3
Preheat your toaster oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Step 4
Set the potato slices into a large bowl and cover them with hot tap water. Let them soak for 10 minutes. "Cooks Illustrated Magazine" reports that soaking the fries damages the potatoes' starch coating, which causes the fries to crisp and brown more easily, an important consideration when you are working with toaster ovens that don't have the power of full-sized ranges.
Step 5
Line a full-size baking sheet or serving platter with paper towels.
Step 6
Spread the fries out on the full-size baking sheet or serving platter and, using more paper towels, blot them dry. Removing excess water helps the fries cook faster, since they won't have to dry out in the oven before they can start to brown.
Step 7
Pour 1 tbsp. vegetable oil onto your toaster oven-sized baking sheet and spread it evenly with a paper towel.
Step 8
Sprinkle 2 tsp. salt onto the sheet and place it in the oven for five minutes, or until the oil is hot.
Step 9
Pull your preheated toaster oven baking sheet out with cooking mitts and arrange the fries in a single layer on the sheet.
Step 10
Set the sheet back into the toaster oven and close the door.
Step 11
Cook until your fries are golden brown and crispy, about 10 to 20 minutes depending on your toaster oven's power. Use a metal spatula to flip them halfway through the cooking time.
Step 12
Drain the fries on paper towels before serving.
Tips and Warnings
- Use a high-temperature-tolerant oil, such as canola, to coat the baking pan.
Things You'll Need
- 1 or 2 large potatoes
- Vegetable peeler or potato brush
- Mandolin with waffle slicer
- Toaster oven capable of reaching 400 degrees Fahrenheit
- Large bowl
- Hot tap water
- Full-size baking sheet or serving platter
- Paper towels
- Toaster-oven sized baking sheet
- 1 tbsp. vegetable oil
- 2 tsp. salt
- Oven mitts
- Small metal spatula
References
- Epicurious; Cooking for One; Esther Sung
- "The Doctors Book of Food Remedies"; Selene Yeager; 2006
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