Cook Cheese Chips in the Microwave
Cheese is good in almost any phase – be it solid, liquid, or what can best be described as “gel”. I have not encountered cheese in a gaseous state, but if I did, then I probably would like it. (Are there Easy Cheese Whippets?) One of my favorite forms of (hard) cheese is cheesy crisp, also known as “frico”, which is made by heating grated cheese until it’s melted, greasy, and hardened. into a lace cracker. It’s traditionally baked in the store or in the oven (or deep fryer), but you can make the perfect cheese chips in the microwave in less than two minutes.
Treat yourself to the highly acclaimed Science Furnace:
- Nostalgia Retro desktop microwave oven
- BLACK+DECKER digital microwave oven
- Farberware Tabletop Microwave
The only limiting factor is the size of your microwave oven. You might not be able to fit an entire skillet in there, but you can cook four at a time for two minutes per batch, all without heating up the house. This is especially useful if you’re making an appetizer for one or two, but it’s fast enough that you can whip up a bunch of fricos for a crowd if needed.
To make microwaveable cheese chips, you’ll need a hard, grated cheese like cheddar or parmesan. Grate it on a coarse grater and arrange the pieces in neat little piles, leaving at least half an inch between the piles. A tablespoon or so per stack is enough.
Fry the cheese for a minute or two until you have a golden lacy net of fried cheese sitting in a pool of cheese fat. Remove the plate from the microwave and immediately remove the cheese chips from the plate. Carefully remove them with a thin blade of a knife. (Don’t let them cool on a plate, they will float to the surface and break when you try to take them off.)
Transfer the chips to a wire rack and let them harden completely. Eat right away or top them with smoked paprika and honey for a special treat. You can even use them as a garnish, sprinkle them on salads and soups, or add them to sandwiches. Store uneaten chips in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week.