House Made Potato Chips
House Made Potato Chips
Just like at your favorite restaurant. Here's how to do it!
This is a great reason to buy a mandoline slicer. Mine is made by OXO and it's made of stainless steel. You can use a less expensive one made from plastic and this will still work. It's not very easy to evenly slice potatoes this thin by hand so I highly recommend using a mandoline slicer for this. The thinly sliced potatoes will cook up beautifully browned when they are the same size and not so well if they aren't.
Look at how gorgeous these slices of large red potato are! A mandoline makes all the difference. By the way, use whatever potato you like best. Or use any other root vegetable you like because this method works for them all. Make sure you fry each variety separately though if you try more than one type of vegetable at a time. They will have different rates of cooking and won't become crisp at the same time.
I slice up all of the potatoes just before they go into the fryer so they don't become oxidized and turn brown before cooking. This means wash up your potatoes but don't peel them. Finish up the other elements of your meal before slicing and fry the potatoes immediately before you are ready to serve.
Use a slotted spoon or metal tongs to toss the chips over occasionally for about 1-2 minutes with the fryer set at 350 degrees. You could also do this in a large dutch oven or deep heavy skillet you have filled with oil to a depth that the chips will float and turn easily. Don't over crowd the potatoes as they need to evaporate their moisture so they will become crisp. Always be very careful when adding the potato slices to the oil. I try to slip them in rather than toss them while separating them into individual slices if they are sticking together.
If you are frying in a dutch oven or a skillet you will need a slotted spoon to scoop out the chips as they finish frying. When they have browned and become crisp I flip them out of their basket and onto a lined baking sheet and sprinkle immediately with fine salt. Maybe you might try a favorite popcorn seasoning if you feel adventurous. On this batch I used some finely ground smoked Himalayan salt I made last fall. Yum!
That's all there is too it. The trick to beautiful house made potato chips is really in the slicing. Nice evenly sliced potatoes will make it possible to fry the chips quickly at the same rate so you don't find yourself fishing for chips that are burning while others haven't finished frying.
It's also important that the potato slices are as dry as they can be before dropping them into the hot oil. This will reduce splattering and make them more crisp. You can blot them with a paper towel if you happen to have a particularly juicy bunch of potatoes. I find it helps to dry the potatoes thoroughly after they have been washed with skins on before slicing them to avoid extra moisture.
I hope these tips have inspired you to try making your own house made potato chips!
Enjoy!
~Melisa
