Lemony Potato Wedges with Sumac

Potato wedges are a staple in our house, which is infested with ravenous teenagers, and I get so bloody fed up with spuds day in and day out that I'm always thinking about new variations. I am a bit of a bore when it comes to the subject of oven-baked potato wedges - I don't think they're worth eating unless they've been parboiled first, for example - but I made these last night, without any prior boiling, and they were good, crunchy and crisp.

This recipe uses sumac - a red, non-fiery spice with a lovely tart, lemony flavour. Okay, sumac is not exactly available at every Pick 'n Pay, but you will find it at specialist delis and spice shops. If you can't find it, use two teaspoons [10ml] of fresh paprika, plus another teaspoon each of fresh lemon juice and finely grated lemon rind.

Lemony Potato Wedges with Sumac

6 big potatoes, washed but not peeled
1/2 cup (125 ml) olive or vegetable oil
the juice and finely grated zest of one lemon
2 t (10 ml) Tabasco sauce
2 small cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
4 t (20 ml) sumac
salt and freshly ground pepper

Preheat the oven to 200°C. Cut the potatoes, lengthways, into six equal wedges. (At this point, you can parboil them, which will give an ultra-crispy and fluffy wedge). Put the wedges into a bowl (or into a large plastic bag), add two teaspoons of the sumac, reserving the remaining two teaspoons, and all the remaining ingredients. Toss and shake well, so that every wedge is well coated with the mixture. Tip into a baking dish or roasting pan and bake for 45 minutes, or until golden brown and puffy. Sprinkle with the remaining sumac and serve immediately.

Serves six as a side dish.

Postscript: after feedback from my friend James, I have adjusted this recipe so the sumac is added in two batches.

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