Bonus Post - Potato Chip Recipe (with photos of course)

I was cooking some food tonight - yes i can cook (sort of. nothing really complicated or french). I started taking pictures as I was cooking the potato chips. I really hate to call them that because they are so much better. Hmm, Todd suggests potato crisps which is really just a British way of saying Potato Chips. So back to square one. How about this - you read the recipe and see the almost finished product and you decide. K?

Potato Chip* Recipe !!!

Ingredients:

• 1 Potato! - sweet or white work the best
• Some cooking oil! about 3/4 of an inch worth in a frying pan. I personally use Smart Balance (Omega). Don't know why but it works just fine.
• Sea Salt
• Ground Pepper (you can use a shaker if you want but ground pepper tastes better and you get to grind something)

Things you need that are not ingredients:

• Large Sharp Knife
• Tongs - metal not plastic (don't cheat and use salad forks either - you are working with hot oil and need some precise gripage)
• Frying pan
• Stove with working burners (very very key)
• Paper Towels
• Tray, casserole dish, plates (to put the chips on as they are cooling down)

Instructions:

1. Prepare your chip resting dish. I don't know what else to call it. Take your casserole dish or plates and cover them with 2 layers of paper towels. you will use this later to put the chips on as you retrieve them from the oil. You want to do this now because those suckers cook pretty fast

2. Wash your potato. Wash it good. You don't want to eat fried dirt later. Leave the skin on

3. Start heating your oil

I have a gas stove so my oil gets hot fast. Hot Oil HURTS people. Do not stick your fingers, toes, tongue etc into the oil to check the temperature. It will burn you! Don't set your burner to high - set it to medium low - this allows for slower oil heating and gives you some time for the next step.

4. Cut you some potato. Be careful with sharp objects. Cut the potato into thin slices. Thicker slices work too if you like a little bit of a softie potato. Thinner obviously will yield the "crisp" part of the recipe. You can cut it into rounds or half moons. Squares if you want. I don't care.
1 regular sized potato actually yields quite a bit of chipage. Enough for at least 2 people if not 3.

5. Your oil should be hot by now. Take your tongs and start sliding the potato slices into the oil. You want to slide them in to prevent oil from splashing onto your face, arms, hands, new shirt, or dog. Slide enough potatoes in to create a layer of potatoes in the oil.
6. After a few minutes you should start seeing the potatoes turn brown around the edges. Time to flip! (potatoes not you) Use your tongs to turn the slices over. You will see that the bottoms are a nice golden brown. Not long now!

7. After a few more minutes (maybe not even that long) start removing your chips to your pre-prepared resting area. Let them sit for a few minutes - you can start adding the second batch to the oil at this point.

8. After they have rested for a few you may now address them with the salt and pepper. Apply the pepper liberally if you like a little kick. Put about 1/2 as much salt as you think you will need. You will be surprised at how too much salt can completely ruin a chip. I don't have any pictures of the absolute end product because Todd and I ate them too fast. Enjoy!