Fries with warm peanut sauce in the air fryer are my homemade version of patatje oorlog, the Dutch street food classic with thick fries, warm peanut sauce, mayonnaise and chopped raw onion. The combination sounds wild the first time you hear about it, but the salty, crispy potato, the rich sauce and the sharp onion go together surprisingly well.
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The potato sticks turn golden and crispy in the basket with just two tablespoons of oil, and you whisk the sauce together in a small saucepan in the meantime. The most important trick is the order: the topping does not go on until just before serving, so the fries do not have time to go soggy.
Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
Table of Contents
Why I love fries with warm peanut sauce in the air fryer
In the Netherlands you get patatje oorlog handed across the counter at the snack bar, and it is exactly the kind of food the air fryer is good at recreating at home. Thick sticks of floury potatoes get a crispy, golden surface and a soft centre, without the kitchen smelling of deep-frying afterwards. I use two tablespoons of rapeseed oil for 800 grams of potatoes, and that is all it takes to make them crispy.
The contrasts are what lift the dish above ordinary fries. The peanut sauce, which the Dutch call pindasaus, is warm and creamy with sweetness from kecap manis and a little kick from sambal oelek and garlic, the mayonnaise cools things down, and the raw onion adds crunch and sharpness. A tablespoon of lime juice at the end pulls the flavours together.
Patatje oorlog and kapsalon are not the same thing
The Netherlands has two well-known dishes with loaded fries, and they are easily mixed up. Kapsalon is the heavy version, where the fries are covered with meat and melted cheese. Patatje oorlog has no meat or cheese at all and consists only of fries, peanut sauce, mayonnaise and raw onion. That makes it quicker to put together, and an obvious choice when you want to serve a vegetarian snack with plenty of flavour.
My kitchen test of fries with warm peanut sauce
I tested the fries in my Cosori Dual Blaze, where heating elements both above and below give even crispness on the top and the underside. At 190 °C for 25 minutes, sticks about 1.5 cm thick turned golden on the outside and soft on the inside when I shook the basket thoroughly after about 8 and 16 minutes. You cannot skip the shaking, because otherwise the sticks end up pale and soft where they lie against each other.
The soak made the biggest difference. The 30 minutes in cold water wash off the surface starch, and when the sticks are patted completely dry afterwards, they turn noticeably crispier. Count on about 70 minutes in total, of which half an hour is pure soaking time. I make the peanut sauce while the fries are in the air fryer. It is warmed over low heat for 3-4 minutes, whisking regularly, until it is smooth and thickened.
Only add the peanut sauce, mayonnaise and onion when everyone is seated and ready. The warm sauce makes even the crispiest fries soggy if they are left to stand.
Tips and tricks from the author: Morten Jensen
The typical mistakes and how to avoid them
The first mistake is moisture. If the potato sticks go into the basket wet, they steam instead of turning crispy, so pat them completely dry with a clean kitchen towel after the soak. The second mistake is an overfilled basket. Fill it no more than halfway, shake it well along the way, and make the fries in two batches if your air fryer is small. If they are still not crispy enough, give them 2-3 extra minutes, because air fryers heat differently. The third mistake is topping too early. Keep the sauce warm on the lowest heat, and only pour it over the fries just before serving. If it gets too thick in the meantime, thin it with a little water.
How to serve fries with warm peanut sauce
This dish is street food and should be eaten straight away, while the fries are crispy and the sauce is warm. Here are my best serving suggestions:
- In small trays or paper cones with a little fork, as in the Dutch snack bars
- With a fresh cucumber salad that cuts through the rich peanut sauce
- With pickled gherkins on the side, which add acidity and crunch
- With extra sambal oelek on the table for those who want more heat
Storage and reheating
Leftovers keep covered in the fridge for up to 1-2 days. Store the fries and the peanut sauce separately, so the potatoes do not soak up the sauce. Reheat the fries in the air fryer at 180 °C for 5-7 minutes, until they are crispy and hot again, and warm the sauce over low heat with a little water. Only add the topping once the fries are hot. The dish is not suitable for freezing, because both texture and colour get worse.
Fries with warm peanut sauce turn a completely ordinary bag of potatoes into street food you will remember. Stick to the soak, the dry sticks and the topping at the very end, and they come out right every time. Enjoy!
FAQ
Patatje oorlog is Dutch and literally translates as war fries. The name is said to come from the topping of peanut sauce, mayonnaise and raw onion looking messy on top of the fries.
Yes. Skip the soak, cook the fries according to the instructions on the bag, and make the peanut sauce in the meantime. The topping is the same, and it still only goes on just before serving.
Yes. Store it covered in the fridge for up to 1-2 days, and warm it over low heat while you whisk. Thin it with a little water until it is smooth again.
Recipe
Fries with warm peanut sauce in the Air Fryer
Cooking Guide
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Airfryer size
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Recommended equipment
- 1 Air fryer
- 1 Vegetable peeler
- 1 Cutting board
- 1 Chefs knife
- 1 Large bowl
- 1 Kitchen towel
- 1 Small saucepan
- 1 Whisk
- 1 Garlic press
Shopping list
Ingredients
Peanut sauce
Topping
- 4 tbsp mayonnaise
- 1 pcs onion (Finely chopped)
How to make it
Preparation
- Peel 800 g potatoes and cut them into chunky sticks, about 1.5 cm thick.
- Put the potato sticks in a large bowl of cold water and let them soak for 30 minutes. This rinses off the surface starch and gives crispier fries.
- Peel 1 pcs onion and chop it finely while the potatoes soak. Set the chopped onion aside.
- Drain the water and pat the potato sticks completely dry with a clean kitchen towel.
- Wipe the bowl dry, put the potato sticks back in it and toss them with 2 tbsp rapeseed oil until they are coated all over.
Cooking in the air fryer
- Preheat the air fryer to 190 °C fan.
- Place the potato sticks in the basket and cook them at 190 °C for 25 minutes, until the fries are golden and crispy.
- Shake the basket well after about 8 and 16 minutes, so the fries get evenly crispy all the way round.
Peanut sauce
- Add 125 g peanut butter, 150 ml water, 2 tbsp kecap manis and 1 tsp sambal oelek to a small saucepan while the fries are in the air fryer. Press 1 clove garlic into it and whisk everything together.
- Warm the sauce over low heat for 3-4 minutes, whisking regularly, until it is smooth and thickened. Thin it with a little extra water if it gets too thick.
- Stir 1 tbsp lime juice into the sauce and keep it warm on the lowest heat until the fries are ready.
Serving
- Sprinkle the finished fries with 0.5 tsp salt and shake the basket one last time.
- Divide the fries into four portions and top them just before serving with 4 tbsp mayonnaise, the warm peanut sauce and the chopped onion. Serve straight away, so the fries do not have time to go soggy.
Our notes for the recipe
Pat the potato sticks completely dry after soaking, because moisture on the surface makes soggy fries. Fill the basket no more than halfway, and shake it well along the way. Air fryers heat differently, so give the fries an extra 2-3 minutes if they are not crispy enough. Topping last:
Add the peanut sauce, mayonnaise and onion just before you serve. That way the fries stay crispy under the warm sauce. Variation:
Use crunchy peanut butter for more bite, or add more sambal oelek if you want more heat. Coconut milk instead of water gives a rounder and creamier sauce. Serving:
Serve the fries as street food with a small fork. A fresh cucumber salad or pickled gherkins go well with the rich peanut sauce. Leftovers:
Store the fries and the peanut sauce separately in the fridge, and only add the topping once the fries have been reheated. Portion size:
If your air fryer is smaller, you can make the dish in two batches.
Your notes for the recipe
Nutrition per serving (Guideline)
Important about shelf life and nutrition
Nutrition per serving (guideline): Calculations are based on data from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Shelf life (guideline): Shelf life data is provided, as far as possible, by public institutions, including national food authorities. Our information is therefore only indicative, and it is your responsibility to obtain and calculate accurate information about shelf life and nutrition for all recipes on airfryerkogebogen.dk
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