Salt & vinegar chips are no doubt in my top 5 favorite foods, and this recipe is the closest I may ever get to a homemade version.
The idea is quite simple: thinly sliced potatoes tossed in oil, vinegar, and spices, then laid on baking sheets to roast in the oven until crispy. For a dish this spectacularly straightforward, I’ll just provide a few anecdotes that speak to my cooking and eating experience, and how I’ll improve them next time (there will be many next times).
I believe that not all potatoes are created equal. Moisture level, skin texture, circumference, starch levels -- all of these factors can have an impact on the cooking temp and time in a recipe. Therefore, it’s important to follow Alison’s specification for Yukon Gold potatoes, which can be found in most grocery stores.
Alison says to aim for 1/4th inch when it comes to slicing the potatoes, but I disagree. My slices were a bit all over the place - ranging from 1/4th inch to less than 1/8th. The thinnest slices became a little too burnt (we still ate them, but not ideal). The 1/4th inch slices were a little too soft and under-crisped. I noticed they were the last potatoes to be taken off of the baking sheet, so clearly I’m not alone. It was the 1/8th inch slices that were gone first - perfectly crunchy and crispy. They made Sam ask for the recipe after eating his first one.
Like in so many of her recipes, Alison’s combination of smoked paprika, red pepper flakes, and garlic is dynamite here. The heat of the spices is perfectly counterbalanced with the acidity of the vinegar.
Finally, this recipe warranted what I’m calling a “Make Alison Proud” moment. Sometimes I imagine Alison observing me while I cook or host dinner parties, kind of like a teacher, kind of like a cool friend. Every once in a while she gives me a thumbs up or a look that says “are you sure you want to do that?” Here was my MAP moment for the day:
I intended for these potatoes to serve as a side dish for J’s birthday dinner (served with Slow Salmon, Garlicky Broccoli, & Butter-Tossed Radishes). When our guests arrived, everything was ready to eat, except for the salmon. I should have guessed that Slow Salmon would cook slowly. We stood in a semicircle around our oven waiting for the fish to be ready. On top of the stove sat these crispy vinegared potatoes on their baking sheets, still barely sizzling in their oil and newly topped with fresh parsley and chives. My stomach growled and I found myself staring at the potatoes as the minutes creeped by. Eventually I noticed that everyone was staring at them, too. Then it occurred to me, why not serve them as an appetizer instead? In a split second pivot, I handed out tiny bowls and told everyone to dig in. We ate all of the potatoes in 10 minutes, holding and biting into them like real potato chips as we stood in the kitchen. The whole experience was quite delightful, though not my original intention. I felt like Alison, being the “nothing fancy” host that she is, would have smiled and approved of this move.
13 recipes cooked, 212 recipes to go.
