While hosting a barbecue recently, I racked my brain for a starchy side dish that doesn’t at all resemble potato salad or your typical potatoes au gratin/scalloped/baked/etc. A potato isn’t just potato when treated correctly, and I wanted something special.
I found it on Smitten Kitchen, where she adapted a Martha Stewart recipe, claiming it to be the best thing since scalloped potatoes – a mix between roasted potatoes and potato chips. I had to try it!
And so was the next chapter of my not-waiting-for-marriage-to-buy-cooking-tools novel. I bought myself a mandoline. Finally! It was only $9.99 and does everything I could ever need it to do. And it’s small enough to fit in the cupboard, which is great because my cozy country kitchen is short on space these days…
I chose to use the Martha Stewart recipe instead of SK, because it’s quite easier to follow. One big change I made was using all Yukon gold potatoes instead of russet. Why would you ever use russet when you can use Yukon gold? This change made the dish creamier and less crispy on top, but I preferred it that way.
Please watch your cooking time carefully – I had to play with mine to accommodate other dishes (ribs!), so just test the potatoes for doneness. The crispy tops will stick to your teeth and the bottoms will be tender, which is an interesting texture combination.
Roasted Potato Chips
Ingredients:
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 4 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, scrubbed
- 4 shallots, thickly sliced lengthwise
- coarse salt
- 1/2 to 1 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
- 8 sprigs fresh thyme
Bake until potatoes are cooked through with a crisp top, about 35 minutes more.
Seasoned to Taste 