Yotam Ottolenghi's loaded fries with tahini yoghurt and smokey-sweet nuts

Name: Yotam Ottolenghi's loaded fries recipe with tahini yoghurt and smokey-sweet nuts
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 1kg skin-on Yukon Gold (or King Edward) potatoes, cut lengthwise into rough 1 1/2 cm-thick sticks; 2 tsp rice flour; 3 tsp extra virgin olive oil; 20.00 ml finely chopped fresh coriander or parsley stems (or a mixture of both); 20.00 ml apple cider vinegar; 45ml extra virgin olive oil; 40g pine nuts; 30g blanched almonds, roughly chopped; 1 tsp light brown sugar; 1 tsp nigella seeds (or black sesame seeds); 1 tsp Urfa chilli flakes (dried Turkish chilli pepper, substitute mild chilli flakes); 1 tsp Aleppo chilli flakes; 1/2 tsp hot smoked paprika; 60g Greek-style yogurt; 50g tahini; 20.00 ml fresh lemon juice; 2 garlic cloves, crushed

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by Yotam Ottolenghi

Jul 05, 2022

Is there anything more satisfying than loaded fries? Yotam Ottolenghi adds a global twist to this irresistible dish with a tangy yoghurt sauce and spiced, smoky nuts.

For the potatoes

1kg skin-on Yukon Gold (or King Edward) potatoes, cut lengthwise into rough 1 1/2 cm-thick sticks
2 tsp rice flour
3 tsp extra virgin olive oil

For the pickled herb stems

1 tbs finely chopped fresh coriander or parsley stems (or a mixture of both)
1 tbs apple cider vinegar

For the smokey-sweet nuts

45ml extra virgin olive oil
40g pine nuts
30g blanched almonds, roughly chopped
1 tsp light brown sugar
1 tsp nigella seeds (or black sesame seeds)
1 tsp Urfa chilli flakes (dried Turkish chilli pepper, substitute mild chilli flakes)
1 tsp Aleppo chilli flakes
1/2 tsp hot smoked paprika

For the tahini yoghurt

60g Greek-style yogurt
50g tahini
1 tbs fresh lemon juice
2 garlic cloves, crushed

Method

1.

Preheat oven to 200ºC.
2.

On a large baking tray lined with baking paper, toss the potatoes with the rice flour, oil and 1 tsp salt flakes. Spread them out in an even layer so that they’re not overlapping. Cover the baking tray tightly with foil and bake for 15 minutes, until potatoes steam and soften slightly.
3.

Meanwhile, make the pickled herb stems. Add herb stems to a small bowl with the apple cider vinegar and set aside to gently pickle.
4.

For the nuts, add oil to a small frypan and heat over medium-high. Once hot, add the pine nuts and almonds, and cook, stirring occasionally, until toasted and nicely browned, about 1-3 minutes. Remove from the heat and immediately stir in the sugar, nigella seeds, Urfa chilli flakes, Aleppo chilli flakes, paprika, and 1/4 tsp salt flakes. Transfer to a bowl.
5.

For the tahini yoghurt, add all ingredients to a bowl with 2 tbs water and 1/4 tsp salt flakes and whisk until smooth. Add extra water, if needed, until the mixture is just pourable, since it tends to thicken as it sits.
6.

Remove foil from the potatoes, turn the oven heat up to 220ºC and return the tray to the oven for 15 minutes. Use a spatula to gently flip the fries over, separating them if they stick together at all, and return to the oven to bake for a further 20-25 minutes, until nicely golden and crispy. Set aside to cool for 5 minutes.
7.

To serve, transfer the fries to a large serving platter and drizzle with the tahini yoghurt.
8.

Spoon the nut mixture on top, followed by the pickled stems and their liquid. Serve immediately.