Sweet Potato Fries

I've tried making sweet potato fries many different ways, including baked, fried with cornstarch, and simply fried plain. I found that the easiest way to achieve a crunchy exterior and soft sweet interior was to do it the way restaurants do: blanching the fries first, and then frying them over high heat until they are nice and crispy. Granted, this is not the healthiest recipe, but it makes fries the way they were meant to be made (will post an oven-baked recipe later). The same method can be used using regular potatoes to make french fries, so this is a pretty versatile and simple recipe. (The set pictured above was made with help from my sous chef Brian.)

Ingredients:
     2 sweet potatoes/yams
     Vegetable oil for frying
     1/2 tsp salt
     1/4 tsp coarse ground black pepper
     1/2 tsp garlic powder
     1/4 tsp paprika

Peel and slice the sweet potatoes into even matchsticks: the thinner they are, the crunchier they will be. Submerge the matchsticks in a bowl of cool water, and put the oil to heat over medium fire. Test the oil with a wooden spoon: if the oil starts to bubble around the spoon when you place the tip on the bottom of the pan, it is ready. Shake off as much water as possible from the sweet potato sticks and place them in the water. Keep the heat on medium/low and allow the fries to blanch for 2-3 minutes (they begin  to soften and turn limp). Dip them out onto a paper towel-lined plate. Allow them to cool for 4-5 minutes, and then put the oil on high. When the oil is very hot, drop the blanched fries in and fry until golden brown and crispy (1-2 minutes). Mix together the seasonings and sprinkle it on the fries as soon as they are taken out of the oil and placed on a paper towel-lined plate.