I have a customer who owns a chain of Chip Shops in Surrey. The family run business is two generations old and originates from Yorkshire. They cook in a traditional way using dripping. I have just got off the phone to him having spent half an hour discussing the chip shop chip.
There is a science as you can imagine, that goes way beyond that of cooking chips at home. That is not to say that a Chip Shop Chip, can't be cooked at home though. I asked this very question and the reply simply was "yes, you can".
The most important and crucial element is the potato, sounds obvious but is essential to getting the perfect chip. Three main varieties are desirable, the easiest to get and in at 3 is the Maris Piper. This is followed by the Victoria and then at 1, the Marquee. The discerning Chip Shop Owner would have his potato subjected to a Dry Matter Test where he would be looking to get a result of around 20 to 21 percent. This is the most crucial element of the potato as to high a content and the potato won't brown, to little and the potato will not crispen. There are of course other factors that are taken into consideration such as the potato being subjected to the cold, storage conditions, etc.
The potato is then processed which starts with the Rumbler to remove the the skin. Afterwhich it is added to a Rotary Chipper, which cuts the potato before being added to a water solution. The solution is a mix of Dry White and water. The Dry White is added to the water to stop the potato from going brown once drained from the water. This does not however, have any other effect on the potato in the cooking process. The potato is then allowed to drain and dry.
The first part of the cooking process is the blanch. It is important that the correct temperature is maintained which is 165 Celcius. Depending on the potato, this usually takes between 3-4 minutes with the end result being to soften the chip. Once blanched, the potato is left to go cold.
The final cook does vary from Chip Shop to Chip Shop and is usually based on the type of oil being used . Generally, good Chip Shop will use Palm Oil (which solidifies when cold) or Ground Nut Oil, which can cook at higher temperatures but Veg Oil is also widely used but can not be used too many times or at higher temperatures. With such oils the final fry is usually around 180C-190C with the cooking time around 2-3 mins. Dripping, a more traditional method, isn't widley used but can be heated to much higher temperatures allowing for a crispier chip. The final fry is done at 205 Celcius and usually takes around 1 minute.
To equate this simply for home cooking:
Peel, slice and soak potato for 30 mins, drain and dry using a Tea Towel.
Add chips to fryer preheated to 165C for around 3-4 mins until soft.
Remove and allow to cool.
Heat fryer to 180C-190C and cook until golden and crispy.
To maintain the temperatures better, cook in small batches and use a thermometer.
Topic: uk chippie chips (Read 21519 times)
