Fries stand out as one of the most versatile dishes ever. They are the jack of all trades. They can be a side dish. I've eaten them as a dinner. They are a star player in the appetizer league. They get dipped in ice cream, and they pair well with almost any seasoning. After a lifetime of enjoying fries in so many of their shapes and flavors, I was shocked that I never had anything like these sweet potato fries until this year.

If you aren't familiar with any of the ingredients on this list, you might find the flavors to be both surprising and unfamiliar. All that being said, many people find that they LOVE the way these sweet potato fries diverge from both the average fries, as well as seasonings traditionally paired with fries. Let's get started!

This dish starts out like a simple sweet potato fry. Which if you haven't made sweet potato fries before, it is a super easy task. Begin by washing the sweet potatoes to remove any dirt. We prefer to leave our sweet potatoes with the skin on because it's a great source of fiber and nutrients. If you'd rather peel your sweet potatoes though, you are totally welcome to! Not everyone likes the flavor of sweet potato skin.

If you do leave the skin on, be sure to also cut off any bruises or gross-looking parts of the skin. Then, cut the sweet potatoes into even sized square strips about 1/4 inch thick in each direction. Lightly toss them in olive oil and a bit of salt and then spread them out evenly over a sheet pan to toss in the oven.

We like to cook the fries on a Silicone Baking Mat, which makes it so the fries don't stick to the cookie sheet. There's no need to spray the pan with cooking spray if you're using a Silicone Baking Mat. If you don't use one, though, you may want to spray the pan with a little bit of cooking spray just to ensure your fries don't stick.

The trick to getting crispy fries is three-fold. First make sure to spread out the fries after you've gotten them oiled up. Make sure they aren't touching each other and your sheet-pan isn't overcrowded. Secondly, about halfway through the cook time, flip them over. Lastly, make sure the oven is up to temperature when putting them in. This will ensure a more accurate cook time and a crispier fry.

The real star of this dish is the vinaigrette. It's hard to explain how good it really is. When I heard about putting a vinaigrette on my fries I was hesitant, but its such a refreshing and well-balanced topping that we've never had left-overs of this dish.

Making the vinaigrette is super easy. The only prep is simply cutting up the shallots and some fresh parsley. Then put the shallots, parsley, oil, a bit of salt, red wine vinegar, and some water in a bowl and mix it up.

NOTE: For those who don't consume alcohol (like myself) and haven't used red wine vinegar previously, you can actually buy red wine vinegar with an alcohol content that is as low as a ripe banana. That being said, alcohol content of this ingredient can vary, and I'm not a nutritionist, so do with that information what you will.

Once the fries are finished, pull them out of the oven and cover them in the vinaigrette. Toss them for even distribution and then enjoy. This has quickly become a house favorite that I look forward to for days when I know we are making it.

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