Homemade chips

[FutureMarchionessOfVidal]

I very rarely make chips & when I do they are generally not great - too hard and pale ☹️ or sometimes soggy ☹️.

I have found a recipe which suggests chopping the potatoes (King Edwards) into chips, putting in cold water, bringing to boil & simmering for 5-8 minutes, then draining them & drying, arranging in tray and refrigerating them for at least an hour before frying for 3-4 minutes.

My query is- would this process (adding chips cooled from fridge) not make the frying oil cool rapidly? And slow down cooking?

Has anyone tried this- or got a fool proof chip recipe?

I do them similar to that recipe, but instead of deep frying I spray them with oil and stick them in a hot oven (180 fan) for about 20 minutes. They’re amazing and much healthier than fried chips.

I boil them in salted water until they fall off the knife.
I then cook them in the oven in cold pressed rapeseed oil until they’re crispy.

Foolproof and delicious

That’s a really good idea. I will try oven cooking instead. No horrible pot of oil to dispose of that way. Thank you both!

If you have an air fryer, it makes perfectly nice chips.

There is a really good Jamie Oliver recipe for oven-cooked chips in one of his early books. Providing you have the right potatoes, it comes out brilliantly, although I did omit the garlic whenI made it!

I always soak mine first for at least half an hour in cold water. This apparently removes the surface starch and makes them crispier.
Parboil for a couple of minutes, dry as best I can. Then deep fry.

I literally get potatoes (Maris piper usually), chop them into wedge shape, toss on a baking sheet with a bit of salt, pepper, smoked paprika, garlic granules, whatever seasoning you like, and olive oil, then bake until nice and crispy on the edges. You can’t mess it up. I personally would never parboil chips because they are likely to go soggy and fall apart.

I make good chips by peeling and cutting into chips then rinsing and letting them fry off as best you can. I usually use a couple of bits of kitchen roll. Then into a bowl and drizzle some sunflower oil over, tossing them around until all coated. Line a baking tray with baking parchment and add the chips in a single layer. Put in a preheated oven (180-200C) for about half an hour. Turn once.

The key to good chips is the correct potato variety. I would try to find some Markies potatoes - they taste just like chip shop chips when cooked - also only cook from room temperature. If cooking from refrigerated the change in starches/sugars cause the potato to brown/burn.

@PaddlingSwan JO always tries to reinvent the wheel, sometimes chips just need to be chips, with salt and vinegar on them

I am another one that makes her own chips in the oven.
I used to use Maris Piper potatoes but they haven’t been so good recently. I am currently using Albert Bartlett baking potatoes because they are nice and big. I cut into chips, par boil, drain and put into a tray with about 3 tablespoons of oil. The tray and oil will be warming with the oven before I put the chips in. I cook at about 190 fan until they are brown.
I never eat frozen oven chips from the supermarket. Mine taste so much better.

Floury chips, par boiled for 5 mins and drained well, then tossed in a touch of oil and a bit of salt and pepper then cooked in the air fryer.

I soak them on cold water for around half an hour , dry off and then cook in the air fryer for 20 minutes and they're perfect

If your deep frying them, you'll know they are done when they float on top of the oil

You could try these

https://www.nigella.com/recipes/tuscan-fries

I have a deep frier and my chips have been approved as “best in the world” by my 3 teens.
I used Mary Pipers today and they were great. It was a 2kg bag. I cut them up, and put them in cold water to start removing the starch. I then boiled them for 7-10 minutes (1st cooking). I then put half in a large bowl, let them cool down for 2-3 mins, add a bit of flour and a bit of bicarbonate of soda. I deep fry them for a bit about 500gr at a time (i have a large Tefal oleoclean frier for 6 people). Drain and put them in a different bowl. I repeat with the rest. Once they have all been deep fried once, i start again their 3rd cooking bu deep frying them until they reach the color i want (usually less time than the first deep fry). Then i just add salt and try not to eat them wile i fry the whole lot.
they are fluffy on the inside and crunchy on the outside, beautiful!
i place my deep fryer outside so it doesnt smell inside the house.
I do this every weekend and now it is a well-oiled process (pun intended!). They are beautiful 🤩
i dont peel them. The key is the bicarb of soda to get crispy chips.

I use a Delia recipe where you just cut the potatoes up, toss in olive oil and bake. No par boiling or cooling for ages. I think the trick is to use red or floury potatoes.

No need to go through that rigmarole if you have an air fryer, as in my opinion, they make the best chips.

Just peel and cut your potatoes into chips. Give them a good drizzle of oil and put them in the airfryer at 200 degrees for around 20 to 25 minutes, checking and shaking midway.

I totally get this! Chips can be so tricky to get right – either too pale, too hard, or end up soggy. Parboiling and then chilling them actually helps dry them out so they crisp better, and the oil bounces back pretty quickly once you add a batch. Double frying (low temp first, then high temp to finish) is also a classic method people swear by

I cook chips on a big tray in the oven and also occasionally in the air fryer. The air fryer is not as good as the oven but it is much quicker. I think this is probably because the chips need to be spread out.

@Flossflower you see this is thing I don’t get about air fryers, how can things like chips cook properly when to do so they need to be in contact with the hot pan surface, ( a single layer ) not in a pile, surely they are soggy?

Cut potatoes (I prefer Maris Piper) into chips, par boil until tender, and slightly fluffy around edges (like you’re making roast potatoes).

I then drain, let steam dry until cool, and then I roast in the oven, in sunflower oil until golden and crisp.

Perfect every time!

I use avocado oil spray after parboiling and patting dry. I’ve got a halogen air fryer and they come out lovely and crisp.

Oh and always Maris Pipers. Always a fluffy centre and crispy exterior.

Yes, I have an air fryer which is quick and cooks some things well. It doesn’t cook everything better.