Topic: uk chippie chips

[Cory Ander]

And I thought most chippies bought their chips frozen, and pre-cut, from a wholesaler?

[Razor]

This thread was hilarious, I'm pissing my side just reading it back ;D ;D ;D

[Mikka1]

To make it even more diverse........
I use Tempura batter for the fish. Cod can be expensive here, even more so if they start to drink gulf oil 
Anyway it works a treat and is really crispy. I swap out Cod sometimes for Tilapia, there's not that much between them. Well having been here for a while I guess I can't remember properly but lovely grub.  ;D

@ CA. Yes I thought I heard that too about frozen chips. Cheers.

[chriswg]

Good post Axe, thanks for taking the time to call them. My first thought was should a chippie chip be crispy? Normally they are pretty soft, not soggy but not crispy either. I'm going to try that method next time I cook them though. It sounds like a few people follow the same lines. It's great to have exact temperatures too, that will take away the need for any experimentation.

Regarding the chips they use. Only the really good chippies will peel and cut their own potatoes. Most that I have seen will buy in par cooked chips that come chilled. I bet a lot do buy in frozen but I bet they aren't anywhere near as nice as fresh.

[Razor]

Chris,

I bet a lot do buy in frozen

I'm really surprised that a few of you are thinking along these lines. 

Over 12 months back, a friend approached me and asked me if I fancied buying the lease on a English Chippy with him.  I didn't, but I was curious as to what we would be getting for our 30 grand, and asked to view it with the owner.  As part of her equipment she had, a rumbler/peeler and a chipper!

Also, in my local chippy (Chinese) I have often heard their chipper in action.

I wonder if it's a north/south thing?

Ray

[Malc.]

Chris, it was no problem I am seeing him later in the week so had to call anyway. He's become a good friend over the years so he doesn't mind answering a few questions.

Crisp is not really the right word I know what you mean, though I would say that his chips are generally crispier than a typical Chip Shop. This is largely due to using the dripping and the higher temperature. For those really that interested, he had his chips tested by a Food Agency and they came out with less than 12 percent fat, not bad for a chip.

The Par Fry chips are the alternative and I have seen alot of chip shops use these. They are treated with CO2 to help preserve them and they must be kept chilled. Apparently, officials are trying to promote these more and more as part of a a directive against by-product waste. Chips made in the traditional way produce an awful lot of starch saturated water, which costs alot of money to remove in water treatment. now theres something I didn't know until this morning.

The key to good chip shop batter is Rice Flour for a really crispy orange coloured batter or Matzo Flour for that really golden yellow batter.

[chriswg]

The key to good chip shop batter is Rice Flour for a really crispy orange coloured batter or Matzo Flour for that really golden yellow batter.

That sounds like a great tip. See if you can tap him up for the actual recipe, i.e. which leavening ingredient he uses and what ratio. I've always wants to make a good cod batter.

Out of interest, which chip shops does he run?

[Malc.]

Chris, i'll ask him on Thursday when I see him and let you know. 

[gazman1976]

Since u r seeing him axe can you ask him the best brand of hamburgers and sausages , and also how to make the batter for them and what type of oil he uses for them , also does he use dripping and how dos that work in relation to the chips

ps good work btw !!!

[Malc.]

I can tell you straight away that he doesn't sell hamburgers but I will endeavour to find out what brand of sausage he uses. They use the same batter for everything which i'll also confirm tomorrow but I do know it has rice flour in it. I also know that the sausages are double battered i.e. dipped in batter and cooked, dipped in batter and cooked again. Talk about crunch!

As I mentioned, they cook using dripping. The cost of looking after dripping is higher than conventional oils and he has invested some considerable money into his ranges, which are digitally controlled. They even clean the dripping through a filter system. This is done manually using an external pump and filter system.

Dripping is used primarily to achieve a higher temperature. This is preferred as it ensures that the batter seals the fish very quickly to maintain moisture in the fish itself. As a result cooking times are reduced, batter is crispier and less oil saturates the product.