Red-Potato Oven Chips with Roasted-Garlic Butter

Typical French fries won’t make the foods-that-are-good-for-you list, but “oven fries” will. Thin slices of nutritious potatoes drizzled with healthful olive oil and seasoned with a little salt and pepper—what could be bad? True, the roasted garlic butter I included in this recipe won’t make the list either, but there’s not much butter and we all know how wholesome garlic is.

If you’re still not sold on the light, healthful nutritiousness of this dish, forget all that and enjoy the flavor.

Serves 2

Ingredients

• 1 medium garlic bulb
• olive oil for drizzling
• sea salt
• 4 medium red potatoes, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
• freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter

Medium Red Potatoes

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 350° F.
2. Remove any loose papery skin from the garlic bulb and cut about 1/4 inch off the pointed end to expose the cloves. Place the bulb cut-side up on a square of aluminum foil (large enough to form a packet) and drizzle with oil. Season with salt and fold the foil up over the bulb to create a sealed packet.

Cut Garlic Bulb

1. Roast the garlic until very soft, about 1 hour. Remove from the oven and let cool completely.

Roasted Garlic

1. Increase the oven temperature to 425° F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Place the potato slices in a bowl and drizzle with oil. Season with salt and pepper and toss well to coat.

Potatoes with Oil, Salt, and Pepper

1. Spread the potato slices on the baking pan and bake 12 minutes. Turn the potatoes over and bake an additional 10-12 minutes, until slightly crispy and golden on the outside and tender inside.

Potatoes Ready to Bake

Potatoes after Turning

1. Meanwhile, squeeze the roasted garlic pulp from the bulb into a small saucepan or skillet. 
2. Add the butter to the pan and melt with the garlic over medium-low heat, stirring several times. Just before serving, strain the mixture through a sieve over a small bowl to separate the pulp from the butter.

Garlic Pulp 

Roasted Garlic with Butter

To serve, divide the potatoes between 2 plates and drizzle with roasted-garlic butter. Sprinkle with more salt, if desired, and serve right away.