Battles of Saratoga
This decisive victory in 1777 of the American troops over the British redcoats (nicknamed “lobsters” by the Colonists) was a turning point in the early days of the Revolutionary War. British Gen. John Burgoyne had been attempting to cut New England off from the rest of the country when he led an invasion army southward toward New York from Canada. His troops easily captured Fort Ticonderoga on Lake Champlain. But Colonial forces stood their ground when he crept south.
After two small battles on Sept. 19 and Oct. 7, Burgoyne found himself surrounded at the village of Saratoga. His surrender on Oct. 17 compelled the kingdom of France and Spain to support the American cause.
PG tested The humble fried potato chip has been an American staple at least since the 19th century, with an early recipe included in Mary Randolph’s influential “The Virginia HouseWife; Or, Methodical Cook” published in 1824. But it didn’t really become a popular snack food until the 1850s, when an unhappy diner at Moon’s Lake House in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., insisted his fried potato slices be made thinner and thinner.
Moon’s cook George Crum was so irritated by the request, the story goes, that he cut them paper thin, fried them to a crisp and seasoned them with way too much salt. Alas, the customer loved them and the dish soon became known as “Saratoga Chips.” By the early 1900s, potato chips were being produced commerically.
In their 1940 cookbook “America Cooks,” food writers Cora, Rose and Bob Brown instructed readers to slice the potatoes “to fairylike thinness” and fry them in lard. This recipe published in 1904 in the New York Times
substituted the lard with olive oil to give the chips less heft.
3 large white potatoes, peeled Olive oil, for frying Salt
Using a mandoline (carefully), slice potatoes
⅛- inch thick (or thinner). Soak potato slices in cold water until ready to fry, then drain and dry them thoroughly on a towel.
Fill large saute pan with ½ inch olive oil. Place over medium-high heat; the oil is ready when it browns a breadcrumb in 30 seconds. Drop a few potato slices at a time into the oil and fry until the edges begin to brown, 3 to 4 minutes, then turn the slices and brown the other side, 1 to 2 minutes. Drain on a baking sheet lined with paper towels. Keep warm in a 175-degree oven while you fry the rest of the potatoes. Just before serving, pile the potatoes into a bowl and season with salt, tossing to disperse the seasoning. Delicious naked but also good served with your favorite dip. Serves 8 as an hors d’oeuvre, 4 to 6 as a side dish.