Topic: Midnight Snack

[natterjak]

Hi NJ
I just use a cheap deep fat fryer, don't trust the temp gauge, where it says 160, I go for 180.

Up to temp - chips in, close lid, to trap the moisture. Leave as is and cook for 4mins.
Lift basket out of oil, shake, chips should have a bit colour, but be still hard.

Important bit - leave the basket on the rest above the oil and cover with the half closed lid
I usually use a dishcloth as a weight, to keep the hinged lid half closed.

Let the chips sit there and soften for 5mins or until your finishing up cooking your curry.

To finish, chips back in, no lid this time, cook in the hot oil for 3mins or until the chips start to
brown and crisp and importantly all float on the top of the oil.

You will know there good by the look of them, or just test one by squeezing it between finger and thumb.

N.B. The final 3min cooking needs your attention, many times I've been distracted and gone back to a basket of
completely browned chips, which is not good.

cheers Chewy

I've played with this method to see what works for me and my fryer. Couldn't get them to soften up right by resting them above the oil for 5 mins so I've worked out a routine which works nicely for the Maris pipers I can source around these parts. It's just a tweak to Chewy's method as follows:

- peel and slice 400g of Maris piper potato and rinse them
- Fry 160C for 4 mins and shake off excess oil
- Microwave, covered, at 100% 800W for 2 mins then uncover (they are now steaming hot) and rest for 3 mins
- Fry 170C for 3 mins

For Maris pipers and my fryer this works great to give me crisp chips with soft insides

[Peripatetic Phil]

They look very good, NJ -- just the colour I like mine to be (i.e., not too brown).  I used the microwave idea when I had left-over (and lightly cooked) chips from my local fish-and-chip shop -- I re-heated them in the microwave oven for one minute, then straight into hot fat at 190oC.  Worked very well indeed.

** Phil.

[curryhell]

I hope you've got a curry to put them with Chris.  Look mighty fine tasting chips mate 

[natterjak]

I hope you've got a curry to put them with Chris.  Look mighty fine tasting chips mate 

Night off from currying tonight, I tend to stick with rice and naan for curry anyhow. I paired my chips with Clifton Springs chicken wings courtesy of chef John on YouTube:

http://youtu.be/Ht7mK5dX0es

... But i deep fried the wings since the fryer was fired up. No curry but there was some Mr Naga used in the sauce and the result was fantastic - recommended! 

[Sverige]

Double Fry

The best chips in a chippy are on a slow day, lying in the hopper, cooling, waiting to be used.

Customers come in, The Fryer (person) cranks the pan on full tilt, scoops the chips out of the
hopper back into the hot pan for a couple of minutes and out. Golden crispy goodness, can't be beat!

I know this because I was that Fryer  ;D ;D  I grew up in seaside Fish & Chip Restaurants.

By the end of the day, I would either stink of beef dripping or a peculiar sickly sweet Ice cream odour,
or with sugar hair and nostrils, off the candy floss counter. If I was really lucky, all three  ;D ;D  Those were the days. Mary Hopkins ;D

cheers Chewy

Did you ever soak your chips in drywite back in the day?  Seems to be in vogue now to soak the uncooked chips in sodium metabisulphite for 15 mins. Wonder if the customers know they are eating a known toxic irritant ?

6mins 40s into this video: http://youtu.be/zQuk5GFyivw

[Gav Iscon]

Drywite has been in use in chip shops for years as far as I am aware. Never made me feel bad, 

And natterjaks chips a few posts above look desperate for a madras to go with them. ;D


And having another think about it, my wife is always saying I'm an irritant  .

[Sverige]

Drywite has been in use in chip shops for years as far as I am aware. Never made me feel bad, 

So is it a trade secret, separating professional results from those we mere mortals can achieve, or just a way of stopping chips blackening when large batches are being used?

[Gav Iscon]

Answer 'B'

[Sverige]

Maybe I won't get myself some then.

[chewytikka]

Pretty duff video

Yes, I sure did use Whitening (completely harmless, unless you drank it neat out of the bottle)
I also used to polish up pennies with Heinz tomato ketchup, things you do when your a kid.

Anyhoo the way your always downsizing recipes, hardly any point using potato white
for 6 chips  ;D ;D