Wow! Were these ever an unexpected surprise. I’ve gotten veggie burgers at some of the trendy gourmet burger places that seem to be popping up everywhere nowadays. They always make the best fries to go along with those burgers. They aren’t the healthiest things, to be sure, but they sure are good.

At a couple of these places you have the option (for an additional charge) of adding other ingredients to your fries. Some of the additions that I’ve seen include rosemary, Parmesan, and garlic.

So I had this sweet potato and I wanted to make something like that, but frying in oil was really out of the question. And I wondered, “What would these taste like with some rosemary and freshly-grated Parmesan?”

The answer is pretty much: When can I have these again? I really thought these were one of the best combinations I’ve had in a while. Who would have thought sweet potatoes and rosemary were the power couple of 2013? Certainly not me, but I humbly bow to their flavor domination.

The Parmesan added a bit of creaminess. I think vegan Parmesan would probably work well here. I didn’t even go into the whole garlic thing, but now that I think about it…

If you like, add a minced garlic clove or two to the oil and let it sit for a few minutes (similar to what I do with my garlic toast recipe). Then toss that with the sweet potato fries and carry on. I imagine this combination is quite tasty, too.

These won’t crisp up in the oven the way that regular potatoes do. But they can definitely hold their own with rosemary at their side. You can be sure I will be experimenting further with this one. Here’s the recipe.

Baked Sweet Potato Fries with Rosemary and Parmesan
1 lg sweet potato
1 tsp oil
1 tsp rosemary, fresh or dried
1 tsp freshly-grated Parmesan
sea salt, to taste

Preheat the oven to 450°F. Peel the sweet potato and cut into strips. Place them in a bowl of cold water and let them soak for 20 minutes. This removes excess starches and helps them crisp up with the oven-baked method.

Drain the fries and dry them thoroughly. Put them in a medium bowl, add the oil, and toss until coated. Add the rosemary and Parmesan and toss again until coated. Place some parchment paper on a baking sheet and spray it. Arrange the sweet potatoes in a single layer, being careful not to crowd them too much. Sprinkle with sea salt.

Bake 15 minutes and then flip. Bake 5 to 7 minutes more until done. Serve with lots of ketchup, the nectar of the gods.