For all of 2011, I told myself... I'm going to make potato chips. I can do it. I mean, how hard can it really be?? But I time after time, I talked myself into not making them. It wasn't until November when we had dinner with
Beth, Michael and
Manuel that I finally decided that I was really going to do it.
What happened during dinner?? I was inspired. Manuel was telling me about how his sister was craving jalepeño potato chips.
Hey... I crave those too!! Instead of buying her a bag chips, he went to the store and bought everything to MAKE the chips for her! Color me impressed... I vowed from that moment, that before the year was over that I was going to MAKE potato chips.
Aaaannnnndddd..... I procrastinated until December 29!!
YES.... they were so incredibly yummy that we ate the whole batch in one sitting. My kids were crazy impressed to see that chips can be MADE! If anything, I feel like that was the best reward of making potato chips. I really love when my kids see where food comes from and how it's made.
And how potato chips are made is one of the easiest things I've ever done!
(Yes, I say that a lot, but it's true!!) This is all it takes:
Homemade Potato Chips
2 lbs russet potatoes
Peanut or canola oil (I used both.)
Sea salt
Slice the potatoes very thin with a vegetable slicer or mandolin. Soak the potato slices in cold water. Drain, then soak again. (This step will help eliminate some of the starch which means crispy chips!)
Place 2-3 inches of oil in large pot (one with high sides is best) to 375 degrees on a candy thermometer. Drain the potatoes and pat them dry. (Remember water makes oil "pop"... so dry them well!) Place a handful of potatoes into the hot oil and fry until they are golden brown. This takes a few minutes, so be sure to gently toss them around to ensure they cook evenly. Remove the chips with a slotted spoon and drain. Season with sea salt or whatever other seasonings you like :) Repeat frying with remaining potatoes.
Ok... now as awesome as the homemade potato chips were, I do have a couple of issues that I feel are important to share. One thing that I wasn't crazy about was having a hot pot of oil on my stovetop. In fact, that was my main reason that I kept procrastinating on making the chips. Of course, it wasn't as bad as I had made up that it would be... BUT.... having kids that like to be actively involved in whatever I'm making in the kitchen made me a bit nervous. In order to have them be involved in the chip making, I kept them at a distance from the oil and had them pat the potatoes dry to prepare them to be fried! The other thing is that when I was done frying the potatoes, I was left with a pan of used oil. I was so perplexed as to what I should do with it that I let it sit on my stovetop for a day! Not completely sure what to do with used oil, I dumped it on my compost pile.
(Yes, I know... it was probably the wrong move.) Any ideas?? What would you do??
That being said, I think that everyone should make homemade potato chips. The end result is so much more rewarding than tearing a bag open. And even though I'm not crazy about all the oil, I would totally make potato chips again. It's definitely something special... potato chips are a rare treat in our house
(I bought 7 bags in 2011!). I'm hoping that making potato chips will trump buying them. BUT... I'd like to try making them differently. I think my first stop will be
here.
sounds great - and i love your procrastination story... rang a bell over here for sure! i remember making potato chips in college: i sliced them thinly, wiped them on both sides with olive oil, and put them on a rack in the oven (i don't remember the details... but i'm sure that recipe is out there somewhere!) - salt and flavor them either during or after. this removes the pot of boiling oil and is probably a bit healthier than soaking them in oil? thanks for reminding me, i think i'll try it again!
ReplyDeleteWe've found that a good oil can be reused for potatoes at least a few times. When you're done, run it through a strainer that's lined with a cheesecloth or paper towels to get rid of any chip bits. Then just put the oil into an airtight container and keep in the fridge (or the freezer, which is what we do). Label it so you remember what you used it for, and you can probably use the same oil 3-4 times with it tasting just as good as new!
ReplyDeleteThese look delicious! Do you think the same method would work with sweet potatoes? I have not used this method myself, but I have heard that you can strain used oil through a coffee filter or piece of cheesecloth, then reuse it. When it becomes too cloudy to reuse, you can strain it, then pour into into a glass bottle with a metal lid. Nail a small hold in the lid, then feed a small piece of cotton cloth through the hole as a wick. You can then use this as an emergency candle/light.
ReplyDeleteCould you coat them with oil and do a baked chip kind of thing? We have had some success with that in the past. I don't have a mandolin so I use a potato peeler. Katie Kimball (Kitchen Stewardship) says to save your potato peels by coating them with oil and sticking them in the fridge until you're ready to bake them. I definitely need to admit at this point in this comment that I have some potato peels from before Christmas that I need to give up and compost. Oh well. We do the best we can. I might try a hybrid of your recipes...
ReplyDeleteI should also add that because I use a potato peeler my chips don't look nearly as pretty as yours. :-)
ReplyDeleteI would try baking them instead. Coat them in a little oil, spread or even pile them on a cookie sheet, flip them when they look like they should be flipped, add salt and cool.
ReplyDeleteThank you all so much for the compliments, suggestions and tips!!
ReplyDeleteIt seems the consensus is to bake them!! SO...I am definitely going to try making baked potato chips... less oil and I am sure much healthier! :) I would imagine that the same application could be used for sweet potatoes... I'm going to add them to the list to try baked as well. I'm planning on not procrastinating making baked chips! ;)
Susan-- I'm reading the book "Waste & Want"... and in it she discusses how ( everything was used up... including grease/oils for lighting!! I'm so intrigued by this idea!!
Kate-- I can't remember the last time I peeled a potato! (HA!) I'm curious, what do you do with the potato peels?
That sounds awesome Danielle, I've been wanting to make chips for sometime but keep putting it off. You have inspired me to break down and make them. I really like the idea of making more food at home and buying less packaging.
ReplyDelete