PUNCHY POTATO WEDGES

I had a friend over for dinner the other night. Normally I make dinner when people visit but I have a habit of making thing far too complicated and stressing myself out. This time however I went with southern fried chicken and wedges. Not the hardest thing to make but that doesn't mean they have to be boring. Here is my little recipe for turning the humble wedge into crispy, punchy chunks of potatoy perfection, great for prepping before hand and whacking in the oven when needed so you can spend time with your guests rather than chained to the kitchen.

Punchy Potato Wedges

A Good Glug Of Chili Oil
1 Tbsp Liquid Smoke (Optional)  

2 Tsp Cumin Seeds

1 Tsp Coriander Seeds

  1 Tsp Smoked Paprika

 1 Tsp Turmeric

1/2 Tsp Dried Oregano

1 Tsp Chili Flakes

Salt And Pepper To Season

2 Egg Whites
4 Large Baking Potatoes (Cut Into 6 Wedges Each)

1. Get your oven on to 200 degrees (180 fan) and line a large deep baking tray with foil. Glug in the chili oil so that it covers the base of the tray with a thin layer. If your using it, add in the liquid smoke as well, give it a good mix and leave to rest
2.  Use a pestle and mortar to grind the cumin, coriander, paprika, turmeric, oregano and chili flakes with a smidge of oil into a paste and season with salt and pepper. Add this in the roasting tray give the paste a good mix through the oil.
3. Place the egg whites on a plate and dip each of the wedges into them before transferring to the roasting tin. Once all in the tin and give them a good mix through the spicy oil till all the wedges are coated. Don't use your hands, the turmeric will stain them yellow and it's a nightmare to clean.
4. Place in the oven and bake for around 40-60 minutes depending on the size of you wedges. Every 20 minutes, remove the tray and give the wedges a good toss to make sure they cook evenly and are nice and crispy.

Remove your wedges from the oven and transfer to a bowl with greaseproof paper. Serve with some dips such as my Boozy BBQ for the adults or some Garlic Mayo for a nice cooling contrast to the kick of the wedges. You should have crispy skinned potato's with a beautifully soft and fluffy inside. The spicy coating with give you a nice warm feeling inside that you'll be diving in for more and more until they have all gone!

For a simple dinner party treat with a punch, you can't go wrong with these bad boys.