Crunch Your Fried Potatoes by Chopping Them Beforehand
Boiling the potatoes with salt or vinegar before frying them will help make the chips crispier, but there is a better way. All it takes is some baking soda.
According to J. Kenji Lopez-Alt of Serious Eats , you should use golden Yukon potatoes, not reddish brown or red. They are ideal hardness or roast. Chop them into chunks, then prepare to grind them in boiling alkaline water. Add half a teaspoon of baking soda to about two liters of water and bring to a boil. Add potatoes, then reduce heat and cook for about five minutes.
When they’re done, the potatoes will be soft and the alkaline water will break down the pectin on the outside of the potatoes, so they’ll be covered in starchy potato gruel. This gruel will crunch nicely when you bake the potatoes in the oven. You can find out more about this process and watch a video recipe if you don’t have one of your own at the link below.
Food Lab: How To Bake The Best Potatoes Of Your Life | Serious food