I’ve been making oven fries for 25 years, and the only thing I don’t like about them is that they stick to the pan, and it takes an overnight soak to clean it.

It’s because I’ve been doing it wrong.

I only learned this a few weeks ago. I was making fries for dinner, and had just slipped the tray into the oven when my daughter asked me to play a game of Bananagrams with her.

I can’t possibly turn down Bananagrams (we usually play two games every evening), and I had the time…

Half an hour and two games of Bananagrams later, I remembered my fries. Whoops! I usually stir them after about 15 minutes to ensure they bake properly and stick less.

I opened the oven to find a tray of perfectly baked fries.

They’ll stick badly, I thought.

Nope. They popped right off the tray—much easier than usual.

Well, you learn something new every day. Since then, I’ve made them several more times, “forgetting” to stir them, and tweaking the technique until I’ve got the best oven fries ever. Here it is…

Cut your potatoes into fries or wedges, however thick you’d like. Toss them generously with olive oil and salt on an oiled baking sheet (I use a jelly roll pan).

Bake on fan-assist at 210°C (400°F) for about 40 minutes, until the fries are nicely browned. Enjoy a glass of wine or a game while they bake—no need to do anything to them!