Marmite. Love it or hate it?
I love it.
I slather Marmite on toast. I mix Marmite and peanut butter and eat it on celery. I’ve spread it on a corn tortilla and baked it until crisp in the oven. Love it!
Marmite is thick, has a very salty flavor, and, for some, is definitely an acquired taste. This dense, almost meaty-flavored condiment made the list in Ginny Messina’s excellent post on Umami:
It’s been dubbed the “fifth taste” (the other four being sweet, sour, bitter, and salty). Discovered over 100 years ago, umami has more recently become a respectable area of research. The taste/experience of umami is imparted by high levels of the amino acid glutamate. While certain vegetables have umami, it’s especially abundant in protein-rich animal foods.
A few weeks ago I saw a mention of Marmite potato chips on their Facebook page.
I immediately started searching to find a local store that carried the crisps or an online source to place an order. I couldn’t find them anywhere in the U.S. I wrote about my obsession on my own Facebook page and was told that Walker’s Marmite Crisps weren’t vegan.
Clearly, I needed to make them for myself.
Marmite Sweet Potato Chips
Ingredients (Makes about 4 cups)
- 4 medium sweet potatoes
- 1/2 cup hot water
- 2 tablespoons Marmite
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
Instructions
- Heat oven to 400F
- Wash sweet potatoes and slice into 1/8 inch slices; set aside in a large mixing bowl.
- Pour water into the blender and turn it on (low). Drizzle the Marmite in slowly.
- Add vinegar, turn on high super-quick, and then you’re done. This will seem like 2 cups because it will be foamy.
- Pour over the potato slices in the mixing bowl. Toss, using your hands, to make sure all slices are covered.
- Set the bowl aside for about 15 minutes.
- Place potato slices on a cookie sheet, single layer, and pour about 1/4 cup of marinade over each sheet.
- Bake for 35 minutes (or until crisp), turning at the halfway point.
If you want a thicker marinade, I would suggest playing with it. Cut the water to 1/4 cup or increase the Marmite another tablespoon. Baking time will vary depending upon the thickness of your potato slices; if you opt for thinner than 1/8 inch, it will require less baking time.
Responses
Never tried Marmite before, can you believe it? But I love sweet potatoes, & chips, put ’em together, & even better!
(I like how you’re wearing gloves while using your mandolin>)
I’m terrified of my mandoline!
this is brilliant JL! I have never tried marmite, but love the look of these chips, how they take on that shape after baking (I’m assuming from the very thin slice with the mandolin). Super fun, super treat! Sharing. 🙂
Dreena, I sliced them at 1/8 inch. Worked great for both baking and dehydrating, though I think a thinner slice could cut down on the baking time.
You are my hero! BRILLIANT.
Ha! Thanks, Ricki!
That looks so good! Have you posted about your dehydrator? I’ve been thinking about getting one, and I’d like to get some recommendations!
I started with a L’Equip dehydrator when I first went vegan. Then one day a blogger had a 50% off sale on the Excalibur on her Open Sky store. Add to cart! I have the five-try, does not have auto-off. Love it.
I adore marmite! And I adore this recipe.
Thank you! I was thinking of you when I decided to make half a batch raw!
OH YESSS! I LOVE Marmite like none other. We make roasted potatoes with a Marmite glaze/baste and it is SOOO good. Marmite anything really!
I’ll have to try these!!
I love the “scary mandoline” comment – are those the Kevlar gloves that you’re using? I have those for working with my mandoline too, (Amazon actually sells them together!) though I always forget to wear them ’cause I grew up using a mandoline and it never occurred to me, when I was twelve, that it might not be all that safe!!
I’m LOL! I had one bad cut when I first got the mandoline and tossed it on the shelf, never to be used again. Then I saw these gloves on amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003DZ02MU/ref=wms_ohs_product and dusted it off for use again 😉
I just ADORE marmite! This recipe is fantastic! I must try it sometime! I bought a mandoline slicer once but took it back – it was way too scary for me to use…I can use my food processor!
Vicky, I cut myself once on mine, which is why I use those heavy duty chef gloves now. Work great!
I LOVE Marmite! i can’t find it around here though. You should turn this into a business – I’d order bag after bag!
OMG, that would be so much fun!
These look fabulous, great pics! I could make an entire bag disappear easily!
Thank you! Try these – you will LOVE them!
I am so glad you made these!
Where in the US can I find Marmite?
I got it at my local health food store but you can order it from Amazon, too!
Good to know! I think Marmite may just be my splurge item of the month. 🙂
My go-to quick snack is to mix crumbled cold plain tofu with vegemite, chilli, and nutritional yeast. I’ve also been known to eat teeny spoonfuls of vegemite straight. I will certainly be making this! (But not with Marmite, because that is anathema to my Australian soul. 😉 )
YUM!
I’ve never tried marmite, although this post definitely made me curious! I’ve certainly heard enough about it…why do you think the dehydrator version came out better?
I think I just prefer the texture of dehydrated veggies over baked.
[…] Cherry & Olive Pitter tool. I am a huge fan of OXO tools (I used their mandoline when I made Marmite Sweet Potato Chips last week). The folks at OXO included an Ice Cream Scoop in the complimentary package (for which I […]
Oh wow – you know I love marmite (although I like vegemite better), so I’ll have to try this one! I didn’t realize vegemite didn’t have the B12 addition that marmite did, I learned something new today. 🙂
Truthfully? I thought the only distinction was national pride – until I did the research for this post!
Yep, one slice and it was glove or never use it again!
I tried this recipe, but had to throw all of it in the trash. I think I should have used bigger sweet potatoes, because my slices were much smaller and they all either burned or didn’t get crispy enough 🙁
Oh no! Yep, baking time for chips is really specific to the size of the chip (how thick and thin it is). It’s the other reason I use the scary mandoline – the chip sixe is consistent which make for even baking times.