Name: Air-Fryer Parmesan, Rosemary, and Black Pepper French Fries
Total time: 1 h
Ingredients: 1½ pounds russet potatoes , unpeeled; 2 tablespoons vegetable oil; 1½ ounces Parmesan cheese , grated (¾ cup); 4 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary; Salt and pepper

Why This Recipe Works

We tossed the hot fries with grated cheese and minced herbs, but only some adhered; the rest fell to the bottom of the bowl. Switching gears, we added the cheese partway through cooking. Now the cheese clung and even crisped into a coating, but it lost some of its Parmesan flavor. The Goldilocks moment came when we cooked some cheese onto the fries for a crust, then tossed more with the cooked fries for flavor. (Adding the rosemary both during and after cooking also best highlighted the herb's aroma.) To gild the lily, we added a background of black pepper and sprinkled a third handful of cheese onto the finished fry pile, which melted into a lacy coating. Frequently tossing the fries ensured the most even cooking and the best browning. We found tossing the fries in a bowl, rather than in the air-fryer basket, yielded the best results and the fewest broken fries.

Before You Begin

Do not clean out the tossing bowl while you are cooking; the residual oil helps the crisping process.

Instructions

Cut potatoes lengthwise into ½-inch-thick planks. Stack 3 or 4 planks and cut into ½-inch-thick sticks; repeat with remaining planks.

Submerge potatoes in large bowl of water and rinse to remove excess starch. Drain potatoes and repeat process as needed until water remains clear. Cover potatoes with hot tap water and let sit for 10 minutes. Drain potatoes, transfer to paper towel–lined rimmed baking sheet, and thoroughly pat dry.

Toss potatoes with 1 tablespoon oil in clean, dry bowl, then transfer to air-fryer basket. Place basket in air fryer, set temperature to 350 degrees, and cook for 8 minutes. Transfer potatoes to now-empty bowl and gently toss to redistribute. Return potatoes to air fryer and cook until softened and potatoes have turned from white to blond (potatoes may be spotty brown at tips), 5 to 10 minutes.

Transfer potatoes to now-empty bowl and toss with ¼ cup Parmesan, 1 tablespoon rosemary, remaining 1 tablespoon oil, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Return potatoes to air fryer, increase temperature to 400 degrees, and cook until golden brown and crisp, 15 to 20 minutes, tossing gently in bowl to redistribute every 5 minutes.

Transfer fries to bowl and toss with ¼ cup Parmesan and remaining 1 teaspoon rosemary. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to larger plate and sprinkle with remaining ¼ cup Parmesan. Serve immediately.