Rondelles de pommes de terre

Sometimes you spend the whole day planning on making something for dinner that night and really looking forward to it. You come home after a long day and get started. It's getting late, things are taking longer than you expected, but still you persevere. Then, when you finally begin cooking and the end is in sight, you realize it's just not working. It doesn't taste right, maybe you have the wrong equipment, and something's wrong. So you regroup. You count your losses and you make something new. Not as good as all your expectations, of course, but still...not bad.

That's what happened tonight. I bought more Long White Potatoes at the Greenmarket on Saturday and, not sure what to do with them, I found myself craving Potato Chips. So, figuring they couldn't be too hard, I decided to make some. I bought some Yams at the supermarket for some color variety and I was all set. Sadly, however, it didn't work. Perhaps I didn't slice the Potatoes and Yams thinly enough; perhaps I used the wrong pan. Either way, the Yams (which I fried first) were soggy and greasy. By the time I got up to the Potatoes, I was tired, warm and needed to make the apartment less smoky. So I turned down the heat and cooked my thin Potato slices. Surprisingly enough, they were delicious. I served them with Glazed Hot and Sassy Cornish Hens.


Here, then, is a very simple recipe for you. And if anyone has advice about making homemade Potato Chips (something that doesn't involve a Deep-Fat Fryer since I don't have one), that would be much appreciated.

Rondelles de pommes de terre

• 3 Yams, peeled
• 3 Long White Potatoes, peeled
• Cold Water
• Vegetable Oil
• 1/8 teaspoon Kosher Salt, or to taste
• Smidgen Lemon Pepper

Cut Yams and Potatoes into slices as thin as possible. If you have a Mandoline, feel free to use it. Otherwise a very sharp knife will do just fine.

Soak Yams and Potatoes in separate bowls of Cold Water. Refrigerate bowls for at least 1 hour, up to overnight.

Heat Vegetable Oil in a skillet over a medium flame. Cook Yams and Potatoes separately (first one, then the other). Lay Yam (or Potato) slices in the skillet and cook, turning occasionally with a spatula, until cooked through. Place in serving bowl and toss with Lemon Pepper. Serve warm.