Potato Ruffles

Potato Ruffles

Dec 26, 2011 by Michel Richard  |

Michel Richard | Happy in the Kitchen | Artisan, 2006 | Makes 2 to 4 servings

Serve these as you would potato chips, as a nibble with cocktails, alongside a sandwich, or as a side to a main course such as roast chicken.–Michel Richard
LC These Ruffles Don’t Have Ridges–Nor Do They Need Them Note: Okay. Let’s call a spade a spade. Or, as the situation would demand, a potato chip a potato chip. These ruffles are, essentially, potato chips. And yet they’re more than that. They’re fancy schmancy, shatteringly crisp, conversation-stopping potato chips. And unlike the brand-name chip by the same name that once had an entire country trilling its little ditty, they bear no ridges–nor do they need them. They’re sufficiently, satiatingly crisp just as they are. Our one quibble? Clearly frying up a single potato, as the recipe below suggests, is only going to get you so far. Fortunately, the recipe can easily be doubled, tripled, quadrupled, or otherwise multiplied exponentially. Given how quickly our greasy little fingers kept reaching for the ruffles, it’s best to allow one large potato per person.
Seeing as they require a turning vegetable slicer, they perhaps hold most appeal, fittingly, for those casual couch potatoes who like to stay up late at night and, as such, are privvy to infomercials. That said, an old-fashioned apple peeler will work in its place, provided you make just a few adjustments. (See the comment from Dan Kraan beneath the recipe.) A Y-shaped vegetable peeler? Not so much.
Special equipment: turning vegetable slicer
Active time: 40 minutes | Total time: 40 minutes.

Potato Ruffles Recipe

Ingredients

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• Peanut or canola oil for frying
• 2 large baking potatoes, peeled if desired

Directions

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1. Pour enough oil to reach a depth of 2 3/4 inches in a deep fryer or a large, deep pot. Do not overfill the fryer or pot as the oil will bubble up when the potatoes are added. Heat the oil to 325°F (163°C). Line a baking sheet with a paper bag cut open or with a wire cooling rack and place it next to the stove. 
2. Meanwhile, set up a turning vegetable slicer with the straight blade. Cut off both ends of a large baking potato and attach one end of the potato to the grip at the end of the handle; the other end of the potato should sit flush against the blade. Turn the handle, pushing toward the potato with gentle pressure. The potato will rotate through the blade, forming extremely long ribbons of potato.
3. Place the potatoes on paper towels and pat dry; they should be very, incontrovertibly dry before they go into the hot oil, as any residual moisture will cause the oil to bubble up and spatter even more.
4. Carefully add some of the potato ribbons to the hot oil, working in batches. Add only enough potatoes to make a layer that is no more than 2 inches thick. Fry the potatoes until they are  golden brown on the bottom. Using long tongs, gently turn the potatoes over. Continue to fry until the potatoes are evenly browned and crisp, about 6 minutes total, depending on the thickness of your ribbons.
5. When the potatoes ruffles are done, use tongs to carefully lift them onto the paper bag or rack to drain. Serve the ruffles on a platter with a generous sprinkling of fleur de sel.

Get more deliciousness at Potato Chips Recipe | Leite's Culinaria