Thick cut home made chips

Conmaicne Mara

I was in an eatery in Sligo a few days ago, they served some seriously thick chips. Must have been an inch thick at the least. They were cooked perfectly.

As we really enjoyed them, I was wondering what the best way is to cook these thick chips without burning the outside or leaving the inside uncooked?

What would be the best type spud to make them from?

Many thanks..

Mr Simpson

Imo best way would be to peel and slice them into chips. Par-boil (until they're pretty much cooked) them in seasoned water. Dry them on kitchen paper, then deep fry at 190c until crispy and golden.

Victor_M

Conmaicne Mara wrote: »

I was in an eatery in Sligo a few days ago, they served some seriously thick chips. Must have been an inch thick at the least. They were cooked perfectly.

As we really enjoyed them, I was wondering what the best way is to cook these thick chips without burning the outside or leaving the inside uncooked?

What would be the best type spud to make them from?

Many thanks..

Par boil the cut chips for 5 mins in slightly salted water

Preheat oil in oven in a heavy baking tray at very hot temp 220 for at least 20 mins ou want the chips to sizzle when thy hit the oil

After 5 mins remove and drain the chips, toss a bit to get the edges crumbly and drain all water, I let the sit for at least 5-10 mind so as much moisture as possible evaporates so the hit oil doesn't splash.

Put chips in the oil toss and turn to coat all sides with sizzling oil.

Season with salt or seasoning salt

In for 25 mins or so, remove and turn over for another 20 mins or until crispy.

They serve up really well with fresh chopped rosemary sprinkled all over!

monty_python

a nice waxy spud is the best to use for chips.
no need to peel it, just wash it well and cut as thick/thin as you want.
blanch in the fryer at 140 untill cooked through then lift the basket and turn fryer up to 190 and fry again until nice and crispy.
if you really want to go nuts check out heston blumenthal's method for makin chips

Stheno

mmcn90 wrote: »

Imo best way would be to peel and slice them into chips. Par-boil (until they're pretty much cooked) them in seasoned water. Dry them on kitchen paper, then deep fry at 190c until crispy and golden.

Is this what is referred to as twice cooked chips?

Mr Simpson

Stheno wrote: »

Is this what is referred to as twice cooked chips?

Yep, there's also twice fried chips. Par boil, dry them, then chill. Fry them at 160c, chill again and finish by frying at 190c. But enough of that Heston Blumenthal nonsense, thats far too much effort

Seaneh

ignore these jessies and their par boiling.

Cut them good and thick and then fry them at about 140c for about 20 minutes in a mixture of duck/goose fat and rape seed oil.

They will be cooked through but very pale.

Take them out of the oil and put them on a plate lined with kitchen paper, cover with more kitchen paper and then put them in the fridge for an hour.

After that heat some rape seed oil to about 190c and fry them for about 4-5 minutes (until they are nice and golden brown).


You can thank me later.


This is not an every day type of side dish, obviously.

Curry Addict

I use roosters. peel them and chop then. put in boiling water, the temperature of the water will drop so bring it back to the boil and boil for 3 and a half minutes. dump them into a colander and rinse with cold water. drain and let them sit for 10mins. then deep fry at 190 for about 7 minutes.
they come out nice and crispy on the outside and nice and soft in the middle.

Alun

mmcn90 wrote: »

Yep, there's also twice fried chips. Par boil, dry them, then chill. Fry them at 160c, chill again and finish by frying at 190c. But enough of that Heston Blumenthal nonsense, thats far too much effort

Wouldn't those be thrice fried chips?

LaChatteGitane

Seaneh wrote: »

ignore these jessies and their par boiling.

Cut them good and thick and then fry them at about 140c for about 20 minutes in a mixture of duck/goose fat and rape seed oil.

They will be cooked through but very pale.

Take them out of the oil and put them on a plate lined with kitchen paper, cover with more kitchen paper and then put them in the fridge for an hour.

After that heat some rape seed oil to about 190c and fry them for about 4-5 minutes (until they are nice and golden brown).


You can thank me later.


This is not an every day type of side dish, obviously.

That's how I've always made chips. But I use sunflower oil most of the time.
A while ago I tried Heston Blumenthal's way : cut, wash, parboil, first fry, second fry and in between the cooking, frying and frying they needed to go into the freezer for an hour or so.
They were nice, but not that nice in comparison with all the work and time that went into them.
I'll stick to my method in future, just as good.

emeraldstar

Alun wrote: »

Wouldn't those be thrice fried chips?

Thrice-cooked, maybe.

It's not even 10am and, damnit, I want chips

Alun

emeraldstar wrote: »

Thrice-cooked, maybe.

Mr Simpson

Alun wrote: »

Wouldn't those be thrice fried chips?

Twice fried, thrice cooked

MrO

Victor_M wrote: »

They serve up really well with fresh chopped rosemary sprinkled all over!

Maybe it's just me but I find fresh (as in fresh from the garden) Rosemary a little bit too tough for eating raw i.e. it's still pretty sharp even when chopped up

Tasty though

rubadub

The chippers usually fry twice, many people think they are all giving you reheated leftovers. I sometimes get chips from a chipper and wrap them in a towel or jumper and leave them sit. They continue to cook and go more mushy which I prefer.

Heston calls his triple cooked http://www.channel4.com/4food/recipes/chefs/heston-blumenthal/triple-cooked-chips-recipe

I saw Gary Rhodes twice frying, but I think he fried first in oil only about 100C or just below, more like boiling, slowly releasing steam out. This is also more energy efficient, as you are not heating water and then oil again after. A pot of oil also takes less than half the energy to heat up as the same volume of water.

I have a deep fryer that can be set right down to 65C.

EZ24GET

I would clean the potatoes well cut into quarters and put in a hot oven . Would probably use a Idaho potato as for baking, Would spray my cookie sheet with nonstick and bake until just tender , Let rest about 20 minutes and then deep fry til golden on outside. Would toss the still hot potatoes with salt mixed with just a bit of cayenne.

Mellor

LaChatteGitane wrote: »

A while ago I tried Heston Blumenthal's way : cut, wash, parboil, first fry, second fry and in between the cooking, frying and frying they needed to go into the freezer for an hour or so.
They were nice, but not that nice in comparison with all the work and time that went into them.
I'll stick to my method in future, just as good.

That awkward and time consuming method is also how McDonalds prepare their fries.
Boiled, fried, frozen, fried.
Obviously, freezing helps transporting uniform product, but it also improves texture.

Source: a blog post whee the author investigated how to recreate McDonald's fries at home.

EZ24GET

We enjoy fries at festivals and street fairs made sort of like that, They aren't boiled or frozen but are put in the deep fryer at a lower temp the first time around, cut thin, jackets on and fried until soft but not crisp. Then let to sit - starches seem to calm down in the resting period and they are a little sweeter. When someone orders the frying basket is filled with the soft but not brown fries. This time the temperature of the oil is about 400* F= very hot, so that the outside crisps up and browns rapidly. Salt and vinegar and they are delightful to munch on as you walk. I wonder, now that I've made my mouth water for want of them where is the nearest festival?

pickarooney

You should organise some sort of boards.ie chips showdown.

digitaldr

Victor_M wrote: »

Par boil the cut chips for 5 mins in slightly salted water

Preheat oil in oven in a heavy baking tray at very hot temp 220 for at least 20 mins ou want the chips to sizzle when thy hit the oil

After 5 mins remove and drain the chips, toss a bit to get the edges crumbly and drain all water, I let the sit for at least 5-10 mind so as much moisture as possible evaporates so the hit oil doesn't splash.

Put chips in the oil toss and turn to coat all sides with sizzling oil.

Season with salt or seasoning salt

In for 25 mins or so, remove and turn over for another 20 mins or until crispy.

They serve up really well with fresh chopped rosemary sprinkled all over!

That's pretty much how I cook chips as I'm not keen on deep fat frying. I boil in unsalted water though and sprinkle on salt before I put them in the oven. I also open the oven door very briefly a couple of times during cooking to let any steam out.