HOMEMADE CHIPS

To be honest i don't make chips at home often, the smell, the effort and time factor (not too mention the calories) sometimes out-way the final product.  Although not in this case, i was experimenting with different varieties of potatoes from the Farmers Market and Brydone- Agria make the most sublime chip i have had for many years.
 I always remember my mother on a Friday blanching off basket after basket of chips and cooking fresh fish and bluff oysters too accompany them.  We even got them wrapped in individual newspaper parcels!  Wow so much effort always went into our meals when growing up and it made me feel a little guilty actually!  So i busted out the home-made chips for the children and boy they were good.....!

                                HOMEMADE CHIPS

ONE VERY IMPORTANT THING TO NOTE; TO MAKE A GREAT CHIP YOU NEED A GREAT POTATO!!!!


Serves 4

4 Large floury potatoes (agria, red rascal), peeled, cut into ½ - 1 cm thick chips
Vegetable oil for frying
sea salt flakes for serving

Topping options:
Homemade Aioli or Mayonnaise
Homemade Tomato Ketchup
Garlic and parsley – 1 garlic clove, thinly sliced and a handful of chopped parsley
Grated parmesan

Method

When frying safety comes first! Never leave the fryer unattended and keep children away from the oil.

Wash the potatoes to remove some of the starch. Drain well and pat dry. It is so important that there is no water on the chips as it can be very dangerous when mixed with hot oil.

To cook chips so they are light and crispy you need to cook them twice!

The first stage of cooking a great chip

- Put a deep large pot 2/3 full of vegetable oil on a medium heat (145 C) to check the oil, place one chip into the oil to test the temperature. It should bubble instantly and the chip should float. Remember that this stage is about pre-cooking the potato until they are just cooked and pale in colour(3-6 minutes). Carefully remove and drain the chips and place onto a tray layered with paper towels. Continue until all the chips are cooked.

The final stage of cooking your chips

- Turn the heat up on your stove and wait until the oil heats to 180 C. Once again to test the oil carefully put a chip in and if it fries and bubbles vigorously then it is ready to begin to fry off the chips.

- Cook the chips in batches so the pot doesn’t get overcrowded and the oil doesn’t cool down too much.

- Once the chips go golden and crisp, carefully remove from the oil. Drain well, sprinkle with good quality sea salt flakes and a little cracked pepper if desired. Toss to coat and serve immediately with your favourite dipping sauce.