Chips

I have been trying to decide why I get so stroppy when I am served disappointing or badly cooked chips.  And I do.  I get very stroppy.  Especially when I am eating in places that otherwise do remarkably good food (sorry, Matthew; I shouldn't have shouted at you ;-(  )

I think I have decided that it's because there is almost nothing nicer in the world than a well-cooked chip.  But chips are extremely expensive in terms of calories, fat and other dubious dietary elements so they have to be worth the investment if you are going to eat them - if you see what I mean.  There is no point eating a hard, uncrispy chip.  You don't get sufficient pleasure to make the calorie and fat intake worthwhile.

Anyway.  I decide to make chips last night instead of roasties to go with the roast gammon.  And I decided to thrice cook them.  I don't usually bother.  I always twice fry, but have never bothered to steam or boil the potatoes first.

Last night I did.  I used Shetland Blacks, which roast beautifully.  I figured that they would also fry nicely.  I boiled them only for a couple of minutes (they are a VERY floury potato and disintegrate if boiled for any length of time) and put them in a bowl of cold water.  Then I patted them dry, fried them in very hot sunflower oil until they were just starting to change colour, drained the fat off them and left them to sit until I needed them.

I know that some cooks dip their chips in flour for the final frying, but I'm not quite sure how that works and didn't want to risk it. Shetland Blacks are not the cheapest potato in the box!  So I made up a very, very thin tempura style batter and dropped them in that before frying them the second time.  And I tell you what - they were wonderful.  Absolutely wonderful.  Absolutely worth the investment of calories and fat!!  They were fluffy in the middle and really crispy on the outside. The very thin batter really set them off.

It would be extremely greedy to have chips again tonight.  Wouldn't it?