 Go ahead: try making them at home. The microwave technique is simple: the hardest part is slicing the potatoes. Photo by Melody Lan | THE NIBBLE.
May 2005
Updated July 2009
|
|
Homemade Potato Chips
An Easy Recipe Make Original “Saratoga Chips” At Home
Making homemade potato chips is easy and fun with a mandoline and this recipe. Otherwise, you can slice the potatoes by hand with a knife (or a waffle cutter). It’s laborious, but probably the way George Crum made the original chips.
Commercial potato chip manufacturers use a special variety of potato grown specifically for chips, called “chipping” potatoes. Gourmet potato chips are often made of Yukon Golds.
Ingredients
- 3 medium potatoes (Idaho, Russet or Yukon Gold; or Sweet Potato)
- 1-1/2 cups vegetable oil
- Salt
- Additional seasonings of choice (pepper, garlic salt, powdered cheese, chili powder, curry powder, cinnamon sugar [great on sweet potato chips]—if you can envision it, try it!)
Preparation
- Peel the potatoes. With a mandoline or a thin knife, slice them 1/8" thick.
- Rinse the slices in a bowl of cold water to remove the potato starch. Change the water twice. Pat the slices thoroughly dry with paper towels.
- In a large skillet, heat the vegetable oil until almost smoking (about 350°F). Add half of the potato slices and cook over moderately high heat.
- Turn the potatoes once, cooking them for about a total time of 7 minutes, or until they are golden and crisp.
- Remove the chips with a slotted spoon and drain them on paper towels. Repeat with remaining potato slices.
- Sprinkle with salt, pepper, or other seasonings to taste. Serve at room temperature.
- Store leftover chips in an airtight container, but consume within 2-3 days.
Oven Technique
- Preheat oven to 500°F.
- Place potato slices in a single layer on two lightly greased baking sheets.
- Brush tops with melted butter and bake for about 7 minutes.
- Switch the baking positions of the pans and bake for another 7-9 minutes.
- Remove and season the chips.
Fat-Free Microwave Technique
We were skeptics until we tried it, but this technique works beautifully, producing very crisp chips without any calories from fat. Some tasters even preferred them to the gourmet brands we were tasting. We used Yukon Gold potatoes. Buy the widest diameter potatoes you can find—they shrink in the microwave.
- Slice the potatoes thinly, rinse and pat dry with paper towels.
- Salt and season.
- Spread the slices on a microwave-safe plate.
- The next step is to cook on high, then cool and turn over, then cook again. Use this chart, based on the wattage of your microwave:
| Wattage |
Cook |
Cool & Turn |
Cook |
| 600-700 |
8 min. |
3 min. |
6 min. |
| 750-800 |
7 min. |
3 min. |
4 min. |
| 850-900 |
6 min. |
3 min. |
4 min. |
- These times are approximate; microwaves will vary. Test the degree of browning to suit your own taste. If the timing above doesn’t get the chips brown enough to your satisfaction, cool of an additional 3 minutes and cook for 3 more minutes.
- Chips crisp as they cool.
- This technique can be used to make other vegetable chips: carrots and beets work very well. Very high-water content vegetables like zucchini have less success.
Lifestyle Direct, Inc. All rights reserved. Images are the copyright of their respective owners.
|
