Who doesn't like French fries?

Not just any old French fries, but real fries. Made with fresh potatoes, cut with the skins on, fried crisp on the outside, moist on the inside, not too greasy, and just the right amount of salt.

The problem is that the little buggers are a hassle to make. The best fries come from a deep fat fryer and are cooked quickly at a high temperature. Sure, these machines are available for the home, but I don't want one taking up space on my counter top, and I don't want to deal with all that cooking oil either.

I find that home made steak fries are quite satisfying. Cut an Idaho potato lengthwise into eighths. Lay the pieces in a single layer on a lightly greased baking sheet. Brush with olive oil and bake at 450 degrees until they are golden brown. Since that method results in a nearly impossible to clean baking sheet, I lay down a piece of foil first. This method works nicely with small red potatoes too, except that I usually just cut them in quarters.

Unfortunately, my family prefers skinny French fries. The skinnier the better. So skinny that one large or two small potatoes fill an entire baking sheet but only serve one or two people. Why is it that they will eat only one potato or less if it is baked, but will down a couple if it is French fried?

Once in awhile I give in and cut them skinny, or Jackie will offer to do it. I toss the strips in a plastic bag with olive oil and cook it the same way I cook the steak fries. It is unlikely that you will ever be served home made skinny fries at my house, because it takes too long to make them for company. Sorry.