Homemade kettle potato chips are really delicious. They are easy to make but a little messy. The key is to get the potatoes sliced really evenly with a madoline then cooking at different temperatures to make crisp and right color. The potatoes do not have to be peeled but should be scrubbed with a rough sponge to remove the dirty skin. I used the 2 or 3 thickness on the mandolin so the slices are about 1/16 inch. Although the chips shrink I do lots of batches to not overcrowd the pan. You lose about 1/3 of the oil but can save and reuse for frying next time. I use a dutch oven and fill with about 2-3 inches of oil. On amazon I found a salt and dehydrated vinegar mix also good for popcorn or cheerios snacks. The key is getting the timing correct and applying the salt while still hot so it sticks. After the oil has cooled to room temperature I usually remove solids with a sieve and pour remaining oil back in container. Using for chips or donuts can reuse the oil several times. Be careful of the splattering oil.
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Ingredients
- 2-3 pounds russet potatoes, sliced 1/16 inch with mandolin
- 1-2 quarts of vegetable or canola oil
- salt, vinegar/salt or other toppings
Steps
- Pour oil to about 2-3 inches deep in a dutch oven
- Heat until 375F on high
- Add sliced potatoes until fills top layer of pan
- Wait until stops bubbling about 2m
- Lower to medium, wait about 3-4m adjust heat so is at 240-250F
- Raise heat to high temp should be in 280-300F, should be 3-4m
- Chips will darken when out of oil
- Try to remove and shake off oil in a bowl
- Mix in salt or salt/vinegar topping
- Can use paper towel to remove more oil
- Heat remaining oil until 375 and repeat
