Homemade potato chips
Commercial potato chip makers can produce hundreds and even thousands of pounds of chips at a time. But at home, you can make fresh potato chips with basic kitchen tools that you may already have.
Instructions
1. Use a deep pot like a Dutch oven or even a deep saucepan. A heavy aluminum or cast iron pot works best because it will be able to handle the high temperatures needed to fry potato chips.
2. Select and wash several medium-sized Idaho or russet potatoes. Use a mandolin, a hand-held kitchen tool used for slicing vegetables in uniform size, and adjust the blade on the mandolin to make the thinnest cut possible.
Hold the mandolin in one hand against the counter top on the diagonal and run a whole potato down the mandolin slide, across its blade to cut the potato into same size slices. Be careful. Mandolins are very sharp and will cut the careless cook. Put the cut potato slices into a bowl of cold water or they will start to brown before the oil is hot.
3. Fill the pot about three-quarters full with good cooking oil. Use a flavorable oil like peanut oil that can stand up to high temperatures and impart extra flavor to the chips. Heat the oil until it reaches 350 degrees F if using a cooking thermometer.
If not using a cooking thermometer, test the readiness of the oil by inserting the handle end of a wooden spoon into the hot oil for a few minutes to see if small bubbles start to form in the oil around the spoon. If bubbles are there, the oil is hot enough to fry your chips.
4. Remove a small handful of potato slices from its water bath and lay them on an absorbent paper towel or, even better, a clean dish towel. Dry the front and back of each slice well. Wet potato slices will splash hot oil when inserted and may cause the hot oil to overflow the pot. They will also not cook fast or crisp properly.
5. Use a long-handled spatula to add a few chips to the oil at a time. Stand by the fryer and turn the chips constantly. There should be enough space in the pot for the chips to turn freely in the oil and crisp. Cook chips in several batches. Don't overload the pot. Cook until light brown, about 3 minutes.
Remove the potato chips carefully from the hot oil, using the spatula. Place on a paper towels to absorb excess oil. Sprinkle immediately with kosher salt.
Tags: potato chips, potato slices, chips time, cooking thermometer, high temperatures