By Amanda Hesser
- Total Time
- 40 minutes
- Rating
- 4(97)
- Notes
- Read community notes
In “America Cooks,” by the 1940s food writers Cora, Rose and Bob Brown, the trio declared: “A century ago, when Saratoga Springs was in its heyday as a fashionable resort, specialties from there swept the country, and one of them, Saratoga Chips, will endure as long as there are spuds left to slice.” They were partly right. The recipe has endured, all right, but Saratoga vanished from the name. We now call them potato chips.
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Ingredients
Yield:Serves 8 as an hors d’oeuvre, 4 to 6 as a side dish
- 3large white potatoes, peeled
- Olive oil, for frying
- Salt
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (8 servings)
280 calories; 21 grams fat; 3 grams saturated fat; 15 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 22 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 2 grams sugars; 2 grams protein; 344 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
Step
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Slice the potatoes ⅛-inch thick (or thinner); use a mandoline if you have one. Soak the potato slices in cold water until ready to fry, then drain and dry them thoroughly on a towel.
Step
2
Fill a large sauté pan with ½ inch olive oil. Place over medium-high heat; the oil is ready when it browns a breadcrumb in 30 seconds (or try this this cold oil method). Drop a few potato slices at a time into the oil and fry until the edges begin to brown, 3 to 4 minutes, then turn the slices and brown the other side, 1 to 2 minutes. Drain on a baking sheet lined with paper towels. Keep warm in a 175-degree oven while you fry the rest of the potatoes.
Step
3
Just before serving, pile the potatoes into a bowl and season with salt, tossing to disperse the seasoning.
Ratings
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out of 5
97
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Cooking Notes
souschef
Wouldn't use olive oil for these. To achieve crispness, heat has to be higher than olive oil tolerates. I use peanut oil. Yes, you can do in the oven, but that's another kind of thing, OK: just not this thing. Can use sweet potatoes but they have so much moisture they tend to break up when fried. Those, you can do in a hot oven, and there you can use olive oil. I find it strange the type of potato was not specified other than "white"; i.e. don't try it with russets.
Alexander
I use avocado oil. It can be heated to 550 degrees. You will have excellent results, guaranteed!
Scott
An actual oil temp would have been nice.
Leskap19
Good. Simple. Like warm potato chips. Easy but I hate frying and couldn't even fry them all in one batch. Might consider something different in the future.
Linda
I make these in the oven because I hate the mess of frying. Also use butter instead of olive oil some times. Great with a steak.
Lisa
I make sweet potato fries. I use a blended oil instead of olive oil, I think it's a Wesson blend, and put about 5" of oil in a 12 qt. stock pot (less splatter.) I sprinkle them with a mixture of salt & granulated garlic, or salt & crushed rosemary, as they're draining on paper towels. They truly are delish!
Ellen
What is meant by "white" potatoes? Does this require the Idaho, aka Russet or baking potato, or the waxy potato? All are white.
PriscillaM
White potatoes are marketed as “white potatoes”; not all supermarkets carry them. The fact that russet etc potatoes are white does not make them white potatoes.
SaratogaTB
Saratoga is still a fashionable resort. This recipe is offered throughout the town.
mpf101
Sliced, soaked, fried once, drained and cooled, then baked at 400. Crisp and deelish.
Megan
Made these according to directions. Used the breadcrumb technique to test the olive oil temp. Worked like a charm and I felt like a champ! These potatoes are delicious and easy to make. My picky kids gobbled them down.
Tracy
Added some red onion to the pan once the potatoes were cooked and then tossed it all together with the sea salt. Magical.
Bruce
We do this in the Summer at the beach, with a crowd of kids. We use an electric fryer with peanut oil. We skip the water bath; just slice as you go along. Right out of the fryer onto paper towels, salt and eat!! So popular!!
Joan M.
I use a mandolin then rub the slices w a very small amount of organic macadamia oil. Fry in Power Air Fryer and sprinkle w Himalayan salt
Annie
I do this with wedges rather than slices, a little thicker than specified in this recipe. My mama always did this with solid shortening (Crisco) back in the day and they were to die for. I use plain ol' Canola to fry these up, not necessary to use good expensive Olive, which doesn't stand up to the high heat needed for this. I guess that using wedges can be called French Fries, I only know I learned from mama and it's what I continue to do.
Alexander
I use avocado oil. It can be heated to 550 degrees. You will have excellent results, guaranteed!
Scott
An actual oil temp would have been nice.
M
Fry potatoes at 350 degrees F.
souschef
Wouldn't use olive oil for these. To achieve crispness, heat has to be higher than olive oil tolerates. I use peanut oil. Yes, you can do in the oven, but that's another kind of thing, OK: just not this thing. Can use sweet potatoes but they have so much moisture they tend to break up when fried. Those, you can do in a hot oven, and there you can use olive oil. I find it strange the type of potato was not specified other than "white"; i.e. don't try it with russets.
Klkruger
Olive oil is fine here. One doesn’t need a very high temp. 350 will do it.
Ellen
What is meant by "white" potatoes? Does this require the Idaho, aka Russet or baking potato, or the waxy potato? All are white.
Nate
ROund white potatoes are their own variety just like russets. Potato chips are generally made from round white like varieties. Russets have too much sugar in them and tend to burn.
Alan Flaherty
It's disappointing that no frying temperatures are provided. With today's tech tools it's not necessary to measure temperature by number of seconds to brown a bread crumb. Get with it, NYT!!
Joe Bruno
Nice to know where potato chips came from. Other than to avoid the potato slices getting a little dark while exposed to air, is there any other reason to keep them in cold water until they are fried?
Anna
It removes some starch.
Linda
I make these in the oven because I hate the mess of frying. Also use butter instead of olive oil some times. Great with a steak.
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