Mandrakes (Baked Potato Chips)

Once I was at my mother in-law’s house and she was baking thin slices of sweet potatoes. They looked and smelled so good. I think they lasted about 10 seconds. Ever since then, these thinly sliced potatoes baked with a little bit of salt has been a family favorite in our house. They have been affectionately nicknamed “Mandrakes” in our house, because they squeal like the mandrake plants in Harry Potter as they are being cooked.

Ingredients:

• 2 or 3 potatoes of any kind (sweet potatoes, russets, reds)
• salt to taste
• pepper to taste (optional)
• a drizzle of olive oil (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 450 Degreed F. Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking sheet.

2. Scrub the potatoes, but do not peel them. Slice them as thinly as you can. You can use a mandolin slicer or just a knife. It really doesn’t need to be exact.

3. Place the potatoes in a bowl and drizzle a little bit of oil over top. Toss until they are all coated. This step is optional. If you are using parchment paper or a silicone baking sheet, you actually don’t need the oil. If you are putting the potatoes straight on the baking pan, you should use the oil. We have tried them both ways, with and without oil, and they are both delicious. The oil does help the salt to stick a little better, though.

4. Spread the slices out evenly on the baking pan. Sprinkle with a little bit of salt and pepper if you like. You can always add more when they are done cooking. Bake for about 20 minutes. Check them every once in a while to make sure they aren’t burning. The thinner you slice them, the faster they will cook.

5. Eat them as is or dunk them in ranch dressing, ketchup, or fry sauce ( one part ketchup, two parts mayo).

Recipe from Edible Experiments