Potato Chips

Doneness

Done when the chips are golden brown, crisp, and curling at the edges. Shake and separate them every few minutes, and pull out individual chips as they brown — the thinner ones crisp first. They firm up more as they cool, so take them out while they're golden rather than dark. Any chip that's still pale and floppy needs another minute or two; any that's gone past golden will taste scorched.

Oil & seasoning

Very light — toss the dried slices with about ½ to 1 teaspoon of oil, or mist them, just enough to coat. Too much oil makes them greasy and they brown unevenly; the goal is a thin film, not a slick.

Season with: Sea salt (the classic): a fine sprinkle of salt right after they come out while still warm., Salt-and-vinegar: toss with salt and a little malt-vinegar powder, or spritz lightly with vinegar before cooking., BBQ: smoked paprika, brown sugar, garlic and onion powder for a sweet-smoky chip., Sour-cream-and-onion: onion powder, dried chives and a little buttermilk or sour-cream powder..

Watch out for

• !Slice the potato very thin and even — a mandoline (about 1/16 to ⅛ inch) is the only reliable way; uneven slices mean some burn while others stay soft.
• !Soak the slices in cold water 20–30 minutes to rinse off surface starch, then pat them completely dry. Wet slices steam, stick together, and never crisp.
• !Cook in a strict single layer and work in batches — overlapping chips trap steam and turn out limp.
• !Shake the basket and pull out chips as they brown; the edges crisp before the centres, so they finish at different times.
• !Go light on the oil — a teaspoon for a whole potato is plenty, or they fry up greasy instead of crisp.