How to Make Homemade Potato Chips Using Safflower Oil

13 de enero de 2013

How to Make Homemade Potato Chips Using Safflower Oil

Cooking chips in safflower oil may be a healthier alternative than some other oils––a study by Ohio State University found that those who added safflower oil to their diet could possibly improve cholesterol and blood sugar levels, and reduce inflammation.^[1] You can achieve the same flavor and consistency with safflower oil as with other oils. Of course, as with any fat-laden food, moderation is the key to healthy consumption!

Edit Ingredients

3 potatoes

1 liter of safflower oil

Sea salt, to taste

Edit Steps

Scrub the potatoes before cooking. Remove any dirt from the skin. Cut out any blemishes.

Leave the skin on. You will be slicing the potatoes very thinly––you won’t need to peel unless you have a total aversion to potato skin.

Slice the potatoes. You can hand slice the potatoes or use a mandolin. The mandolin will produce the most even results.
- Keep the mandolin guard in place when using this device. If not used properly, it can slice fingers too.
- Slice potatoes using the 1.33 setting for crisp but hearty chips.

Place the sliced potatoes in a bowl filled with cold water so that the potato slices stay fresh. Once all the potatoes have been sliced, drain the bowl and rinse the potatoes. Dry the slices on a clean towel and roll pre-cooked chips up until you're ready to cook them.

Heat the safflower oil to 350ºF/180ºC in a suitable pot. Use a large pot and only fill it halfway with the oil, to avoid splatters.
- Don’t drop chips into the pot until you know the oil has reached 350ºF/180ºC. If you drop the chips in too soon, they could become soggy as they cook instead of crisp.

Fry the chips in the heated oil for one to two minutes. Turn the chips after they’ve been in the oil for over 30 seconds, to brown each side.
- Only drop two or three chips into the pot of oil at a time (depending on the size pot you are using). You want each chip to have room to fry and not stick to each other. The amount you can add may vary depending on the size of the pot you're using; just be sure to keep the frying chips separated.
- Cook the chips until they're golden brown and the bubbling oil calms. Use chopsticks or tongs to handle frying chips.

Transfer the cooked chips to a dish coated with paper towels. The towels will absorb any excess oil and allow your chips to set before you add salt or any other topping.
- Once all of the chips have been fried and drained, transfer them to a large bowl. Toss with a few teaspoons of sea salt and a dash of pepper, tossing the chips around the bowl until each chip is delicately covered.

Edit Tips

Consider using, hearty, Russet potatoes. Russet potatoes tend to withstand the cooking process a little better than other potato varieties and will produce a crisper chip.

The chips can be eaten hot or cold. Of course, they're delicious eaten while they're still warm!

Experiment with different seasonings such as garlic powder, dried chives, bacon bits, vinegar and salt or Parmesan cheese. You could also create a variety of dipping sauces for a gourmet presentation.

Save and recycle the cooled safflower oil for a possible future batch. Don't save if it contains too many burned pieces and only reuse it once, storing it in the refrigerator in between uses.

Substituting sweet potatoes for the Russet potatoes is a delicious alternative. Just be aware that sweet potatoes will not crisp as well as the Russets.

Edit Warnings

Be especially careful handling hot oil on the stovetop. If it begins to boil out of control, reduce the heat and remove from the stovetop. (It's a good idea to keep a fire blanket permanently next to the stovetop, just in case things ever get out of control.)