Move oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 475 degrees F.
Peel the potatoes and cut them lengthwise into even sized wedges. Put the potato wedges into a large mixing bowl and cover the potatoes with hot water (somewhere between 90-100 degrees). Soak the potatoes for 15-30 minutes.
Brush a rimmed baking sheet with 4 tablespoons of peanut oil and sprinkle the sheet evenly with salt and pepper; set aside.
Drain the potatoes, and spread them out onto a clean kitchen towel and pat dry.
In a clean, dry bowl add the potatoes and toss them with the remaining 1 tablespoon of peanut oil.
Place the potato wedges on the prepared baking sheet and arrange them in a single layer. Cover the baking sheet tightly with foil and bake for 5 minutes. Then, remove the foil and bake for another 15-20 minutes, or until the bottoms of the potatoes are spotty golden brown.
Use tongs and flip each potato wedge over. Continue baking until the oven fries are crisp and golden, about 8-15 minutes. Season the fries with salt and pepper to taste and garnish with parsley (optional). Serve.