August 8th
2005
I'm not a super big potato chips fan, I must admit, so we rarely have them at home. But self-made ones are a different story. I got inspired by a new cookbook ("Kartoffeln" by Lyndsay and Patrick Mikanowski, p.77) that mysteriously found its way into our apartment now sitting on N's cookbook shelves (with a smirk on its face) - probably at a late hour, in dimmed light, it sneaked in via the front door unseen - a cloak- and- dagger operation. My take is, it must have had an inside person on the job. So the latest cookbook addition focuses on potatoes only and the very first image that caught my eye inspired me to keep an eye out for the blue Vitelotte potato.
It's an old French kind, already cultivated before 1850, with a longish oval shape, medium sized with little tubers and a deep blue peel (due to the naturally occurring anthocyanin pigment). Unfortunately it's not a very fruitful kind. I'd say that these relatively uncommon potatoes have a subtle nutty flavor (a little like chestnuts, too). I also accidentally came across an online shop that primarily ships to the US and Canada. So if you can't get them at your favorite luxury local farmers market it may be an option. Despite the various specialty stalls at Viktualientmarkt we couldn't find it there and finally got lucky at a restaurant supplies store which you have to have a specific permit for - gladly a good friend of ours helped out and got them for us (usually, anything you buy there, you buy in large and very large quantities).
The ingredients part I skipped, since outside of peanut oil, blue potatoes, coarse sea salt and optionally some Cheddar or old Mimolette cheese, there is nothing else to add.
Wash and cut the Vitelotte unpeeled in thin slices - the thinner the more crispy they get while maintaining their great color. Soak slices in salt water for 5 to 10 minutes, then pad dry.
Deep fry in peanut oil at about 160°C (you can spot little bubbles on a wooden spoon, but the oil should not be smoking... ;). The thinner the slices are, the less time they need to be deep fried. If they start to develop brown patches better get them out quick and drain on paper towels. I've also tried to double deep fry them (with a bit thicker slices I had left over), with an interesting result: They became even more crispy and started to throw bubbles.
Then arrange on a baking sheet and sprinkle some cheese crumbles over the chips. Bake for 2 minutes (or until the cheese melts) at 180°C with additional top grill on. Optionally add some sea salt or other spices to the chips.
Resume: That night we had friends over and barely a little plate with a handful of chips was left for them to try. We made a promise to make more soon and behave… :) . Definitely the best chips we ever had, with a not too spicy, but delicious and natural taste. And a great eye catcher, too. O.
These are just about the most beautiful chips I've ever seen in my life. Almost too pretty to eat.
of all the gorgeous photos on your site, i think this may be the most beautiful of all. simply magnificent.
They do look good, don't they? In the past, I have found these potatoes at the Hertie am Bahnhof stalls sometimes, and also in the Karstadt am Münchner Freiheit they sometimes offer them. On a second note, double frying chips/french fries is told to be THE secret....
Great eyecatchers indeed - really special, if slightly alien-looking:) My mum used to grow some Congo Blue potatoes in her garden, but these weren't half as blue as yours though, so they wouldn't have made such gorgeous pics either..
Hi Nicky & Oliver,
These look just like the Okinawan sweet potatoes that I get here except our potatoes are quite lumpy. The have a really nice sweet flavor and I bet they'd taste really good with some cheese sprinkled on them. Thanks for the idea!
They look marvelous. What striking photos you took. It makes me wish I could just grab few off the screen!
First I thought it was beetroot. I was wrong. I have never seen or heard of this potato. Very interesting. Must be very healthy as it is a dark purple veg, I assume. (when it is not fried, :). But I can't imagine what it would taste like cooked. Do you treat it like a normal potato?
Mikanowskis really know how to make beautiful cookbooks with very special and new recipes. I can also recommend "Tomaten" by Mikanowski. Your potato chips really look great!
I only had those blue potatoes once--one lonely potato came in my weekly farmers basket. Thanks for finding that online supplier, and in Canada to boot. I'm going to order some. The best thing is they supply seed potatoes so maybe next year I'll get some see and plant in my backyard.
Wow, these look sensational. What gorgeous colours!
are you kidding me????????? you made homemade chips? that is amazing. you two are so inspiring. i wonder if i can make homemade chips before ryan's mother gets here tomorrow? that would be so impressive... xo! mav
Hi O, Your mastery of the camera as well as the stove continues to amaze me. Thanks for the great idea for the use of heirloom potatoes.
The most beautiful chips I have ever seen! I never knew, that there is something like blue potatoes, but I'll look out for them NOW! Adorable pictures ;)
Hi Camilla,
Thanks for paying d:d a visit – the weather is gradually getting better…but then again they predicted more rain for the weekend ahead...oh well.
Hi Hande,
I too have spotted them on different shopping occasions in the past, just when you need them, you don’t find any.
Making the chips was a learning by doing experience – I’ve not made any before. The other “secret” must be to use a proper slicer, since the one I used I first had to tweak (read: not child safe technical adjustments). I new, real Mandoline is now on my personal shopping list…
Hi Dreska,
Yep, no special treatment for the blue ones. The only one thing I’d watch out for when making chips is, to not fry them too long otherwise they get all brown and loose their nice color. Oh, and keep an eye on your hands when working with the raw potatoes, they’ll get purple during the whole process. Washing your hands in between several times makes it easier in the end to get the color off completely.
Hi Claudia,
Thanks for the tip, I’m almost positive though, that N. already has it on her radar.
Hi Ana,
I hope this online shop lives up to the promises it makes online :) Let me know if it worked out.
Thank you all-
What delicious photos! I adore the gorgeous color.
wow! not only delicious but gorgeous too. what a combo! :)
hi nicky, those look utterly swoon-worthy...love the fabulously exotic colours...cheers,j
How gorgeous!! I've never seen blue potatoes before. If they are hard to get hold of in Germany, I would imagine it to be doubly so here. What potatoes would you recommend as an alternative?
Wow, i'd love to get some violet potatoes they make such lovely chips...
xoxo
Fanny
[...] laue Kartoffelchips. Hergestellt aus einer Sorte blauvioletter Kartoffeln. Hmmmm, lecker. link
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Thanks for the idea, Nicky & Oliver. I made purple potato crisps last weekend. Although they didn't look as gorgeous as yours (I don't have a 'mandoline', so I couldn't slice the potatoes as thinly as I wanted to), they tasted really good. And they definitely looked fun!
hello
i find a good website dealing with vitelotte
@+
prix
Hi, Pleased to meet you! You have a delicious blog :)
It HAS to be some sun before autumn!!