Crispy Potato Chips
Rinse off all of the starch before you soak the potatoes. That can take several rounds of rinsing, but trust me, it will be worth it. That extra starch is what makes your potatoes turn dark and ugly when you fry them.I love a good potato chip as much as the next gal! In fact, kettle chips are my fave. My husband once told me that I liked the potatoes. I didn't know how to feel about that, but then I realized he was right. My favorite type of chip is a crispy, fried, plain chip with salt. If that's what you love, you probably like potatoes too! Seasonings, and flavors are awesome, I can get down with some BBQ chips, but when push comes to shove, just give me a plain salted potato chip, and I will be just fine.Now that we've established potato chip love, well, potato love, let's talk about homemade chips. As a general rule, I like cooking everything from scratch myself. For several reasons...one of which is I like to know what's going in my belly. I don't like tons of additives and extra preservatives and stuff that they use to extend shelf life. So in my quest to conquer every food that makes me smile, I've mastered potato chips.The key to good crispy chips is:2) Soak them in cold water and vinegar. The vinegar is like magic for potatoes. It keeps them pretty while you cook them, soaking out the extra moisture, while at the same time not transferring the vinegar flavor to the chips. It's genius!3) Take your time. Potato chips can take a while to fry. Don't rush the process. Make sure the oil is hot enough for them to sizzle when you put the potatoes in, but not so hot that it's a splattery mess! When the potatoes float and don't produce any additional bubbles/sizzle, they're done.
Ingredients
- 3 Russet potatoes, peeled (optional)
- Bowl full of cold water
- 1/2 cup white vinegar
Instructions
- Peel the potatoes (optional) and using a mandolin, slice the potatoes approx. 1/8 of an inch thick. You don’t have to peel the potatoes, but if you don’t, be sure to scrub the outside skin very well.
- After potatoes are sliced, rinse them in cold water several times until all of the starch has been rinsed away, and the water runs clear.
- Soak the potato slices in a bowl full of cold water and a 1/2 cup of vinegar. Be sure the water completely covers the potatoes.
- Let the potatoes soak for at least 30 minutes.
- Remove potatoes from the water and dry on a paper towel. Be sure they are fully dry before placing in oil for frying.
- In a frying pan, heat 1 inch of neutral frying oil.
- When oil is hot, place dry potato slices in oil. Do not overcrowd the pan; fry in batches.
- Keep the oil temperature low, but keep the potatoes sizzling in the oil.
- When the potatoes stop sizzling, but float in the oil, they are done. Each batch should take about 10 – 12 minutes to finish.
- Remove from oil and sprinkle with salt or seasonings of your choice.
- Enjoy!