6or 7 Idaho Russet potatoes, peeled and sliced into 1/3-inch-thick French fry-style strips, soaked in cold water
4tablespoons(1/4 cuextra-virgin olive oil
1tablespoondried Italian herbs or some combo of dried oregano, thyme, marjoram, and basil
2cupsfreshly grated Romano cheese
1/4cupparsley leaves, finely chopped
2tablespoons(1/4 sticsalted butter, cut into cubes
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
Preheat the oven to 400* degrees.
Instructions
Drain the potatoes and pat dry with paper towels. Spread 1 tablespoon of the olive oil on each of 2 rimmed baking sheets and spread out the potatoes. Overlapping is fine.
Sprinkle the dried herbs evenly over the potatoes. Liberally spread the cheese and parsley on top. Drizzle the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil over the cheese. Scatter the cubed butter around the pans.
Bake until the potatoes are golden brown, rotating the pans after 30 minutes, for 45 to 50 minutes total. Use a spatula to lift off the potatoes with all the crusty cheese adhered to them. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot.
Potato Prep: For a French-fry cut, peel the potatoes and slice lengthwise into 1/3-inch-thick slices. Stack the slices on top of one another, a few at a time, and slice lengthwise into 1/3-inch-thick strips. Peeled and sliced potatoes can turn brown pretty quickly. To avoid this, try floating the peeled, cut pieces in cold, salted water. When you’re ready to cook, drain them and pat dry.
Notes
-Soaking the potatoes in water is not necessary if you are in a hurry. I have made this recipe several times and skipped this step.
-You may also skip the peeling step. Just scrub the potatoes clean before slicing.
-* I turn the oven to 425 convection and bake them for about 20 minutes total.