salt and vinegar potatoes

So I have a small obsession with Salt and Vinegar potato chips. I love them. They are my favorite. Doesn't matter what brand. I could (and have) eat the entire bag in one sitting. And then my mouth is raw and terrible for a few hours. But, I tell myself it's worth it. I was thinking to myself that I would like to make salt and vinegar potatoes in the oven, but I was afraid they would be damp, which would be strange. I feared the idea of actually coating them with vinegar and having my house smell terrible for a while. I got over that.

So this starts with some red potatoes; about a pound of them. Red potatoes are so soft and not so starchy, they are pretty easy to work with. And their skin is so supple you don't have to worry about peeling them. They have been washed, they've been dried and now it's time to slice.

Once all the potatoes have been sliced into 1/4 inch slices, it's time to boil. Yes, boil.

Why boil? This is where your vinegar flavor comes from. That isn't water you see up there. Well, half of it is, but half of that liquid is white distilled vinegar as well. Equal parts- 2 cups water, 2 cups white vinegar. Place the potatoes in the COLD water and COLD vinegar and let them come up together. That ensures that everything cooks evenly.

As soon as the water/ vinegar is boiling, turn the heat to medium low and let it simmer.

Let this simmer for about 5-8 minutes. Keep poking the potatoes with a fork because as soon as they are just fork tender, you'll want to remove the pan from the heat.

Let the fully cooked and boiled potatoes chill out in the water for about 30 minutes to cool down. This will infuse even MORE vinegar flavor into the potatoes.

Okay, so 30 minutes later, drain the potatoes and dry them on a paper towel. Make sure they are completely dry before transferring them to a baking sheet.

Toss those boiled potatoes in olive oil, salt and pepper. Then shake the pan.

Shake out the pan so the potatoes are in (roughly) a single layer and pop into the oven.

Once they are looking like this, turn on the broiler and let them crisp up on the edges. You'll want that crispy-ness.

Oh, ho ho. Yes yes. These will do just fine.

Salt and Vinegar Potatoes
4 red potatoes, about 1 lb
2 cups water
2 cups distilled white vinegar
Olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a medium sauce pan, combine together water and vinegar. Slice potatoes to a 1/4 inch thickness and add to vinegar/ water. Bring water, vinegar and potatoes to a boil and then reduce heat to medium and water to a simmer. Continue to simmer for 5-8 minutes or until potatoes are just fork tender. Remove sauce pan from heat and let sit for 30 minutes. Drain and dry on a paper towel. Place dried potatoes on a sheet pan and toss with olive oil, salt and pepper. Arrange in a single layer on the pan and place in preheated oven. Bake in oven for 15 minutes, or until slightly translucent. Turn on broiler and crisp potatoes on either side until brown and crispy. Serve hot and enjoy!