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Crispy Oven Fries with Seaweed: A New England Recipe

October 8, 2021 by rogalsgirl Leave a Comment

Crispy oven fries with seaweed sprinkles and kombu

It’s officially fall but it’s been fairly warm and I’m rather impatient in waiting for the cold weather to arrive. Not necessarily cold like classic New England cold, but chilly. Perhaps it’s because being nine months pregnant makes 70 degree weather feel more like 90 degree weather. It could also be that I’m just craving those brisk Maine mornings that always make me want to drink spiced tea, eat all the comforting foods (ahem, these crispy oven fries) and frivolously buy school supplies. I’m eager to slip into my Hunter boots, wool tights and flannel button-ups, and longing for gray, drizzly mornings where the fiery leaves from our chestnut tree stick to my car windows. I’m anxious to finally hold this wiggly little babe in my arms. Roman and Amelia are both spring babes, and Fiona turned three in mid-August. This will be our first fall baby!

Most of my time has been spent in the kitchen (always), or trying to get comfortable in bed. Every few days I do get hit with a severe burst of energy -lovingly referred to as “nesting” in pregnancy- and I spend a good 6-8 hours organizing and reorganizing a cluttered space in our house. It’s coming along nicely, slowly, surely. In time for baby? Only time will tell. The kids are waist deep in Greek Mythology, basics of bread baking, and lots of daily math exercises at home. We’re picking up French again next week. While Fiona spends a lot of her time doing puzzles, art projects, and following Amelia and Roman around, she loves the crisp, orange leaves falling off the trees and likes to watch the squirrels running around hoarding chestnuts and acorns. The boats are slowly starting to clear out of the harbor, leaving a vast, open view. The markets finally are aplenty with squash, dahlias and massive bouquets of kale, and I’m also working on my own perfect pie crust. Fall in Maine has finally arrived.

I could probably wax poetic about fall in New England all season long, but I’d also like to talk about potatoes. These Maine crispy oven fries, actually. Maine is actually quite known for russet potatoes and supplies much of the east coast. Oven fries are absolutely delicious when done right. Sometimes getting them truly crispy can be challenge and I’ve gone through several batches before coming up with this recipe. Well worth it, though! I love to make these for the kids every now and then as a late afternoon snack or a side to go with dinner. Roman and Amelia love them with mayo- Fiona is (of course) team ketchup. To be honest, they’re really good as-is, too. New England food, in my opinion, is at its peak in the fall, and oven roasted french fries are a nice bit of comfort to munch on on a breezy fall afternoon.

These crispy oven fries are actually made with one of my new favorite go-to ingredients in the kitchen- seaweed! Having grown up on the ocean, I’m really passionate -and try to stay as informed as I can- about the health of our oceans. Seaweed plays a big role in keeping filtering harmful toxins out of the ocean. Additionally, seaweed offers a delicious salty/umami flavor to various dishes when used right! It’s also really healthy, so a lot of wins here. For these crispy oven fries I’ve used a seaweed sprinkle from a Maine company called Ocean’s Balance. Ocean’s Balance has a wonderful variety of seaweed products- from tomato sauce to various dried seaweeds. I love the sprinkle because it’s delicious and incredibly easy. For this recipe, Ocean’s Balance seaweed sprinkle gives the fries a more in-depth, umami like flavor-especially if you dip them in ketchup or an Alabama white sauce type of thing. I also garnished these fries with thin strips of kombu.

Crispy oven fries with seaweed

Crispy Oven Fries- New England Style

1) First cut the potatoes into long, french fry style strips. This is easier if you have a mandolin, but you can use a knife, too. Be sure to make them roughly the same size and thickness so that they cook evenly.

2) Put the fries into a large pot and fill with water-just enough to cover the fries. Set the pot onto the stove on high heat for ten minutes. The water should not boil before the ten minutes is up (if it does, set it to low heat).

3) While the fries are parboiling, set your dried kombu (or dulse) into a bowl of water to begin rehydrating it.

3) Strain the potatoes and give them a few minutes to cool off. Spread them onto a towel to dry them as best you can.

4) Preheat the oven to 400˚F.

5) Once the fries are semi/mostly dry, toss them into a large bowl with olive oil and salt so they are all evenly coated.

6) Lay the fries out on a baking sheet. Don’t pile any on top of each other or have them set too close to each other. If they are too close together, they will steam instead of roast and then you will have soggy fries! It may be helpful two divide them between two pans depending on how many you have.

7) Set the fries into the oven and set a timer for 15 minutes.

8) While the fries are cooking, your kombu should be rehydrated enough to cut into strips. Remove it from the water, gently towel it off, and cut into thin, string-like strips for garnishing the fries with. Since this is just a garnish, you can cut as much or as little as you prefer!

7) After 15 minutes take the fries out to flip them with a spatula, so they cook evenly on all sides and set them back in the oven for 5 minutes. After another 5 minutes, repeat this process, flipping with a spatula and then setting them back in the oven for a final 3-5 minutes.They are ready when they are golden brown, after about 22-25 minutes. (Keep in mind that if you have cut your fries very skinny, such as shoe-string style they may cook a little faster than this!)

8) Remove from the oven, sprinkle with a little more salt, and Ocean’s Balance shiitake seaweed sprinkle or spicy seaweed sprinkle. Garnish with a few thing strands of rehydrated kombu or dulse, and serve with ketchup, mayo or your favorite condiment!

More About Me. . .

Hi! I’m Amber Rogals and I work as a food photographer, stylist and recipe developer throughout the New England area, capturing various food stories, products and recipes. I also write regularly on my food blog, Downeats. I love to inspire others to cook and enjoy delicious, nourishing meals with their loved ones. I grew up and still live in Maine with my (gorgeous, wonderful, hardworking) high school sweetheart and our (hilarious, talented and beautiful) children. I believe in living slow and enjoying life and I love to capture shared moments. You can read more about me here. If you are looking for a food photographer or recipe developer please contact me here.

Filed Under: Cooking with Kids, Food, Sides

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Downeats is a journal that shares food stories and recipes, and photography. It is devoted to home cooking, gathering with loved ones, living slow and imperfectly. The name Downeats is a foodie play on the Downeast region of the coast of Maine- so everything is New England inspired.

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amberrogals

Are you team pasta salad or team potato salad??
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I grew up on my Opa’s German potato salad, which was incredibly delicious every single summer and has certainly made me team potato salad. Since my mid 20s I’ve played around with a lot of different versions of potato salad (there are sooo many) but the past few years have found myself pretty loyal to this veggie one. The kids love it, too, so… bonus. 
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Now that warm weather is finally here, this is a great recipe to keep in your back pocket. The fresh herbs are really key, don’t be afraid to go heavy on them! Here’s the recipe:
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3 Lbs Red Potatoes, chopped into one inch cubes
4-5 Pickle spears, diced
2-3 Stalks Celery, diced
1/4 Cup Red Onion, diced
2-3 Carrots, grated and then chopped
1/4 Cup Mayonnaise
1 Large Handful Fresh Dill
1 Large Handful Fresh Parsley
Salt + Pepper
INSTRUCTIONS
 
Blanch the potatoes by boiling them about 7-10 minutes (until just tender, but don't overcook them so they fall apart) and immediately rinse with cold water or plunge into a pot of cold water after straining. Set them back in the strainer to dry for 10-15 minutes.
Meanwhile, prepare the additional vegetables as listed above. Most of these vegetables are diced. For the carrots, grate them with a cheese grater or food processor, and then roughly chop into smaller pieces.
Chop the fresh dill and parsley, and set aside.
Once the potatoes have cooled to at least room temperature, combine all of vegetables and herbs in a large mixing bowl. Add the mayonnaise and mix well to coat everything lightly with mayo.
Add salt and pepper to taste (I start with approximately 2-3 tsp salt, and several good shakes of pepper)
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Enjoy! It’s soooo good.

#potatosalad #potatosaladrecipe #potatoes #recipes #recipeshare #f52grams #f52community #delicious #eatyourveggies #summervibes #summerfood #summerrecipes #saladideas #slowliving #slowlivingforlife #foodphotography #foodstyling #maine #newengland #thewaylifeshouldbe #eatmaine #momlife #momchef
Years ago there was a blog I read regularly that w Years ago there was a blog I read regularly that would post a cake recipe on Sunday called Sunday’s Cake. I always loved it because I love weekend baking with the kids. Plus you have a yummy cake to enjoy throughout the week (though let's be real, with now 6 of us the cake lasts more like one day, ha)
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On June 1st, I'm finally getting my weekly newsletter off the ground and out into the world: The Slow Living Supper Club. I’ll be sharing seasonally inspired family recipes, thoughts on motherhood, slow living lifestyle tips, and of course, a cake recipe every weekend. A few recipes to come:
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-Maine Blueberry shortcake
-Raspberry Spoon Cake
-Glazed Chocolate Zucchini Cake
-Black Cherry Clafoutis
-Summer Fruit Cake
-Spiced Banana Cake (pictured)
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And lots more! Interested in joining the Slow Living Supper Club? The link to join is in my bio!

#foodie #maine #downeast #eatmaine #newengland #cake #slowliving #supperclub #newsletter #communityfirst #midcoastmaine #thewaylifeshouldbe #foodblogger #foodporn #foodphotography #foodstyling #foodstagram #instafood #f52community #eatcaptureshare #yum #bananacake
Happy Mother's Day! A not-so-quick message for all Happy Mother's Day! A not-so-quick message for all the moms:
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You are amazing. You are needed. You are appreciated. You are loved. I see you out there killing it- even on the days it feels like you're not. Motherhood is difficult! I'll be the first to admit the mistakes I've made on this journey. Silly mistakes, bad mistakes, embarrassing mistakes, funny mistakes... and some painful mistakes. But motherhood IS a journey, and there is no way to venture through it and get everything right on your first try (or second, or third...!)
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If you're a mom you probably know how easy it is to slip into feelings of inadequacy, overwhelm, and exhaustion- mental or otherwise. It can linger for days, weeks, or longer. While these feelings don't creep up on me as often as they used to, one thing I started telling myself years ago is that the perfect mother doesn't exist. We are human; we all have flaws. We have unpleasant normalities. We get tired, we get hungry, moody, annoyed, self-conscious.... We don't always say the right things.
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What would it take for you to give yourself a little more grace? What would it take to focus on how far you've come, instead of the times you didn't have it all together? We HAVE to give ourselves (and each other) grace as mothers, because it's the only way to truly move forward. I am not a perfect mother and I will NEVER claim to be (so far from it, ahaha). But I am a great mother for my children, and I'm certain that you are a great one for yours. ❤️
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Happy Mothers Day 🌹
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#mothersday #happymothersday #momlife #momblogger #wahm #momboss #momgoals #parenthood
Drop a 💛 if you’re ready for spring already! Drop a 💛 if you’re ready for spring already! 
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A bit of raw honesty- these past few winters have been really hard on me. They’re dark, frigid, dormant and the isolation makes me depressed. Mostly this comes out in the form of extreme fatigue, creative blocks, and self sabotage.
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Mental health is something that I’m still learning to prioritize- it’s a practice. As a mom I have found it especially hard to prioritize, but on the flip side, all the more important. Right now, my mental health practice looks like this:
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-Exercise 5x per week. I mix it up with long walks and yoga.
-Meditation. Not daily, but a few times per week.
-Water!! I drink water daily, and rotate through essences by @freedomfloweressence which I’m basically obsessed with. Call it woo woo if you want, but it has worked wonders for me. I’m taking their Confidence one currently!
-Talking with a therapist once a month (highly recommend @elizabeth.ritual if you’re looking!)
-Daily journal. This is the biggest and most impactful for my healing and wellness journey. Writing has always been my internal process, and it has done wonders for my mental health.
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I know how easy it is to not prioritize mental health or even not take it seriously, but in my experience it truly can take a toll on physical health, relationships, life goals, etc. Do you prioritize mental health? Share one of your non-negotiables 👇👇
I started my business, Downeats, a year ago after I started my business, Downeats, a year ago after spending 2021 building my skills as a food photographer. Downeats is a play on the word “Downeast”- a way to pay homage to Maine which has shaped the majority of my experience with food. I wanted to work with amazing food brands doing food and lifestyle photography and styling, and build an online blog/community that provided people with simple, beautiful and seasonally inspired recipes.
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In January 2022, when I started Downeats, I wrote down local businesses that I would be absolutely thrilled to work with. Back then I was way to intimidated to reach out and “pitch” to them, but they were on my list and I eyed them from afar…. Mostly just dreaming. A few of them were:
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@MainePieCo
@ChoomiNaturals
@EdibleMaine
@MaineCrisp
@GneissSpice
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Now, a year later, I have worked with all of them on the list- and it’s been truly amazing. Some days it feels surreal to be working with such wonderful people who have also built their brands from the ground up. It’s surreal to have people value my work, my opinion, and my perspective. Pictured here is my second published piece for @EdibleMaine
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If you are visualizing something for yourself please know that it CAN happen if you make it happen. Sometimes the things we dream of feel so close yet so far. We wonder how can we get from here to there? So much of what holds us back from the life we envision is fear- but what does it look like to face those fears? Scary, uncomfortable, awkward? YES. It is. I’ve done it. But what about after that? After the discomfort fades away? You might be left with opportunity, potential, and a newly forged path forward.
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#dreambig #maine #foodphotography #toast #lox #foodie #maineeats #eatmaine #seafood #newengland #ediblemagazine #foodstyling #foodphotographer #gutsoverfear #nofear #liveyourdreams
Fresh spring rolls are quickly becoming my happy p Fresh spring rolls are quickly becoming my happy place ✨😍 

#springroll #springrolls #freshspringrolls #eatyourveggies #eattherainbow #veggielover #healthyrecipes #cleaneating #slowliving #foodie #f52grams #f52community #delicious #eatcaptureshare #foodstagram #fresh
This weekend I hope you can: ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ This weekend I hope you can:
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-Embrace rest
-Practice yoga
-Catch up on some reading
-Bake a cake
-Call a loved one
-Get outside

I will be attempting all of the above.
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Happy weekend 💕
Favorite breakfast, basically. #breakfastideas #m Favorite breakfast, basically.

#breakfastideas #morning #breakfast #foodphotography #foodstyling #ricebowl #foodie #f52community #f52grams #delicious #nomnom #slowliving #foodstylist

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