Salt and Vinegar Chips (baked not fried)!

What is it about salt and vinegar that take potato chips to the next level? The tanginess of the vinegar, crunch of the potato and lingering layer of salt on the palette is so dang good. The only downside? I can eat an entire bag of the fried version in one sitting.

So, I decided to bake a batch to see if I could replicate the flavor while slashing calories and fat. These are phenomenal. And there's no guilt for eating the whole batch!

About the vinegar: I used cider vinegar  - I always have it on hand and I love the flavor. Balsamic vinegar would have been good too, but the potatoes would have turned brown. Some recipes call for vinegar "powder", which definitely gives a stronger vinegar flavor. I didn't want to buy the powder for one recipe... I love how these turned out, they have just enough vinegar flavor for me. BUT, if you like a stronger taste, I suggest you soak the potatoes in plain vinegar for 30 minutes first. Then, drain and proceed as directed below. You can use white vinegar for that step, it's much more economical.

Thick or thin chips?: I prefer thicker potato chips - like these. If you want super thin chips, use a mandolin or the potato slicer on your food processor and reduce the cooking time to 10 to 15 minutes.

Salt and Vinegar Chips

1 pound potatoes, Idaho, gold or red (I chose red for both flavor and color), cut into 1/8-inch thick rounds
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
Salt, preferably sea salt

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, combine the potatoes, oil and vinegar. Toss to coat the potatoes.
Transfer the potatoes to the prepared pans and season with the salt.
Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until golden brown (or slightly longer for thicker chips).

Serves 4