What's better than french fries? Definitely Lebanese Street Fries! Lining the streets of Beirut, you'll find shop after shop selling street food. Mostly anything and everything that is doughy or pita bread filled with delicious sweet and savory foods.
From manakeesh (za'atar bread), jibon (cheese bread), falafal, shawarma and one of my most memorable, the sandwich batata (potato sandwich). I honestly didn't realize what I was eating the first time I had one of these sandwiches. It was an experience delving in but it stuck and so did the memory.
Younger Days
The last time I was in Lebanon I was only 16, maybe 17 years old. Young, excited to learn about everything and anything. My cousin and I would head to Bikfaya to watch a live futbol game (aka soccer) and run a little snack stand. We hitchhiked down into the city from our little village, Zabbougha. A few car rides down the steep mountainside and we made it to the futbol arena. Lights lit up the sky, people all surrounded the arena. I was young, broken Arabic but I was there to take it all in. The sights, the sounds and the food.
That summer, I experienced so much. I feel like I got a real sense of who I was and immersed myself within my culture. As I look back now, I remember my family of course but also the food and history. One of the most memorable foods of that summer was the sandwich batata (potato sandwich). A layer of french fires, a mayo/ketchup mixture and shredded cabbage all stuffed between pita bread. How magical!
It has been over 20 years since I've been back to Lebanon. Everything I know and learn today is through my parents, research and this distant memories when I was much, much younger. I love sharing dishes like this with my family and telling them the stories that I remember from family that they will hopefully meet one day.
I hope this dish transports you somewhere magical. Whether you decide to use frozen fries, enjoy the potatoes as is off the tray or make them into a sandwich like I remember from my younger days, enjoy every bite.
xoxo,
Cosette
Lebanese Street Fries
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: appetizer
- Method: baking
- Cuisine: Lebanese
Description
Lebanese street fries with slaw.
Ingredients
Fries:
- 2 lbs yukon gold or red potatoes (or frozen)
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp kosher salt (additional for after cooking)
- ½ tsp aleppo pepper
- Black pepper
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
Slaw + Sauce:
- 2 cups shredded cabbage (or prepared slaw mix from grocery store)
- ⅓ cup ketchup
- ⅓ cup mayonnaise
- ½ lemon
Instructions
Fries:
- If using frozen fries, prepare according to directions on package.
- Wash and cut yukon gold/red potatoes into uniform wedges.
- On a large sheet pan, toss mixture of olive oil, garlic powder, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, aleppo pepper and a few grinds of fresh ground black pepper.
- Line potatoes up so they are separated on the sheet pan (you will probably need 2)
- Bake at 475 degrees for 25-35 minutes until golden brown (swap trays halfway through baking and flip fries)
- Once fries come out of the oven, toss fries with the minced garlic and fresh parsley
Slaw + Sauce:
- Mix together the ketchup and mayonnaise
- Gather 2 cups of slaw, squeeze ½ a lemon and add 2 teaspoon of the sauce. Mix
Serve the fries hot and drizzle sauce on top and slaw. Enjoy off the pan or stuff into pita for a sandwich style dish.
Keywords: potatoes, Lebanese, street food, slaw, lebanese street fries, whole30, batata sandwich
[…] accompaniment to any roasted chicken. Add in a quick side salad and some potatoes, like these Lebanese Street Fries and you have the most comforting meal ever. Something that can easily be made on a weeknight with a […]