House-made Kettle Chips Recipe

Wash and scrub the russet potatoes thoroughly to remove dirt. Do not peel — leaving the skin on gives texture and color. Using a spiralizer (preferred) fitted with a chip/spiral blade, or a mandoline set to a thin slice, cut each potato into very thin spirals or continuous thin slices (about 1–1.5 mm thick). Aim for uniform thickness so chips fry evenly.

Place the sliced/spiraled potatoes into a large bowl of cold water as you work to remove surface starch and prevent browning. Once all potatoes are sliced, transfer to the refrigerator and soak 30 minutes (or up to 2 hours) to further remove starch and crisp the finished chip.

After soaking, drain the potatoes in a colander and spread them out on clean kitchen towels or paper towels. Pat as dry as possible — excess moisture will cause oil sputtering and prevent crisping. For best results, let them air-dry for 10–15 minutes and then blot again.

While potatoes soak, combine the dried dill, garlic powder, onion powder, citric acid (or 1 tsp white vinegar mixed into 1 tsp powdered sugar if you lack citric acid), optional powdered dill pickle mix, granulated sugar, black pepper, and salt in a small bowl. Whisk thoroughly to break up any clumps and ensure even distribution. Taste a tiny pinch and adjust acidity (add a touch more citric acid) or salt to preference. Set aside in a shallow bowl for easy seasoning after frying.

Blanching step

Bring a large pot of water to a gentle boil and add 1 tablespoon kosher salt. Working in batches, add the drained potato slices/spirals and blanch 1–2 minutes until the surfaces look slightly opaque but not cooked through. Immediately transfer potatoes to an ice bath to stop cooking. Drain thoroughly and dry again on towels before frying. Note: This step reduces oil absorption and improves crispness but can be skipped for a quicker workflow.

Pour the neutral oil into a heavy-bottomed pot or deep fryer to a depth of at least 2–3 inches (about 1 L). Heat oil to 350°F (175°C). Use a thermometer to maintain a stable temperature — too low will make greasy chips, too high will burn them.

Working in small batches (enough to move freely in the oil without crowding), carefully add the dried potato spirals/slices to the hot oil using a spider/skimmer. Stir gently and continuously for the first 30–60 seconds so they don’t clump together.

Fry each batch 2.5–4 minutes, monitoring color and texture. Remove when golden and crisp. Thinner slices will cook faster — aim for even light golden brown. Transfer fried chips to a wire rack set over a baking sheet to drain excess oil. Immediately while still very hot, sprinkle a light pinch of the finishing fine salt over each batch (this helps the dill-pickle seasoning adhere).

While chips are still hot and slightly oily, sprinkle the prepared dill-pickle seasoning evenly over the batch. Toss gently on the rack or in a large bowl so the seasoning coats the chips evenly. Taste a chip and adjust seasoning for subsequent batches if needed (more citric acid for tang, more dill for herbiness, more salt for punch).

Let the seasoned chips cool completely on the rack — they will crisp further as they cool. Once cooled, serve immediately for best texture, or store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days (they will slowly lose peak crispness).