Root Vegetable Chips Recipes

Steps:

• Using a vegetable peeler, peel parsnips into long, thin strips, turning often, and stopping when you get to the tough core. With a mandoline or a hand slicer, slice potatoes, sweet potatoes, and beets into very thin rounds (less than 1/8 inch thick). Transfer vegetables to separate bowls, and separate slices with your fingers.
• Heat 3 inches of oil in a deep, heavy pot until it reaches 360 degrees. Working in small batches, fry parsnips, stirring to separate, until light gold and crisp, 30 to 45 seconds. With a wire-mesh skimmer, transfer to a baking sheet lined with a double layer of paper towels. Spread parsnips into a single layer, and sprinkle with salt. Repeat with potatoes and then sweet potatoes, cooking each batch about 1 minute. Replace paper towels between batches. (Adjust heat between batches as needed to maintain oil temperature.)
• Toss beet slices with Wondra flour, and shake off excess. Fry beets until crisp and golden, stirring to separate slices, about 1 minute. With a wire-mesh skimmer, transfer to a baking sheet lined with a double layer of paper towels. Spread beets in a single layer, and sprinkle with salt. Let chips dry and cool completely before serving or storing. Wrap chips in paper towels, then plastic wrap, and store in a resealable plastic bag for up to 1 day.

Steps:

• Peel vegetables and cut into 1/8-inch slices. Place in a large bowl. Drizzle with oil. Combine the remaining ingredients; sprinkle over vegetables and toss to coat., Arrange in a single layer on racks in two ungreased 15x10x1-in. baking pans. Bake at 375° for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown, turning once.

Steps:

• To make the dip: Preheat the oven to 400°F Cut the garlic in half horizontally, keeping the head as intact as possible-do not peel the garlic. Drizzle the cut surfaces with the oil and season with a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Put the two halves back together to re-form the garlic head. Wrap tightly in aluminum foil. Bake until the garlic is tender and the cloves have turned golden beige, 35 to 45 minutes. Unwrap the garlic and let cool completely. Squeeze the garlic pulp out of the skins into a small bowl, discarding the skins.
• Using a fork, mash the garlic pulp until smooth. Stir in the ricotta, Parmigiano, and sour cream. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Let stand* for 30 minutes at room temperature to blend the flavors. (The dip can be prepared 1 day ahead, covered, and refrigerated. Let it come to room temperature before serving.)
• To make the chips: Using a mandoline or plastic V-slicer, cut the root vegetables as directed below. The slices should be almost paper-thin, less than 116 inch. As the vegetables are sliced, place each kind in a separate large bowl of cold water and let stand* for 30 minutes to remove excess starch.
• Carrots and parsnips: Peel and cut lengthwise into very thin strips.
• Beets: Rub your hands lightly with vegetable oil to keep the beet juices from staining your skin. Peel the beets and cut crosswise into very thin rounds.
• Lotus roots: These can be found at Asian grocers, and make very interesting chips with random holes throughout. Peel and cut crosswise into very thin rounds.
• Taro: Also known as yautia, this root vegetable can be purchased at Latino and Asian markets. Fried taro chips have a slight purple tinge. Peel and cut crosswise into very thin rounds.
• Drain the vegetables well. Spread them out between layers of paper towels and pat completely dry.
• Place a large wire cake rack over a jelly roll pan. Fill a large roasting pan with a double thickness of crumpled paper towels. In a deep Dutch oven, melt vegetable shortening over high heat to a depth of 2 to 3 inches and heat it to 350°F
• In separate batches, without crowding, deep-fry the vegetables, stirring often with a wire-mesh skimmer to separate the chips, until the chips are golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. (If you are frying beets, fry them last, as their color may leach into the oil.) Using the skimmer, transfer the chips to the wire racks to drain briefly, then move them to the roasting pan with paper towels to remove excess oil. Separate each new layer of chips with more paper towels. The chips will crisp as they cool, and are best served at room temperature within 6 hours of frying. Just before serving, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and serve with the ricotta dip.