Chocolate Covered Potato Chips with Anise and Fennel

Seriously....who doesn't love the combination of a salty potato chip covered in sweet melted chocolate?  I was hooked the first time I tried this yummy treat.  A little candy shoppe in Northern New Jersey made these sweet-salty delights, and it was a rare occasion when they didn't sell out daily.  The swanky packaging made the experience that much better, and how I swoon for cute and over-the-top packaging.

So when i saw this intriguing take on this treat...I simply couldn't wait, and my kitchen was soon filled with the aroma of melted chocolate and lots of little seeds.  

Mark Bittman, an American food journalist and author, traveled to Denmark to check out Noma, the restaurant that earned the title of "The Best Restaurant in the World."  He found this award-winning recipe and re-created it for the simple home cook.  You can find the original recipe at http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/38863227/ns/today-foodwine/

Potato Chips with Anise and Chocolate
Makes about 5-10 servings

Ingredients
About 1 pound good quality bittersweet chocolate, chopped into bean-size pieces, (I used 1 bag of chocolate chips)
50 nice potato chips, unsalted (I used salted potato chips...I couldn't resist)
1 tsp anise seeds
1 tsp fennel seeds

Directions
Melt almost all of the chocolate in the top of a double boiler (or a clean metal pan set over simmering water) ; use a candy thermometer and remove the chocolate from the heat when it reaches between 110F to 115F.  (I didn't feel the need to use a candy thermometer, I just took it off the heat once it was all melted.)  

Pull the chips through the melted chocolate to cover them, then cool on a parchment covered tray.  Sprinkle the anise and fennel seeds over them before they cool completely.  I placed the tray in the fridge to cool completely.  

Enjoy!