RECIPE: Make South Main Kitchen’s Sweet Potato Fries
We are huge fans of french fries in general and we absolutely love the sweet potato fries at South Main Kitchen. They’re sweet and a little bit spicy and then there’s that cooling dipping sauce that’s served alongside. Will they share the recipe? — LaKeyshia Voss, Roswell
Andy Long, culinary director for the Maven Restaurant Group, which includes South Main Kitchen, Butcher & Brew and Lapeer Steak & Seafood, was quick to send this recipe and a note about its origins. “Sweet potato fries have been on the South Main Kitchen menu since day one. The Buttermilk-Chive Dressing was added a couple of years later and we thought it paired perfectly with the fries. The result is a french fry with sweet heat served alongside a tangy, creamy, bright and herbaceous sauce. Pretty addictive.”
The recipe uses the classic french frying technique of twice frying the potatoes to produce fries that are tender inside and crisp outside.
South Main Kitchen’s Sweet Potato Fries
- 1 pound peeled sweet potatoes, cut into 3/4-inch wide strips
- Vegetable oil, for frying
- 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- Pinch cayenne
- Buttermilk-Chive Dressing, for serving (recipe follows)
- Chopped chives, for garnish
- Immerse the sweet potato strips in a bowl of cool water and stir them for 1 minute. Drain the sweet potatoes and let dry on paper towels. Discard soaking water.
- In a Dutch oven, heat 2 inches of oil over medium heat to 250 degrees. Layer 2 paper towels on a plate.
- Working in batches, use tongs to carefully lower sweet potato strips in the hot oil and cook for 8 to 10 minutes. At 8 minutes, test to see if potatoes are done by removing one strip from the oil and carefully cutting into it with a fork. The potato should be tender but not falling apart. Continue cooking until sweet potatoes are tender, but not brown, then drain on prepared plate. Continue with remaining sweet potato strips. Do not discard oil in Dutch oven. It will be used to fry the sweet potato strips a second time.
- In a medium bowl, combine brown sugar, salt and cayenne. Set aside.
- Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat until oil reaches 350 degrees. Layer 2 paper towels on a plate.
- Using tongs, carefully put the cooked sweet potato strips in the hot oil and cook 2 to 3 minutes until they just start to brown. Remove from oil and drain on prepared plate.
- Toss the sweet potato strips in the sugar mixture, then arrange on serving dish and accompany with Buttermilk-Chive Dressing. Garnish fries and dressing with chopped chives.
Nutritional information
Per serving: Per serving without dressing: 283 calories (percent of calories from fat, 56), 2 grams protein, 30 grams carbohydrates, 11 grams total sugars, 3 grams fiber, 18 grams total fat (3 grams saturated), no cholesterol, 134 milligrams sodium.Buttermilk-Chive Dressing
- 1/2 cup whole fat buttermilk
- 1/2 cup Duke’s mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup chopped chives
- 2 1/2 tablespoons sour cream
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon chopped dill
- 1 small clove garlic, microplaned
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- In a bowl, stir together buttermilk, mayonnaise, chives, sour cream, vinegar, dill and garlic. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cover and refrigerate until needed. The dressing will keep for up to 3 days.
Nutritional information
Per serving: Per tablespoon: 38 calories (percent of calories from fat, 93), trace protein, trace carbohydrates, trace total sugars, trace fiber, 4 grams total fat (1 gram saturated), 3 milligrams cholesterol, 39 milligrams sodium.Note: Salt is defined as 1/16 teaspoon for nutritional calculations.
From the menu of ... South Main Kitchen, 9 S. Main Street, Alpharetta; 678-691-4622, southmainkitchen.com.
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