Potato Wedges

Doneness

Wedges are done when the cut faces are deep golden-brown and crisp and the skin edge has blistered slightly, while the inside is soft and fluffy when you bite or pierce one. A wedge that's still pale and bends without snapping needs more time; a wedge that's dark and leathery has been crowded or under-oiled. Cooked through, the potato gives no resistance at the centre. The loaded variant is finished once the cheese has melted and the bacon is warmed through — add those toppings only in the last few minutes (see warnings) so they don't scorch.

Oil & seasoning

Toss the dried wedges with about 1 tablespoon of oil (olive, avocado or neutral) and the seasoning in a bowl before they go in — enough to coat every face lightly. Bare wedges cook up pale and leathery; a good coat is what crisps the cut surfaces to golden. Don't drown them, though — pooled oil makes the bottoms greasy rather than crisp. A quick extra mist at the flip helps even browning.

Season with: Classic seasoned benchmark (the version most people search for): salt, black pepper, garlic powder, paprika and a little onion powder tossed with the oil before cooking. Crisp, savoury, the all-purpose steak-house wedge. Serve with ketchup, ranch or a garlic-aioli dip., Garlic-parmesan variant: cook as the benchmark, then toss the hot wedges with grated parmesan, finely chopped fresh parsley and a clove of minced (or 1 tsp granulated) garlic the moment they come out so the cheese clings. Finish with a little flaky salt., Cajun variant: swap the seasoning for a Cajun blend — paprika, cayenne, garlic and onion powder, oregano, thyme and black pepper — for a spicy, smoky wedge. Pair with a cool ranch or remoulade to balance the heat., Loaded cheese-and-bacon variant: cook the benchmark wedges, then in the last 2-3 minutes scatter over shredded cheddar and pre-cooked crumbled bacon to just melt the cheese (or add both after pulling and let the residual heat melt it). Top with sour cream and sliced green onion off the heat — the diner-style loaded wedge..

Watch out for

• !Soak the cut wedges and dry them thoroughly before oiling — this is what separates crisp wedges from soggy ones. Freshly cut potato is coated in surface starch and water; skip the soak-and-dry and the wedges steam instead of crisping, stick to each other and the basket, and stay pale. Soak the cut wedges in cold water for 20-30 minutes to draw out the starch, then pat them completely dry on a towel before tossing with oil.
• !Cut even-sized wedges. A medium russet gives 8 even wedges (halve lengthwise, then quarter each half). Uneven wedges cook unevenly — the thin ones scorch while the thick ones stay raw in the middle. Aim for a consistent thickness so one cook time finishes them all together.
• !Single-layer, cut-side-down, and don't crowd the basket. Wedges are thick, and stacked or overlapping wedges steam each other pale and soft where they touch. Lay them in one layer with the cut faces against the grate for the first half so they build a crust, then flip at 9 minutes. Cook a second batch rather than piling them in.
• !Toss with enough oil — but not too much. Under-oiled wedges turn out dry and leathery; about 1 tablespoon for two potatoes coats every face. Drowning them in oil does the opposite, making the bottoms greasy instead of crisp. Coat lightly and evenly.
• !Add the loaded toppings near the end, not at the start. Shredded cheese scattered on at minute zero burns and the bacon over-crisps to bitter before the potatoes are done. Add cheese and pre-cooked bacon only in the last 2-3 minutes to melt, and add cold toppings (sour cream, green onion) after pulling.