How to Make Chips

There are lots of different ways to make chips. This one deep fries the chips twice, once a low heat and then in oil as hot as you can get it. The first cooking makes the insides fluffy; the second cooking makes the outsides crispy.

Much of the skill in making chips come in cutting them correctly. The easiest way to do this reliably and consistently is to cut a thin slice of one slide; this creates a flat side. Put the potato flat side down and it will be stable whilst you slice it. Slice along the potato’s length for long chips. (Slicing across the length will give smaller slices and so smaller chips.) For chips, you should be aiming for 10-15 mm square crosss section, so thats how wide your slcies should be. Then take each slice, and cut into individual chips.

Choose your potatoes carefully. You want potatoes that have a high dry matter content, such as Cara or Maris Piper. Try to avoid the more waxy varieties. You also want them to be quite big, otherwise you will have small chips.

Vary the number of potatoes to make the desired amount of chips.

Equipment

• Deep fat frier

Ingredients

• Potatoes
• Oil for frying

Method

1. Heat the deep fat fryer to 140°C.
2. Peel the potatoes.
3. Cut the potatoes. The easiest way to do this reliably and consistently is to cut a thin slice of one slide; this creates a flat side. Put the potato flat side down and it will be stable whilst you slice it. For chips, you should be aiming for 10-15mm square crosss section, so thats how wide your slcies should be. Then take each slice, and cut into individual chips.
4. Rinse the chips well under running cold water.
5. Dry the chips on a tea towel.
6. Fry the chips for 8 minutes. The aim at this stage is to cook them through, so they should be soft, but not yet golden.
7. Take the chips out and leave to rest.
8. Turn the fryer up to its maiximum heat (usually about 190°C).
9. When it is up to temperature return the chips to the fryer.
10. Cook the chips until the they are golden and crispy. This will take at least 5 minutes. You will need to look every minute or so to check on how they are doing.
11. When they are done to your liking, tips the hips into a bowl lined with kitchen roll to soak up excess frying oil.

Pictures

1. 1. Heat the deep fat fryer to 140°C.
   2. Peel the potatoes.
      

1. Cut the potatoes. The easiest way to do this reliably and consistently is to cut a thin slice of one slide; this creates a flat side. Put the potato flat side down and it will be stable whilst you slice it. For chips, you should be aiming for 10-15mm square crosss section, so thats how wide your slcies should be. Then take each slice, and cut into individual chips.
   
2. Rinse the chips well under running cold water.
   
3. Dry the chips on a tea towel.
   
4. Fry the chips for 8 minutes. The aim at this stage is to cook them through, so they should be soft, but not yet golden.
   
5. Take the chips out and leave to rest.
   
6. Turn the fryer up to its maiximum heat (usually about 190°C).
7. When it is up to temperature return the chips to the fryer.
   
8. Cook the chips until the they are golden and crispy. This will take at least 5 minutes. You will need to look every minute or so to check on how they are doing.
   
9. When they are done to your liking, tips the hips into a bowl lined with kitchen roll to soak up excess frying oil.