Microwave Potato Chips

Lately (and not so lately) I've been debating weather I should continue with this blog. Finding new & interesting things to write about is hard. I feel a lot of pressure from the myriad of fantastic, well-photographed, well-written, and just generally shmick, food blogs out there. And, as an engineer, words are hard. Really hard. But, I've been persuaded to give it another go by a lovely journalist friend, who is also a budding blogger.

The main challenge I have been having, is deciding if a recipe is blog-worthy. I feel like my everyday meals aren't 'exciting' enough. And most of my current more exciting favourites have come from other blogs (or at least from the internets), and a lot of the time I feel like it's cheating to post a recipe that's already freely available for you to find. I have recently come to the realisation that pulling some of the 'best' bits available out there in the big wide interents, is kinda the point of a blog. So I shouldn't feel ashamed of posting recipes found online. I will always reference my original source(s), and in most cases I will have made tweaks of some kind to the original anyway.

This recipe, if you can call it that, is an oldie in our house, but I still love it. I don't follow the original instructions exactly, mostly because it calls for equipment I don't have, and am unlikely to use for anything else (plastic microwave-safe steaming rack, anyone?).

I will preface this with a warning or two though; they taste a lot more 'potatoey' than your usual potato crisps, bit I guess that's because the potato is not masked by oil & salt. Also,  I know it takes a while to get a reasonable amount of chips, but because of that potatoey-ness and the no oil/reduced salt thing, you don't fell quite so much like scoffing a massive bag of them. (Not that I am against that - sometimes we all need that oily salty goodness..!) 

Microwave Potato Chips/Crisps

• Potato(es)
• Salt

Slice the potato into thin, even, rounds. I use a mandoline/v-slicer thingo, with the 'thin' blade attachment.

On top of a microwave safe plate, layer 2-3 pieces of paper towel, covering most of the plate. Spread out the potato slices on top of the paper towel, ensuring none of the slices touch (it will take a couple of 'rounds' to do a whole potato).

Sprinkle with salt and/or your preferred flavourings - paprika works well, so would flavoured salt mixes.

And now this is where the magic happens...

Using my less than fantastic microwave (800W), I nuke the potatoes for 3 mins at 80%, 3 mins at 60% and 3mins at 40%, turning the slices over between each set. It may take you some time to work out what is best for your microwave. Also, you can go a bit 'hotter' for less time, but you need to watch them more (as in, some, I don't watch at all with the timings I use...).

Set aside to cool for a few minutes, they'll continue to 'crisp' as they cool.

Then repeat with your next plate of potato slices.

I think I've tried sweet potato in the past, but with little success - those darn 'hot spots' in microwaves and the high sugar content of sweet potatoes just doesn't work. But, inspired by all the veggie chip options out there at the moment, I'm thinking of trying a few other hard veggies - beetroot might be my first victim.

Original recipe can be found at - jugal bandi.