Spiky-haired Top Chef alum Richard Blais is the Willy Wonka of the culinary world. The Atlanta-based chef plays with chemicals and unlikely combinations even outside the kitchen: His signature hair gel is a mixture of duck fat and liquid nitrogen.

But not all of his recipes require advanced knowledge of kitchen chemistry. The playful dishes in the chef’s brand new book, Try This at Home (Clarkson Potter), are geared toward the home cook with a penchant for experimentation. Juiced-up favorites like beer-boiled peanuts, clams steamed in ginger beer, and tandoori fried chicken are innovative, but not out-of-reach for the cook without a liquid-nitrogen spray bottle.

Blais’s easy-to-make potato chip omelet is a fusion of two things that, for most people, occupy opposite ends of the mealtime spectrum: the eggy frittata and the all-American potato chip. While salt, eggs, and potatoes have anchored breakfast plates since time immemorial, the potatoes in this dish are just a bit crispier than usual. Enjoy with ketchup, if you are so inclined, and a hearty spoonful of sour cream.

Potato Chip Omelet
Serves 4

12 large eggs
3 tbsp. heavy cream
½ tsp. freshly ground white pepper
1 tbsp. finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 tbsp. minced fresh chives
6 cups plain kettle-cooked potato chips
2 tbsp. unsalted butter or vegetable oil

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, cream, white pepper, parsley, and chives together until combined. Fold in the potato chips until they are completely covered in the egg mixture, but try not to crush the chips too much. Let stand for 10 minutes, until the chips soften slightly.

2. Heat the butter in an ovenproof 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, swirling the pan to coat the bottom completely, until very hot. Carefully pour in the egg mixture and spread it evenly in the pan, then immediately reduce the heat to low. Cook until the eggs are set and the bottom is light golden, about 15 minutes. If the bottom is golden but the eggs are still runny on the top, transfer the skillet to the preheated oven and bake until the eggs are completely set, 3 to 4 minutes.

3. To serve, invert a large flat plate over the pan and flip the pan and the plate to invert the omelet onto the plate. Let stand for at least 5 minutes before cutting into wedges and serving.

Reprinted from the book Try This At Home. Copyright © 2013 by Richard Blais. Photographs copyright © 2013 by John Lee.  Published by Clarkson Potter, a division of Random House, Inc.