If you thought accordion potatoes were the crispiest form of potato next to an actual potato chip, this recipe for 15-hour potatoes will certainly change your mind. In a series of videos that have since gone viral, cookbook author Poppy O'Toole, who goes by @PoppyCooks on TikTok, shared the secret to achieving the crispiest potatoes ever: 15 hours of slicing, marinating, layering, baking, then frying to perfection. Considering O'Toole is a Michelin-trained chef, it comes as no surprise that her crispy potato recipe is an all-day affair. But as someone who actually put it to the test, I can confirm that the process is a lot more tedious than it is technically challenging, and the majority of the 15 hours are spent waiting.

O'Toole's recipe calls for Maris Piper potatoes, but you can easily substitute russet potatoes instead. I ended up trying both russet and sweet potatoes, and both came out delicious. Sweet potatoes aren't really known for their crispness, but for this recipe, the potatoes are sliced very thinly, and each is coated in a serious amount of fat, so the sweet potato version still yielded great results. Based on my experience, this recipe can crisp up even the most reluctant potato.

The entire process involves slicing, baking, compressing, and frying the potatoes, and though it might seem complicated, the hardest part of the recipe is waiting 12 hours for the potatoes to set in the fridge. After the final frying stage, 15-hour potatoes are a textural masterpiece. They're flaky, crispy, and light, and in terms of flavor, they definitely check all the boxes. When I took my first bite, I could hardly believe there wasn't any other seasoning besides beef fat and salt, and honestly, it didn't need anything else, not even ketchup. Never would I have thought that I'd spend 15 hours on a single batch of potatoes, but for that first bite alone, I'd say it was time well spent.

Ingredients

1 cup rendered beef fat
1 tablespoon sea salt
3 pounds Maris Piper or russet potatoes
4 cups vegetable oil

Directions

Preheat the oven to 250℉. Peel, wash, then thinly slice potatoes with a mandolin. Add sliced potatoes to a bowl of beef fat and salt, then toss well to ensure each slice is fully saturated. Line a loaf pan with parchment paper, and layer potato slices evenly, one by one. Cover the top with parchment paper, and place in oven for 3 hours or until fork-tender. After 3 hours, remove potatoes from oven, then compress with cans or any heavy object. Place in the refrigerator, and chill for 12 hours. After 12 hours, remove potatoes from the loaf pan, and cut into rectangular segments. Heat vegetable oil to 375˚F, and lower potatoes into pot, deep frying for 3-5 minutes until golden brown. Remove from the pot, then let cool before sprinkling with salt. Enjoy!