Homemade Dill Pickle Potato Chips

I should be working on our book right this second. I should be going through the over 500 recipes right now making sure that I have the right gadgets for each recipe listed. That was the first thing on my list for today. Actually I should be doing a lot of things right now. 

But instead I got sucked into Wil Wheaton's clever blog that goes so well with coffee. Then I figured since I already was enjoying a little online browsing, why not get around to reading about Joss Whedon's new project? Spoiler: There's still not much out there about it. At least not enough for me.

That brings us to now. I'm watching Tron and sharing with you a recipe for one of my favorite little savory treats. I first had them in Canada back when I was in college. I couldn't believe all the different types of potato chips they had up there like Gravy and Ketchup. I wasn't in love with those but the Dill Pickle flavored ones won over my heart. Now you can find these random flavors pretty much everywhere but at the time it was one of those things that made Canada somewhat exotic. I also love making homemade potato chips. So really this recipe is a perfect storm of awesome. Here are a few fun facts about these and other chips before we start: 

• These chips are baked not fried. 
• Yes, I did have to eat an entire jar of pickles by myself in a day and half to make them.
• The key to a great homemade potato chip is slicing your chips as thin and as even as possible. You may want to have a few practice potatoes to play around with. The reject chips can be used in this Double Corn Chowder recipe to replace the hash browns. 
• If you have a Mandolin*, I would recommend using it to get the thinnest and most even slices.
• In the UK this way of making potatoes would be called "crisps" and what we call French Fries are called "chips". I bet you already knew that but I had to share anyways. In some way it makes those Canadian Ketchup Chips make more sense to me.
• These little buddies are really good with a vegan Reuben sandwich and a little coleslaw.
• Fried Pickles are also pretty freaking awesome.
• These chips won't have that strong kick you in the teeth flavor of the store bought ones because those ones are chemical masterpieces. Ours are made using things you probably already have in your kitchen.
• I don't care what anyone says. Tron is a really good movie. You should see it. Just don't ruin it by trying to make too much sense of it all.

 Shall we begin?



Homemade Dill Pickle Potato Chips

• 6 Medium to Large Russet Potatoes
• 4 Cups Dill Pickle Brine (this is the juice Dill Pickles come in) 
• 2 teaspoons Fresh Dill Weed (diced)
• 1 Clove Garlic (minced) 
• 1 teaspoon Pickling Spices
• 3 teaspoons Dried Dill Weed
• 1 teaspoon Crushed Ground Black Pepper Corn
• 3 teaspoon Crushed Sea Salt
• 1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder
• Olive Oil Cooking Spray 

Fill a large glass lasagna dish with Dill Pickle Brine, Fresh Dill Weed, Garlic and Pickling Spices. Gently stir until blended.

Thinly slice your Potatoes diagonally to get the largest chips possible with a very sharp knife or mandolin. You want them to be around 1/8 of an inch thick. Place each slice immediately into the Pickle Brine. Once all your Potato slices are in the Brine, cover your dish with tin foil and refrigerated for an hour and half. Then pull out the dish and rotate your Potato slices so that the ones that were at the bottom of the dish are now at the top.  Put the dish back in the fridge for another hour and half. You'll notice that some of them have started to curl and that's OK. If you want your chips to have a somewhat strong Dill Pickle Flavor, repeat the process twice.

Heat oven to 425.

Line a cookie sheet with foil and spray an even layer of Cooking Spray. Arrange your marinaded Potato slices on the cookie sheet so none of them are touching in an even layer. Spray another even layer of Cooking Spray over the top.

We had to make ours in 3 batches. If you have to do that, don't worry. They actually bake quickly and the ones that have to wait in the brine longer are only slightly more flavorful.

Bake your chips for 5 to 8 minutes and then flip them. Put them back in the oven to bake for another 8 to 10 minutes. Pull them out of the oven when the chips are a light golden brown and they are crispy. Keep in mind the thinner your chips are sliced the quicker they will brown.

In a bowl, mix Dried Dill Weed, Black Pepper, Sea Salt and Garlic Powder. When you pull the chips from oven they are really hot but they are also kinda fragile like store bought potato chips - so very gently move them to a wire rack to cool. Then take a slotted spoon and sprinkle the Herb mix over the top of the warm chips before the oil cools to help attach the herbs to the chip.

Let them cool to room temperature before gobbling them up by the handful! 



* Not this kind of mandolin. The kind that slices vegetables.