Basic Sweet Potato Fries Recipe

Ingredients

• 1-2 Sweet Potatoes
• Olive Oil
• Cinnamon
• Rosemary

Method

Heat your oven to 220°C and line a baking tray with parchment paper or foil. roasting-vegetables depends on high, dry heat and good air circulation — the tray matters less than what you do next.

Cut the sweet potatoes into batons roughly 8mm thick and 8cm long. Uneven cutting wastes your time; the thin pieces will char while the thick ones stay soft. Aim for consistent thickness so they finish together. Toss them in a bowl with enough olive oil to coat lightly — about 2 tablespoons per medium potato — then season generously with fleur de sel. The salt draws out surface moisture, which evaporates in the oven and allows the roasting surface to caramelize rather than steam. Scatter them on the tray in a single layer; crowding the pan drops the temperature and traps steam. They'll soften first, then colour.

Roast for 20 minutes. At this point, turn them with tongs — don't stir haphazardly, turn each baton so the other cut face meets the hot surface. Return them to the oven for another 15–20 minutes. The timing depends on your oven's actual temperature and how crisp you want the exterior; watch for the edges to turn deep amber and the flesh to yield easily to a fork. The interior should be creamy, the outside crunchy.

While they finish, combine your cinnamon and fresh rosemary leaves — roughly equal parts — with a pinch of fleur de sel in a small bowl. This timing matters: season the hot fries straight from the oven so the salt sticks and the heat releases the cinnamon's volatiles, sharpening its flavour. The pairing of sweet spice with the savoury herb works because both are assertive enough to read clearly against the potato's natural sugars, which concentrate during potato-cooking and caramelize at the surface.

Serve them hot in a bowl or on paper. They'll stay crisp for about ten minutes; after that, residual steam softens them. That's acceptable — it's not a failure, just a different texture.