In case you didn’t get the memo, this March 14th is National Potato Chip Day. We’ll forgive you if you hadn’t marked your calendar. But really, who doesn’t love potato chips? Exactly. So, honor the occasion with us and brew up a batch of homemade chips. Yeah, they take a little effort, and there’s a bit of mess to contend with, but they taste really, really good.
Funny, the world’s most famous snack food actually began as a joke. As the story goes, in 1853, resort hotel chef, George Crum, grew tired of one patron repeatedly sending his fried potatoes back because they were too thick, soggy and bland. So he decided to slice them as thinly as possible, fry them until they were extra crispy and season them with extra salt as a joke. It backfired. They became an instant success and the restaurant became well known for them.
Making potato chips at home couldn’t be any easier. A total of three ingredients are required: potatoes (fingerlings work great), canola oil and salt. Put the potatoes in a large bowl filled with cold water. Pat one dry and then using a mandoline cut the potato into paper-thin slices. Keep the slices in another bowl also filled with water. When all spuds are sliced, drain and dry the slices very thoroughly with paper towels. In a large saucepan or deep fryer with the oil heated to 380-degrees, fry the potatoes in batches of 8 to 10 slices, turning once or twice, until golden, about 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Transfer the fried chips to a cookie sheet with a rack or lined with paper towels to dry, and then sprinkle with salt. It’s that easy. And they taste awesome and don’t contain any funky additives or preservatives.
Perhaps the best thing about chips is that they’re perfect with everything from a nice juicy burger to an ice-cold beer. Give it a shot sometime.
