Proper chips - tips please

[ChevronB19]

I can make fantastic chips (showing off) using Maris Piper in veg oil, twice fried, 10 minutes at 130 and 5 minutes at 190 in a deep fryer.

They’re great.

But they don’t taste like my mums did.

Mum used to have a traditional chip pan filled with beef dripping that probably dated back to just before the second war (including the dripping). Sounds yuk, but it worked. After cooking, it just went into a cupboard, including fat, for next time.

Mum excepted (and she’s long gone now), how long can you keep dripping in a deep fat fryer at ambient temperature before it goes off?

As mentioned, she basically never changed the dripping, just topped it up occasionally, and as far as I’m aware, I’m not dead.

On a side note regarding veg oil, if I cook fish/prawns, unless I change the oil, I assume everything afterwards will taste vaguely of fish?

Be gentle…

[LeadFarmer]

I do the same as you, deep fry at 120, drain and wait for tempt to get to 180, then fry again.
Tried chilling in-between the two fries, but not much difference.
Usually use Crisp n Dry rapesead oil, but not always.
Like to cook my own so I can get them brown, chips shops always serve them white!!!
Not easy finding large Maris Piper or King Edward spuds though to make larger chips.
If frying fish or anything in batter, I wait until the oil needs changing, fry the battered food, then change oil and fry my chips, and then re-fry the battered items, that way the oil isn't flavoured by the batter.

[Mobile Chicane]

ChevronB19 said:

I can make fantastic chips (showing off) using Maris Piper in veg oil, twice fried, 10 minutes at 130 and 5 minutes at 190 in a deep fryer.

They’re great.

But they don’t taste like my mums did.

Mum used to have a traditional chip pan filled with beef dripping that probably dated back to just before the second war (including the dripping). Sounds yuk, but it worked. After cooking, it just went into a cupboard, including fat, for next time.

Mum excepted (and she’s long gone now), how long can you keep dripping in a deep fat fryer at ambient temperature before it goes off?

As mentioned, she basically never changed the dripping, just topped it up occasionally, and as far as I’m aware, I’m not dead.

On a side note regarding veg oil, if I cook fish/prawns, unless I change the oil, I assume everything afterwards will taste vaguely of fish?

Be gentle…

Quality of potatoes is key here.

Nowadays in towns / cities it's almost impossible to buy a properly floury 'old' potato with mud on. i.e. The kind you want for mashing and / or chipping.

Supermarket potatoes are washed, kept in cold storage until ready to sell, and are slimy and horrible as a result.

[Waitforme]

I thought frying your own chips had died a death years ago. It’s got to be decades since we last did them.
Some of the offerings from the supermarkets are so good now.

[LaterLosers]

Look for a variety called Cyprus potatoes they really do make excellent French fries, don’t really do the big fat chips myself.

[LeadFarmer]

Waitforme said:

I thought frying your own chips had died a death years ago. It’s got to be decades since we last did them.
Some of the offerings from the supermarkets are so good now.

For some, such as myself, nothing beats home made chips if done properly. I only make them occasionally when I can be bothered, but I plan it in advance, and look forward to them.

[ChevronB19]

Waitforme said:

I thought frying your own chips had died a death years ago. It’s got to be decades since we last did them.
Some of the offerings from the supermarkets are so good now.

Not even close (with the greatest of respect) - never had a supermarket chip that even approaches a ‘proper chip’. Or, for that matter, pretty rare to get decent chips in even half way good restaurants/pubs - blame brake brothers.

Embrace the (proper) chip.

[LeadFarmer]

"We hope it's ....."

[theplayingmantis]

You want to source some sagitta potato's, best chippers going. Not in season now but store ok so may be able to get some still.

[rene7]

Maris Pipers - a must
Hand peeled - hand cut
Dry the cut chips in the basket for 10 mins
Deep fat fryer {DFF]set to 150c
In with the chips for 3 mins shake basket occasionally
Turn temp down to 100 leave chips in DFF
Leave until temp falls to100
Turn temp up 170 shake basket occasionally
when DFF reaches 170c chips will be done perfectly
Final shake of basket
Leave to drain off excess oil
>
Enjoy - Yummy

[LeadFarmer]

rene7 said:

Maris Pipers - a must
Hand peeled - hand cut
Dry the cut chips in the basket for 10 mins
Deep fat fryer {DFF]set to 150c
In with the chips for 3 mins shake basket occasionally
Turn temp down to 100 leave chips in DFF
Leave until temp falls to100
Turn temp up 170 shake basket occasionally
when DFF reaches 170c chips will be done perfectly
Final shake of basket
Leave to drain off excess oil
>
Enjoy - Yummy

I'll give that method a try. I've always started at a lower temp, then lifted out, and cranked up to a high temp before putting back in. Yours is kind of the opposite which I will try.

[AndyTR]

Good quality potatoes peeled and cut into chunky chips. Par boil in salted water for 4 minutes. Drain and let dry on a tea towel until cooled. Oil at 180, we use sunflower oil, and then fry until golden. If you over do the par boiling they will just fall apart in the fryer, so under is better than over. Makes really crisp chips.

[Pflanzgarten]

As well as the quality of the spuds, I also find the age/usage of the oil is also key. It needs to be old but not too old and I find it's this part that makes it a bit of a lottery.

[LeadFarmer]

rene7 said:

Maris Pipers - a must
Hand peeled - hand cut
Dry the cut chips in the basket for 10 mins
Deep fat fryer {DFF]set to 150c
In with the chips for 3 mins shake basket occasionally
Turn temp down to 100 leave chips in DFF
Leave until temp falls to100
Turn temp up 170 shake basket occasionally
when DFF reaches 170c chips will be done perfectly
Final shake of basket
Leave to drain off excess oil
>
Enjoy - Yummy

Thanks for this, I have just tried this method and I have to say the chips were lovely, and I can see this method giving consistent results every time.
The only adjustments I'd make would perhaps be to do the final cook for an extra minute or two, to make them browner. However this is a personal thing and could be down to my DFF behaving differently to yours by taking a different length of time to get up, and down to temperature.

I noted my DFF took 11 mins to get down from 150 to 100, and then 8 mins to get back up to 170. I guess the length of time the chips are sat in the oil at each stage may give different results.

[tomsugden]

I know it's not the answer you're looking for, but frozen chips done in an air fryer come out like absolutely perfect McDonalds fries, but they're hot.

[theplayingmantis]

LeadFarmer said:

Thanks for this, I have just tried this method and I have to say the chips were lovely, and I can see this method giving consistent results every time.
The only adjustments I'd make would perhaps be to do the final cook for an extra minute or two, to make them browner. However this is a personal thing and could be down to my DFF behaving differently to yours by taking a different length of time to get up, and down to temperature.

I noted my DFF took 11 mins to get down from 150 to 100, and then 8 mins to get back up to 170. I guess the length of time the chips are sat in the oil at each stage may give different results.

Try it with Sagitta instead of the Maris Piper's next year and thank me later!

[craigjm]

LeadFarmer said:

rene7 said:

Maris Pipers - a must
Hand peeled - hand cut
Dry the cut chips in the basket for 10 mins
Deep fat fryer {DFF]set to 150c
In with the chips for 3 mins shake basket occasionally
Turn temp down to 100 leave chips in DFF
Leave until temp falls to100
Turn temp up 170 shake basket occasionally
when DFF reaches 170c chips will be done perfectly
Final shake of basket
Leave to drain off excess oil
>
Enjoy - Yummy

Thanks for this, I have just tried this method and I have to say the chips were lovely, and I can see this method giving consistent results every time.
The only adjustments I'd make would perhaps be to do the final cook for an extra minute or two, to make them browner. However this is a personal thing and could be down to my DFF behaving differently to yours by taking a different length of time to get up, and down to temperature.

I noted my DFF took 11 mins to get down from 150 to 100, and then 8 mins to get back up to 170. I guess the length of time the chips are sat in the oil at each stage may give different results.

They look great just like they have come from the chip shop

[LeadFarmer]

theplayingmantis said:

Try it with Sagitta instead of the Maris Piper's next year and thank me later!

I'll look out for them, do the usual supermarkets sell them? The ones I made today were from King Edwards spuds.

I made another lot for my sons tea with lasagna this evening, altered the frying slightly as per my previous post, cranking the temp up to 180 for the last stage, it browned them a bit more. The liquid you can see is actually Henderson's Will be doing them this way from now on..

[Tickle]

As a kid I never liked chips, similar to the OP my Nan had the old pan, dripping that solidified and a basket that lived in said fat. My family all raved about the chips, and stil do 'remember those chips your nan used to do' often gets mentioned!

Anyway, I now appreciate a proper chip; however, reluctant to go down the chip pan route, I don't even keep the fryer in the kitchen, it lives in an outhouse with the BBQ!

From past experiments, I always do the following:

Good quality spuds (muddy ones from greengrocers) and usually Maris piper or similar. Have used Cyprus with thin skin on.
Soak the cut chips to remove starch, for an hour at least, then wash.
Dry chips, I put them on a cake cooling rack rather than drip dry in colander.
Fry lower temp, remove and shake
Fry high 180 for shorter time until colour/crispness you want.
I use 50/50 veg oil and nut oil.

These are how they come out.

[21TonyK]

LeadFarmer said:

I'll look out for them, do the usual supermarkets sell them?

If you look at the generic "white potatoes" these are sometimes Sagitta otherwise find a local fruit and veg supplier and they might still be selling to the public by the kilo.