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Dan Abel

In article .com>,
wrote:

> Does anybody have some good tips on making crisps? I am in the UK so my
> question relates to thin snack crisps what non-British would probably
> call potato chips!!

It's quite simple but tedious.

> I have had a look around Google and it is a bit of a mysterious art. So
> far I have found the following tips:
> # Maris Piper potatoes (or older potatoes) are best
> # A 'mandolin' is generally used to slice them evenly and safely (but
> I don't know what a good thickness is)
> # Vegetable oil is ok - some people like peanut oil. Walkers Crisps
> use a blend of palm olein vegetable oil and high oleic sunflower oil to
> make all its crisps products. There is less saturated fat in high oleic
> sunflower oil.

But there is *more* saturation in palm oil than in animal fat!

> Some suggestions talk about parboiling (30 secs) then drying before
> frying.

I put my potato slices in cold water, and then dry well with a towel
before frying.

> Any tips on potato variety, which oil, what temperature, how long to
> cook, how to avoid sticking, etc., would be greatly appreciated!

1. Any kind of potato will work. I use large white, cut lengthwise.
They shrink something fierce.

2. I use cheap vegetable oil.

3. It needs to fry vigorously. Let the oil come up to temperature
before adding the potatoes. I just hold my hand over the hot oil. If
it feels hot, I add the spuds.

4. Cook until done. That's half the fun, deciding how much you want
them cooked. Note that the "shrinking" includes thickness. Cut them
much thicker than you want the final product.

5. Cook in a single layer, at least until you have more experience with
this.

Do not fill your pan very full with oil. Half is probably too much.
That's asking for trouble. You can use a shallow fry pan, but that
makes it more important to use a single layer. There should be a *lot*
of bubbles, especially when you first put a potato in.

Especially with a shallow pan with not much oil, this may not be a batch
process. You may need to add the slices a few at a time, and take them
out when they are done.

--
Dan Abel

Petaluma, California, USA