An aperitif without crisps is like Paris without the Eiffel Tower:unthinkable (no, we're hardly exaggerating). Except that, with a “healthy” conscience, we often skip our turn because industrial chips are very salty and too greasy. So the question arises, why not make our chips ourselves? It's not very complicated, all you need is a mandolin (the best tool for making very thin crisps) and a means of cooking:a fryer, an oven or a microwave.
So, of course, it takes a little longer than opening a package, but homemade chips have several advantages:
- You can make it with all the vegetables you have on hand (potatoes, of course, but also sweet potatoes, parsnips, beets, Jerusalem artichokes… in short, anything you want) but also with fruit (banana, apple, pear…)
- Since we manage the amount of oil, we can make “light” chips.
- By seasoning the vegetables, you can create super original crisps that do not exist on the market (and fake!). The only (possible) downside is that they are less crispy than the industrial ones... but hey, we're not going to quibble!
Vegetable crisps:instructions for use
Whatever the cooking method chosen, we still do not start cutting the vegetables into thin slices thanks to the mandolin. What if we don't have one? You can also cut them with a knife, but it's longer and it's going to be hard to get the same fineness... but it's because the vegetables are finely cut that you have crisps well cooked. Arrange them on a grill lined with baking paper, brush them with oil (olive, walnut, coconut… as you like!) and season them (salt, pepper, herbs, spices…).
Three possible cooking modes
Then, you choose the cooking method you prefer:oven, microwave or in a fryer (or pan of boiling oil).
- In the oven, two options:either slow cooking at 110-120°C for 1h30 (the idea is to dry the vegetables), opening the oven door regularly to release the steam, or faster cooking , 25 minutes at 180°C (but watch carefully so they don't turn black).
- The microwave is the quickest option. Simply position the vegetable slices on a "chip cooker" (a silicone board with holes) or in a dish on a paper towel, without them touching, and cook for 3 to 5 minutes at maximum power. If necessary, add 30 seconds of cooking.
- Finally, the deep fryer is also a quick option, but oilier (so we remember to put the chips on paper towels at the end of cooking):we immerse the vegetables for about 6 minutes in boiling oil .
Regardless of the cooking method chosen, the chips are eaten once they are ready, otherwise they risk going soft. Bon appetit!
