'Died and Gone to Heaven' Olive Tapenade Potato Chips - Ode to a Tuber Part Fourteen!

I can't believe I'm doing another Ode to Tuber, already! Normally, it's at least a month or so before I find another potato recipe that I find worthy of trying. As I mentioned in my recent salad post, I have a new cookbook - Stir by Barbara Lynch. I love this cookbook and the pictures are pure eye candy. I've already bookmarked so many recipes I want to try - but this potato recipe jumped off the page and onto my plate next ;)

These crispy potato chips are made by thinly slicing a baking potato on a mandoline and spreading a little homemade or store-bought olive tapenade on one slice, topping it with another slice and then quickly frying the potato 'sandwich' in hot oil. Oh my, these are tasty! I think they would be wonderful served with fish or soup. My taste-tester-husband said 'Wow! These are great!. High praise, indeed.

I served them with thinly sliced olives and also fried a little parsley to garnish while I had the oil hot. I love crispy, fried parsley and got that idea from one of our favorite restaurants that serves their calamari garnished with fried parsley. I also slivered some green and Kalamata olives and sprinkled them over the crispy potatoes. Ah-love at first bite!

If you're feeling adventurous, please give these a try - they're well worth the effort!

Olive Tapenade Potato Chips
Adapted from Stir by Barbara Lynch
Printable Recipe

Serves 1-2

1 large baking potato, peeled
1 cup canola oil
Olive tapenade (either homemade or purchased) - about 2 tablespoons

To get the thinnest slices, use a mandoline to slice the potato. You also could use a knife but getting paper-thin slices will be more difficult.

Over medium-high heat, heat the canola oil in a small saucepan or use a small cast iron skillet as I did. The pan should be large enough to fit two or three slices of potato. When ready, the oil should be hot enough to fry a potato slice scrap when placed in the oil.

While the oil is heating, spread about 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of tapenade down the middle of a potato slice. Top with another potato slice and press down to seal. Repeat with the remaining slices. Cover with paper toweling until ready to fry.

Fry a couple of potato 'sandwiches' at a time in the hot oil until they are cooked and golden brown on each side, flipping over with a spatula. This will take 1-2 minutes. You may need to adjust the heat during frying, if necessary, Don't worry if some of the edges open during frying. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain and potato toweling. A little coarse salt may be sprinkled on them immediately after removing from the oil but use caution, the tapenade is already slightly salty.

These are best eaten warm but I found them just as tasty at room temperature!

I'm sharing this recipe with all the other Foodies for Foodie Friday at Designs by Gollum. If you're looking for some great recipes, please stop in for a look. Thank you, Michael, for hosting once again!