For years I have collected vintage party cookbooks, relishing in the sometimes timeless and sometimes hilariously dated advice they provide to aspiring hosts. While I was writing Party Tricks, my own entry into the genre, I was haunted by a quote from the introduction to James Beard’s 1940 book Hors D’Oeuvre and Canapés.
“The cocktail party no longer means a bottle of gin, a can of sardines, and a package of potato chips from the corner grocery,” wrote Beard. Maybe this rang true in 1940, but in the 21st century, this short grocery list sounds to me like a recipe for a great party.
For less than $5, potato chips are expertly fried hors d’oeuvres that require zero vats of hot oil (no industrial HVAC systems or costume changes required). You can dress chips up, dress them down, or just frantically pour them into a bowl to buy yourself a little extra time to bake those savory puff pastry tarts, or to stir martinis for your guests. In case these weren’t enough reasons to buy this staple on repeat, here are a few of my favorite ways to improve the party with a bag of chips.
Serve them with a two-ingredient dip
Although I’m a huge devotee of a classic onion dip, I find that minimalism is sometimes better. In Party Tricks, I pair salt-and-vinegar potato chips with a bowl of crème fraîche topped with trout roe (you can garnish the whole pile with a few chives if you want). It’s a way to show off a small amount of caviar without composing a million one-bite canapés. You could swap the crème fraîche for sour cream (or BA staffer Emma Laperruque’s genius two-ingredient dressing), the trout roe for any fish eggs you have, and top it with the herb of your choice.
Invent your own dream chip flavor
That bag of all-dressed or green curry chips can be a party conversation starter, but when your local grocery store selection starts boring you, it’s time to dream up your own house flavor. Can’t find Old Bay chips outside of Maryland? Make your own! Want your potato chips to channel onion dip flavors—no dip required? Pick up a bag of store-bought chips to shower with onion powder, garlic powder, and fresh dill.
Make some chip dust
Crushed potato chips are a shortcut to texture, richness, and salt. I’m especially fond of pulverized salt and vinegar chips when I want to add acidity to a dish without including liquid. You can use them to garnish a dip (like this giardiniera number), add breading to something you’re frying (try them on chicken cutlets), or as a topping for a casserole.
Tower them high
A few years ago, Ernesto’s, a Basque restaurant on the Lower East Side, started serving a mile-high tower of alternating layers of house-made potato chips and Ibérico ham. Since then, I’ve seen chip towers pop up on cooking websites, friends’ Instagrams, and many more restaurant menus. Former BA staffer Jessie YuChen has a recipe on Epicurious where sea salt chips are drizzled with honey butter and studded with crispy salami. But so many combos work. Just layer the chips in a shallow bowl, alternating with stacks of charcuterie, tinned mussels, or finely grated cheese.
