Sweet Potato Fries with Spicy & Sweet Sour Cream

I'm a total sucker for French fries. I'm not one of those people that can order the fresh fruit as a side with my sandwich. If they ask if I want fries or tots, it's over. They win. Duck fat fries at The Bristol might be the most amazing fries on Earth, btw.  But I also know that if I let this happen too often it would be a very fat bad idea. So here are some fantastic words to go by. “Eat all the junk food you want as long as you cook it yourself.” - Michael Pollan

When you prepare your own junk food at home, you appreciate why it is so delightfully sinful. It's a lot of work. So last week on National French Fry day (only in America) I decided to fry up my own (in a very un-American way....I made them).

Sweet Potato Curry Fries with Spicy & Sweet Sour Cream

For the fries:

1 large sweet potato (washed and julienned)

 2 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp curry powder

1/2 tbsp coriander

1/2 tbsp ground cayenne pepper

1/2 tbsp ground cumin

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

3/4 cup vegetable or peanut oil

For the dipping sauce:

3 tbsp sour cream

1 tbsp hot chili paste (or sriracha) 

1 tbsp honey

Fill up a large bowl with ice cold water and add the julienned potatoes to the water. While the potatoes are soaking, heat your oil over medium high heat (325 degrees).

In a small bowl, mix together olive oil, curry, cumin, coriander, cayenne and black pepper. Remove the potatoes from the cold water bath and pat dry with a clean kitchen towel. Toss the potatoes in the curry olive oil mixture until the potatoes are coated. Fry the potatoes, in batches, for 3 to 4 minutes to cook the inside. This won't cook them all the way through yet.

After all potatoes have cooked in the oil for 3-4 minutes and have been removed, turn up the heat just a little bit (not all the way to high). Add the potatoes and fry again, in batches, this time to cook the outside until golden brown. Remove the potatoes from the oil to a paper towel lined plate and immediately sprinkle with salt. 

 Whip together the sour cream, chili paste and honey and serve alongside the sweet potatoes!