Before we lived in London, I rarely ate potato chips. Once I was on the other side of the pond, it was a different story.

Part of my cultural adjustment to the UK was the ubiquity of crisps, what we know in the States as potato chips.

Before we lived overseas, if I did reach for a salty, crunchy accompaniment for a sandwich, it was faux baked chip. The ones concocted from potato sawdust pressed together into chip shapes by some sort of unnatural, factory means.

Baked was not an option in England. Instead crisps were in flavors beyond my wildest  imagination and appetite. Rosemary chicken, prawn cocktail and steak & onion sounded more appropriate for a plate than in a bag.

I would like to say that once I was back on American soil I left my crisp habit behind, but I just couldn’t go back to eating fake bagged chips.

They are not something that I eat everyday because I don’t enjoy the calories and fat associated with each bite.

Of course I indulge on regular occasions, but I think I would rather have a piece of cake than a bag of chips. When I splurge, I tend to go more sweet than savory.

I decided to try to make a more real version of baked chips from actual potatoes and not processed potato dust.

Armed with a mandolin, I sliced russet potatoes into 1/8-inch thick rounds and soaked them in cold water to rinse off the starch. It helps the chips crisp up. 

They went in the oven in a single layer on oiled baking sheets.

Once the chips were crisp, I finished with a generous dose of sea salt and pepper. I also sprinkled on fresh minced chives.

When eaten warm, these baked potato chips made me forget about their fried cousins. 

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