That is probably a bit of a big call to make, but I am quite certain I have finally got the recipe and method perfect for making the best home-made wedges. How certain? Well, I’ve had them 3 times within 24 hours – that’s how certain I am about this recipe.
When done properly, they should be slightly crispy on the outside but soft on the inside. They should also be a little spicy and have a bit of a bite to them, which makes it extra nice to serve them up with sweet chilli sauce and sour cream as a dip. It is up to you what potatoes you use – I went for white potatoes that are normally recommended for turning into mashed potato, on the (correct) assumption that they would be softer inside. But I think most kinds of potatoes would work just fine! Now, on with the recipe:
Ingredients:
- Potatoes (obviously). About 4 or 5 medium potatoes per person should be enough for a full meal, or less if it is just a snack at a party. Whatever you do, do not peel them. Leave the skin on. Trust me, in this case it is tastier.
- Lots of olive oil – I use about 1-2 tablespoons per serve.
- Paprika
- Cayenne Pepper
- Black Pepper Mix
- Ground Garlic
- I also use a barbeque spice seasoning that includes salt, paprika, coriander, onion, mustard powder, chilli, basil, pepper, rosemary, thyme, oregano and celery root all ground up. I mean, you could buy them separately of course, and the ingredients here I have already mentioned should be doubled up (as in, still add in extra paprika etc), but a mix similar to this will get the job done.
Method:
- Turn the oven on to 150C (300F) or if you don’t have fan forced 160C (320F). This might not sound very hot, but the trick to making wedges perfect is to cook them slowly at a lower heat. If you cook them at a too high temperature, they burn on the outside while not cooking properly on the inside.
- Take each potato lengthways and cut it into 8 parts by halving it, then halving it again, and then one last time. A bit like this:
- Now, in a mixing bowl, mix the oil and the spices together. Use lots of spices – don’t be afraid here. Throw the uncooked wedges into the bowl. Using your hands, rotate the wedges around the bowl making sure the top wedges move down to the bottom. Do this for a good minute until all the wedges are thoroughly coated in oil and spice.
- Arrange the wedges in a single layer on a baking tray. Make sure there are no wedges sitting on top of one another, so that they all cook properly. If you want, add more spices to them.
- Cook the wedges for 30-40 minutes, turning them over at least once every 10 minutes.
- Serve with sweet chilli sauce and sour cream and enjoy! Just be careful because they are VERY hot when you first take them out (not that it stops me from burning my mouth ever).
Let me know how it goes if you try to make these! I would love to hear from you! And if you have a better (or different) recipe for wedges I would love to hear from you as well!
The Amateur's Digest 