Housemade Idaho® Potato Chips

Ingredients:

• 1/2 gallon peanut or canola oil, for deep-frying
• 2 pounds 70-count Idaho® Russet potatoes, unpeeled, washed
• Fine sea salt, to taste
• 1/2 cup blue cheese crumbles
• 3 scallions, finely sliced (green parts only)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oil to 340°F in a deep fryer (or large pot if deep fryer is not available).
2. Using a vegetable slicer or mandoline with an adjustable setting, slice a few chips from a potato to get the correct thickness (1/16 inch) and consistency. Slice all the potatoes into 1/16-inch-thick chips and place them in a large bowl of cold water. Agitate the chips lightly with your hand to release some of the starch. Drain, then pat the chips with a paper towel to dry off any moisture.
3. Place about a third of the chips in the fryer with oil, without the basket, gently agitating the chips with a skimmer. (Be sure not to overcrowd the chips in the oil.) Fry the chips until crispy and golden, 3 to 4 minutes.
4. Remove the chips from the oil with a skimmer, shake off any excess oil and spread them out on paper towels so they can cool. Season with salt to taste. Don’t stack them until they have cooled completely and don’t cover them up. Repeat this process until all the chips are fried.
5. Preheat oven to 300°F.
6. Once the chips are cooled, spread them out evenly on a baking sheet (or stack in an oven-safe sauté pan) and sprinkle with the blue cheese crumbles. Place in the oven and bake until the crumbles are heated through, about 5 minutes.
7. Stack the chips onto a plate or platter and sprinkle with scallions. Serve immediately.