$15 Fakeaway Friday: Crispy loaded wedges from Dished by Kate

In 2023 it seems almost impossible to save money, buy good food and treat yourself all at the same time. Enter Fakeaway Fridays, the Herald’s new series where we create fake takeaway (fakeaway) meals that not only are delicious and nutritious but also come in under $15 and serve 2-4 people.

So instead of dropping $50 for a takeaway meal this Friday night, why not try a Fakeaway! It’s easier than you may think with our simple tips and tricks and partially made products already hiding on your supermarket shelves.

These loaded potato wedges from Kate Alexandra of Dished by Kate are the ultimate dish for a fakeaway night in. Super crispy wedges are topped with a spicy, cheesy sauce, crispy bacon and lots of fresh Asian-style toppings for a flavour-packed bite every time.

Gochujang paste is a spicy, fermented chilli paste from Korea and you’ll find it in the international aisle at the supermarket. If you can’t find it, use another hot sauce like sriracha, or harissa paste or add 2 teaspoons of chilli flakes to the cheesy sauce.

These crispy wedges from Dished by Kate are loaded with goodness and perfect for a Friday dinner in. Photo / Kate Alexandra

Ingredients

For the wedges

1kg potatoes (Agria or another roasting potato) $3.99

1 ½ tablespoons salt

1/4 cup light olive oil/sunflower oil

1 tablespoon polenta (or use flour) 7c

For the spicy cheesy sauce

1 cup whole milk 48c

2 tablespoons unsalted butter 28c

2 tablespoons flour 20c

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups cheese 1.65

2 tablespoons gochujang paste 56c

For the toppings

4 pieces bacon 80c

3 spring onions 99c

1/2 cup coriander leaves (or use flat-leaf parsley) 87c

1 tablespoon sesame seeds 15c

Total: $10.04

Method

For the wedges

Get your oven heating to 250C fan and pop the ¼ cup of oil into a large oven tray or dish and place it in the oven to heat up. Chop the potatoes into chunky wedges – I like to chop them in half, then chop each half into about 3 rough wedges. Transfer them into a large pot and cover them with cold water. Add 1 tablespoon of salt into the water then place over high heat. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer the wedges for 5 minutes, until they can be pierced with a fork.

Drain the water from the wedges using a colander, then transfer them back into the now-dry pan. Scatter over 1 tablespoon of polenta and give the pot a good shake so that the wedges are coated. Carefully remove the tray from the oven and pour the wedges onto the tray. The hot oil will splatter so be careful! Pop into the oven for 30–35 minutes, until they’re looking golden and crispy all over.

For the toppings

Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a large saucepan over medium heat, then add 2 tablespoons of flour, whisking to combine into a paste (roux) and keep whisking to cook out the raw flour for a couple of minutes. Turn the heat to low and slowly pour in the milk, whisking as you go. Keep stirring as it thickens up and starts bubbling. It should end up like a very thick gravy. Add the gochujang paste, salt and cheese, stirring as it melts into the sauce. Remove from the heat and let cool.

Chop 2 of your spring onions finely, then slice the other 1 thinly lengthways and pop into a glass of water (this will make them curl up!) Cook your chopped bacon in a frying pan with a little oil, until it’s super crispy, about 5 minutes. You can also pop them into the oven on a lined tray underneath your wedges for 5 minutes.

Pile the wedges onto a serving platter, then drizzle over the spicy cheesy sauce. Finish with the crispy bacon, chopped spring onions, coriander and sesame seeds. Arrange the curly spring onions all over, and serve any remaining sauce on the side.

Serves 4