Homemade potato chips

[EternalRos3]

I want to cook potato chips, and found Alton Brown's recipe on foodnetwork.com. I watched the video because I've never done this type of cooking before, and there were certain things that confused me. I have a question for those of you who have made homemade chips or the like.

Do I need a dutch oven like Alton suggests, or can my crappy little teflon pan suffice?
I don't have the special strainer he uses, just a plastic one, and plastic cookwear. I was wondering if that would affect anything either?

Any other frying tips are appreciated, especially since I don't have all of the proper tools.

 

[RobsanX]

I only made potato chips one time, and I did it in a deep fryer with a basket...

I think the reason you need a lot of oil is that the temperature won't drop so drastically when you put the potatoes in... Turning that much water into steam takes a lot of heat from your oil, and a large drop in temperature could affect your results.

The plastic utensils are probably not a great idea. Mine go flexible if I have them in 212 deg. water too long, so I would think that 350 deg. oil would be even worse. The only way to know for sure is to try, but beware that they might even melt...

 

[Andy M.]

The deeper dutch oven prevents splattering and minimizes the danger of hot oil spilling over and possibly catching fire.

Your plastic utensils could very well melt in the hot oil.

Make sure your oil is the right temperature and don't overload the pan with a lot of chips at one time. That will cause the temperature of the oil to drop and your results will be poor.

Don't drop a handful of sliced potatoes into the oil all at once. Deal the into the oil as you would deal from a deck of cards.

Use a strainer or slotted spoon or spider to keep the potatoes moving around in the oil so they don't stick together and cook evenly.

Salt/season them as soon as they come out of the oil.

 

[tsi88kid]

At my job we serve chips with out daily ceviche and I can honestly say that I have perfected the potato chip. I have found that cooking them in 275 degree oil makes the best potato chip. You have to constantly stir the chips too, otherwise they cook unevenly. However, this is being done in a professional deep fryer and it may be different at home. Good luck and I hope my advice helps a little.

 

[RobsanX]

At my job we serve chips with out daily ceviche and I can honestly say that I have perfected the potato chip. I have found that cooking them in 275 degree oil makes the best potato chip. You have to constantly stir the chips too, otherwise they cook unevenly. However, this is being done in a professional deep fryer and it may be different at home. Good luck and I hope my advice helps a little.

Thanks for the tip on the temp. Do you peel your potatoes, or leave the skin on?

 

[GotGarlic]

I made this oven-fried potato chips recipe from Ellie Krieger on the Food Network (without the pepper) a while ago - they turned out great, although next time I would switch the sheet pans top and bottom to cook them more evenly. The onion dip was great, too

 

[BreezyCooking]

I made a Martha Stewart recipe for homemade potato chips once wherein you, after slicing the potatoes paper thin on a mandoline, pan-fried them in a large skillet in about a 1/2" of extra-virgin olive oil. They were FABULOUS, but of course a bit pricey due to all that extra-virgin olive oil.

 

[tsi88kid]

Thanks for the tip on the temp. Do you peel your potatoes, or leave the skin on?

we leave the skin on.

 

[mcnerd]

I've done them on occasion in my home deep fryer, but I find that I ate them faster than I could fry them so I don't do it that often.

 

[RobsanX]

I've done them on occasion in my home deep fryer, but I find that I ate them faster than I could fry them so I don't do it that often.

I found that about half of mine were unfit to feed to others, so I disposed of them...

 

[mcnerd]

Wish I knew how to take that comment since there is not much more involved in home deep frying that heating the oil, putting in the food until it is cooked and then removing.... but I guess somebody could mess up between the putting in and taking out to make them "unfit."

 

[RobsanX]

I was trying to cook them until just before they changed color, and some came out a bit chewy. I suppose I could have tossed them back in, but I just ate them instead...

 

[mcnerd]

Could have should have.