When it comes to the kitchen, sometimes basic skills get overlooked. Especially for those who do not have a strong cooking background or some level of comfort in the kitchen, recipe cards with many ingredients and little technique can feel seriously intimidating. That’s why I love to turn my attention to cooking foundations. We don’t need to focus on souffle to enjoy a wonderful meal, thankfully. Excellent roasting, sauteeing, and slicing can get us exactly where we need to go.
One of my frequent choices for an easy, nutritious meal is Japanese Sweet Potato Chips. It’s a simple staple, but mastering it pays wonderful dividends. They’re lighter in flavor and firmer in texture than other orange sweet potato varieties and bake wonderfully when done right. I love to use these as a side dish, or to act as a “bun” on a burger. They’re perfect for scooping, dipping, snacking, and sandwiching. The recipe is simple, and practicing it a few times is key. Once you’ve got them down right, these will become a delicious staple in your kitchen.
Japanese Sweet Potato Chips
Ingredients
- 2 large Japanese sweet potatoes, sliced into 1/4-inch rounds
- olive oil
- salt
- pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375º F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a sil pat.
- Add sliced sweet potato rounds to a large bowl. Drizzle olive oil over the top, and then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Using clean hands, toss the rounds in the seasonings thouroughly, ensuring that both sides of the potato is coated in olive oil.
- Lay the rounds onto the prepared pan, spacing them evenly apart with approximately 2-inches between each round. It's critical that there's space between them so that air and heat can flow evenly. Otherwise, some will burn and others will be soft instead of crisp.
- Bake for approximately 15 minutes, then remove the pan from the oven and flip each potato onto it's other side. Return to the oven for another 15 minutes, or until very golden and getting crisp. Remove from oven and let cool for 5 mnutes before eating. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. Enjoy!