Monday, September 7, 2009

Sage Advice, Part 1: Windowpane Potato Chips


My dear faithful readers - remember that herb garden I planted several months ago? The one with all the adorable little seedlings and nothing but potential? Funny how a little water and sun can work their magic, because I now find myself with more mature herbs than really is fair. Not complaining - in fact, I'm loving it. Pestos are lining my freezer for the winter ahead, and I'm freezing various herb combinations with chicken stock into ice cubes for future use as handy seasoning for soups, stews and sauces. But honestly - I'm either going to need a bigger freezer, OR, I'm going to have to start using up my fresh herbs right now, in pretty much everything I make.

So, the next couple of posts you'll be reading all have a theme: using my garden's bounty in fun and delicious ways. The most prolific of the herbs right now are my two sage plants. I have a pineapple sage and an elephant sage, and my weekend was devoted to getting them reduced to a manageable size.

First up: after seeing the recipe in Cooking Light for these stunning windowpane potato chips, I knew I had to make some, simply for the WOW factor. I mean really - aren't they gorgeous? Like little stained glass windows - that you can eat! (Petty aside: is it just me, or is Cooking Light magazine often anything but? Maybe I'm missing what "Light" is intended to mean? To their credit, it's not Cooking "Lite".... but I digress.)

At any rate, I followed their recipe to a T (once I actually unearthed two baking sheets of approximately the same size - difficult in my non-baking arsenal of cookware), and they turned out beautifully. It's a bit labor intensive, albeit simple, but see for yourselves - the results are elegant. Almost too pretty to eat. Notice I said "almost"....


Windowpane Potato Chips
  • 2 medium baking potatoes
  • Cooking spray
  • Assorted fresh herb sprigs (such as dill, chives, and sage)
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Set mandoline on thinnest slicing setting. Cut each potato lengthwise using the mandoline. Arrange potato slices in a single layer on several layers of paper towels; cover with additional paper towels, and press lightly. Let stand 5 minutes.

Arrange half of the potato slices in a single layer on each of two baking sheets coated with cooking spray. Place a small herb sprig on each potato slice; cover with another potato slice. Press gently to adhere. Coat potato stacks with cooking spray. Sprinkle evenly with salt. Working with one sheet at a time, cover potato stacks with parchment paper. Place an empty baking sheet on top of parchment paper; set a cast-iron or heavy ovenproof skillet on second baking sheet to act as a weight (will keep the potato chips flat). Bake for 25 minutes.

Remove skillet. Remove baking sheets from oven; remove top baking sheet and parchment paper. Remove browned potato chips from pan; place on a wire rack. Turn any unbrowned potato chips over on sheet. Replace parchment paper and top baking sheet; return pan to oven. Replace skillet on top of baking sheet. Bake 5 more minutes or until browned. Cool chips on wire racks. Repeat procedure with remaining potatoes. Store chips in an airtight container up to 2 days.

20 comments:

  1. Absolutely beautiful!! I might have to try this with my new mandoline...

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  2. These are easily the prettiest potato crisps I've ever seen. And baked to boot. Which herbs do you think tasted the best? It is spring down here in the Southern Hemisphere and I might plant some extras to try this project!

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  3. Frugal Kiwi - I made these with sage, basil and oregano - sometimes in combination! I don't know that I could pick a favorite - they were all great. And yes - being baked is the second thing that sold me on trying to make them (after their good looks, of course!).

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  4. Wow these are stunning! I would make these immediately if I had a mandoline....

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  5. Those chips are gorgeous! Love your creativity.

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  6. Stunning! I will have to try these.

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  7. Yummy, I do the same thing with fresh homemade sheets of pasta but had not thought of using potatoes (I love potatoes, they're my fav)so I will be trying this for sure. Nice idea & nice blog too by the way!

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  8. This is beautiful and definitely a show-off dish for like when the boss comes to supper!!!

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  9. I've never seen such a good reason to eat potato chips. Bravo!

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  10. Beautiful! Can you suggest any alternatives to cooking spray?

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  11. I would think you could use any natural fat in lieu of the cooking spray, butter, of course, being the first thing to spring to mind! But olive oil, canola oil, etc. would certainly work as well. Just give the baking sheet a light brush - it doesn't need too much.

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  12. Simply: incantevoli! I'd say full of poetic intelligence!

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  13. Amazing !!! Truly this creation is more of an art .
    I simply love food art u can check out my creations on http://littlefoodjunction.blogspot.com/

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  14. Can food be 'stunning'? I think so...these certainly are! They are almost too beautiful to eat!

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  15. These are aboslutely gorgeous! My mom and I had a lot of fun making these. Mine turned out a bit burnt but still beautiful none-the-less. I'll definently keep trying though. Thanks for the great idea!

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  16. I tried these a few weeks ago and they are such conversation starters:D

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  17. I am impressed by the details that you have on this blog. It reveals how nicely you perceive this subject. Bookmarked this web page, will come back for extra articles. You, my friend, ROCK! I found simply the info I already searched all over the place and simply couldn’t come across. What an ideal site.

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  18. very innovative dish you have made..I admire for your creative idea and great writing..This potato chips really looks so delicious and before this,I never seen such kind of potato chips..Thanks for sharing recipe..and I eager to read more interesting recipes from your site..

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