• 3 Large Idaho Baking Potatoes
• Vegetable Oil, for deep frying
• Salt

Peel baking potatoes. Rinse in cold water. Slice cross-wise into rounds that are tissue-thin and uniform. Do this by hand or with the cutter known as a mandolin, available in cookware shops. You can also use a vegetable slicer that works by hand or attaches to an electric mixer. A food processor is unsatisfactory as it is not possible to fit a large, whole potato into the feeder funnel and therefore you cannot get round slices.

Soak slices potatoes in several changes of very cold water for two hours, adding ice cubes to the last change of water. Turn potato slices into towel and dry each very thoroughly on both sides.

Fill a deep-fat fryer with vegetable oil to a depth of three inches. Heat to 375 degrees.

Using a frying basket, fry a few potato slices at a time, shaking the basket to avoid sticking, until golden brown. This should take about four to five minutes per batch.

Drain on paper towels and continue frying remaining slices being sure fat remains at a constant 375 degrees. Salt just before serving.

Note: These are the best warm and are wonderful accompaniments to steak and hamburgers. Do not expect these to stay crisp as long as the commercial variety.

If you want to serve potato chips to guests and also want to cut down on the time needed for last-minute preparation, adjust the recipe as follows:

Slice, soak and dry the potatoes as described. Heat a three-inch depth of oil to 300 degrees and fry potato slices in batches for about five minutes, or until they are a very pale golden color and begin to look fried. Drain reserve on paper towel. Just before serving, reheat fat to 400 degrees and refry potato slices in batches for two or three minutes, or until they are golden brown. Drain on paper towel and sprinkle with salt.

Yields 4 servings