Who doesn't love crisps! If you have a real weakness for this snack and also love jamon, we have some great recipe for you. Before you get your ingredients ready, please read our little tips below to make your crisps even better.

Tips

• We did not see a fundamental difference between the different varieties of potatoes. The key was their size. Small potatoes are not suitable because it is impossible to achieve sufficiently large uniform slices.
• To slice potato crisps, you need a peeler or an ordinary grinder. Even with extreme caution, we were unable to cut crisps whose thickness would be sufficiently constant. Pay extra attention when frying the slices, so you will  not burn the edges and get floury texture in the middle. 
• For jamón spices, it is necessary to choose thin lean slices with the least possible fat infiltration. Since in the end we want the driest possible powder without sticky fat, we really only need meat. 
• It seems best to season the chips immediately after frying, but even then the coverage is not entirely satisfactory. Sprinkle the rest of the jamon spices on top.

INGREDIENTS

Serves 4

1 large potato (200-300g)

50g jamon for thin slices - only the lean part with the least possible fat infiltration

1 tsp smoked paprika

1 tsp of coarsely ground black pepper

1 tsp salt (depending on the salinity of the jamon)

500 ml of oil

METHOD

1. Wash and peel the potatoes (optional).
2. Cut into slices about 1 mm thick (almost impossible to do with a knife, you need to have a peeler or grinder). The thickness of 1 mm is more than any conventional crisps, but if you want to have really rustic crisps, you can get closer to a thickness of 2 mm.
3. Wash the slices thoroughly in a bowl of cold water, under the tap, until all the starch is washed away and the water is clear. Less starch on the chip surface increases crispness.
4. Dry the slices on a paper towel, stacking them one by one.
   Pour cold oil into a pot not too large to reach a high oil level. We line the oil slices in several layers. The potatoes do not stick together, when fried, the water in the potatoes turns into steam and creates cushions which separate the crisps from each other.
5. Only now do we turn on the stove at medium intensity. This is a method also used when frying french fries. Despite their intuition, potatoes do not absorb oil and become floury. This method allows you to fry a large batch of crisps at once, because you do not risk uneven cooling of the oil. It is also easier to hit the right temperature without a thermometer. As soon as the crisps start to bubble in the oil, you have reached the ideal temperature. 
6. In the meantime, we will prepare jamon spices. Preheat the oven to 150 C and place the slices of jamon on a baking sheet. Bake for 15-25 minutes, depending on the thickness of the slices. The petals should not be black, but should be completely free of the last residue of water and must be completely brittle. Together with pepper, paprika and salt, grind the slices of crispy jamon in a mortar or pestle into a fine powder. 

Roasted slices of jamon still need to be degreased.

During the frying of the potatoes, we remove any bits that are stuck on the bottom of the pot and mix the potatoes lightly and press them down from the surface. 

Potato crisps in the lower layers are finished a little faster than the ones floating on the surface. 

The whole process takes 15-30 minutes depending on the oil temperature. The potato crisps are ready as soon as they stop bubbling when pickled, ie as soon as they lose all the water. 

The crisps must be absolutely crunchy throughout. Remove with a perforated spoon and let it drip ideally on the grid or on a paper towel.

Because the crisps do not pass through any acid bath, they are much darker in colour than conventional commercial chips, however without a hint of any burnt taste.

After 5 minutes, you can mix the crisps with the spices, ideally in a resealable bag. Carefully mix until you have almost no spice left at the bottom. 

Store the freshly homemade crisps in an airtight container or bag without air access.

Enjoy the finished crisps with jamon spices.

Buen provecho!