Season Your Fries With One Classic Spice Mix Instead Of Just Salt

If you're making your own French fries, you're probably all set with your potatoes, frying oil, and coarse salt. And while this combo can make a delicious batch of everybody's favorite carb, you might be feeling adventurous enough to take the flavor up a notch. Enter: Old Bay Seasoning.

Created in Baltimore and now a staple commonly used in seafood dishes, Old Bay is a blend of various dry spices, including celery salt, hot paprika, smoked paprika, ground white pepper, and ground nutmeg. It's a salty mixture that brings an earthy spiciness coupled with slightly sweet undertones to whatever it's sprinkled on. While you can definitely make it at home, most people buy the pre-made version at their local grocery store. 

When it comes to your fries, this beloved seasoning can enhance them by adding a unique and bold flavor; all you have to do is sprinkle on Old Bay during the step where you'd normally add coarse salt. If you really want to get the most bang for your buck, just remember to add Old Bay when your potatoes are still warm. Then, sit back and enjoy your perfectly seasoned fries.

Your first thought may be to use white potatoes for your recipe, but Old Bay seasoning can also be used to elevate sweet potato fries. The natural sugars of these potatoes work well with the herbal spiciness of this seasoning, creating a fry that's packed with complex flavor. While Old Bay fries can be enjoyed just like the ones made with only salt, some meals complement this unique blend better than others. For instance, if you've finally mastered how to eat crawfish like a pro for your next seafood boil, consider adding these fries to the menu. They also pair perfectly with baked jumbo lump crab cakes, a classic po'boy, as a side for lobster rolls, or with a fresh basket of popcorn shrimp.

Additionally, while ketchup and fries go together like peanut butter and jelly, tartar sauce, often served with seafood, makes a delicious condiment for dipping Old Bay fries — just try it out. On the other hand, if you don't love tartar sauce, you can consider other dipping options, like a creamy creole aioli or a Southern favorite, comeback sauce (a sweet and tangy condiment made with mayo, ketchup, chili sauce, and spices like mustard powder). If you're really loving using this seasoning, you can even use a sauce that's made with it, like an Old Bay remoulade that also consists of mayo, pickle juice, creole mustard, and lemon juice.