Potato Chip
Peeling Potatoes
To make potato chips, the potatoes must be thoroughly washed and peeled. Hand peelers are relatively inexpensive and can be purchased at your local kitchen store or grocery store, but they can be difficult to use. If you're going to peel potatoes in bulk, you may want to look into a commercial peeler--the potato is placed on a stake or stand and the potato is rotated with a handle as the skin is peeled off. You can purchase commercial potato peelers online (see Resources section) or at a restaurant-supply store.
Regardless of how you peel your potatoes, try to keep their shape while removing any impurities, like small brown spots or holes. If these impurities are left in, you will see them in the finished .
Slicing Potatoes
Potatoes can be sliced by hand or with a . If you are only slicing a few potatoes, slicing by hand is probably the easiest method. Use a sharp knife to slice the chips as thin as possible. The thinner you slice the chips, the more crispy they will be. You can use a serrated knife to create ripples in your chips.
If you choose to purchase a commercial slicer, you can buy one at a restaurant-supply store. Usually, a commercial slicer will involve placing several potatoes into the slicer at once, and they will all be sliced in one motion. The slicer typically includes a lever, but if it's used in a chip-manufacturing plant, the slicer may slice automatically once the potatoes have been loaded. If you would like to get thinner slices but do not want to buy a commercial slicer, you can use a vegetable mandolin to cut your potatoes into thin chip slices.
Frying Potatoes
Potato chips need to be fried for only a few seconds, because they are so thin. If you do not have a fryer, heat up the oil of your choice until it bubbles. Peanut oil is known among cooks as the best and most expensive cooking oil, but other oils you can use include vegetable oil and canola oil, which are less pricey. Carefully place the potato chips in the oil, flip them over after several seconds, and after several more seconds, use a spatula to place them on a drying rack. You can use paper towels to dab off excess oil, if desired.
If you have a commercial fryer, fill the fryer with oil and set the temperature to 375 degrees. Once the temperature has been reached, place the potato chips in the fryer basket and lower the basket into the oil. Leave the chips in the basket for 10 seconds, then lift the basket out of the fryer and place it on a plate lined with paper towels. The chips are ready to eat as soon as they are cool, and toppings such as salt and pepper can be added.
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