The great Chip debate

Okay, how do you like/prepare your chips?

To start; to rinse, or not to rinse?

To blanch or not to blanch?

long and thin or short fat and chunky?

With or without skin? This of course depends on the spud used, which leads to -

Finally which spud?

Re: The great Chip debate

don't like thin chips but other than that like any I cook with or without skins, but not white potatoes. Cypress best, then reds, just wish I could get them like a good chippy does, but then I'd be the size of a house instead of just a bungalow.

Re: The great Chip debate

Aunt Bessies homestyle, fried instead of oven baked. Best chips ever! Given up real spuds, fingers won't peel em, also they're always hard inside when outside brown!

Re: The great Chip debate

I long mine medium thick and long, not the real long skinny ones, or the fat chunky type and never with skin, although I like skin on new boiled potatoes along with a big dollop of Irish butter, the wife makes nice chips and the Family prefer hers to the chip shop. I think she uses 'Maris Pipers' because I often her her ordering a bag of 'Mars Pipers' as she calls them off the grocer, when he calls I'm always expecting a load of little green men with bagpipes to step out of his van.

Re: The great Chip debate

Maris Piper are, for me, the best potato for pretty much anything. I like thick chips but stopped making my own years ago; now happy with McCain Homefries - especially the crinkle cut ones!

Re: The great Chip debate

From the local drive through that has been opened, just half a mile from home.
Opened by my favourite chippy.
Our deep fat fryer was stashed away about three years ago.

Re: The great Chip debate

I like to keep the skin if its nice m I cut then a few hours before eating and leave in water untill cooking to rinse off the starch I believe it makes for a more chip shop look to the chip , I then make sure the fat is real hot before putting chips in and make sure they are real brown before taking out. I prefer a white skin because the red skins give a fluffier chip hence allowing more oil in the chip.and I hate greasy chips .... then lots of salt and vinager and a dap of lime pickle to dip in

Re: The great Chip debate

I like my 'low fat' chips that I make since I've been on a healthy eating plan. I cut the spud into fattish chips then I spray them with spray oil and sprinkle on a generous amount of soy sauce and a little hot pepper sauce and mix them up. I then bake them in the oven, they might not sound nice but don't knock it till ya try it, my hubby and I love 'em and don't feel like we are missing out on chips! mmmm spicy chips

Re: The great Chip debate

I don't make traditional chips anymore only my version of oven Chips cooked with olive oil.

For good chips you need the right kind of potatoes (preferably King Edwards for me ) and beef dripping. They should be quite thickly cut/rinsed to remove excess starch/dried in a tea towel
and the fat needs to be the correct temperature.
First cook at a lower heat till cooked/crisp/pale.
Removed the chips and increase the heat then cook again until golden and crisp

Re: The great Chip debate

Ah Meg, a girl after me own heart as they say, although I use MP's (but as very similar to KE the result is not very different). 'Tis the 'double dip' that does the trick, results in lovely golden fluffy perfect chippies. I frequently do the first 'blanch' fry early in the day then the final hot cook just before serving.

Oh and Nobaggage, just a little piece of advice here, the vitamins and minerals present in vegetables are all water soluble, thus the longer they are in water the more of the good stuff leaches out, so in actuality, the hours your chips spend soaking in water, the less goodness remains, all they really need is a thorough rinse to remove the excess starch.

And Justme, reminds me of reading many decades ago (must have been many many 'cos it was by the chef from the Royal yacht) how the then young Princess Anne was on a low fat diet and he would make her 'his' chips, by first par-boiling spuds in a rich stock, removing and allowing to dry, then placing, on a heated tray and into a hot oven.

And I have just done something similar but using one of a range of sachets of sprinkle on seasonings expressly for tasty wedges now being sold in Tesco. There are three I have noticed but may be more, today am using a spicy cheesy one, scrumptious, but there is a garlic/herb one and a hot spicy one.