Homemade chips?

lostkat · 29-08-2009, 18:08

I'm doing moules frites tomorrow in honour of the Belgian grand prix and want to make proper homemade chips. I normally just make some oven-roasted potato wedges, but I fancy having a go at deep frying them.

I don't have a deep fat fryer or anything, so it'll just be a saucepan and some cooking oil.

Does anyone make homemade chips at all? Any hints/tips? I don't particularly want to burn the house down

Glaucus · 29-08-2009, 18:29

never made them. But never leave a fat pan on heat on it's own.

Have you got a jam or other suitable cooking thermometer?
The idea is to cook the chips for about 5 minutes on a low heat they should not fizz. Until Tender, remove and allow to totally cool. Then whack the heat up and fry till golden.

Where did you get your mussles from? and do you get them pre cleaned?
I've cooked them once and the whole faffing about cleaning and soaking them. Is such hard work. Would; love to cook them again. but would want them pre cleaned.

Burble · 29-08-2009, 18:43

Double cooking FTW. Cook once to actually cook the chips then again (at a really high temperature) to make them crispy.

Doing them in a saucepan is fine. After you've cut the potatoes soak them in cold water to remove the excess starch then dry and cook.

Then eat!

Streeteh · 29-08-2009, 19:11

AcidHells' suggestion of using a jam thermometer is right on the money, makes the job a hell of a lot easier and ultimately safer.

lostkat · 29-08-2009, 19:33

Hmm, better go out and get myself a thermometer tomorrow then. There's a good cook shop in the town nearby. The twice cooked method sounds good to me.

I've been thinking of investing in a fryer, but only want a very small one as it'll be for small quantities like bhajias, samosas, tempura prawns etc. I've found a 1 litre one that will fit nicely in the cupboard at Lakeland Plastics so I'll probably order it next week. We don't eat any deep fried stuff really, but I do find myself avoiding recipes if things are deep fried simply because the safety aspect worries me.

AH2 - Morissons do a vac-pac of fresh live mussels, which I find much better than buying them in a net bag from the fish counter as you get a lot of dead ones that way. They're not cleaned, but I don't find it much of a faff really. I just rinse them and then cut off the beards. The annoying part for me is telling whether they're alive or not. They're really sleepy when you get them out of the fridge so you need to bring them up to room temperature or none of them will close. Then it takes some whacking to get some of them to shut. Little sods! Had mussels last week too actually, but only as a substitute because there weren't any clams or squid.

leowyatt · 29-08-2009, 20:51

One method I've got in my head from somewhere is to par boil them for about 10 minutes then stick them in the fryer to brown them off

The two cook method is the one I've always done though, but don't cook chips that often.

loki · 30-08-2009, 00:36

I'm no expert on home made chips but when I was down at the Fat Duck at the start of the year, I got to say that triple cooked chips are the best. Now I have a fairly unforgiving 7 year old where food is concerned, if it's good he will tell me and if it's bad then he can be brutally honest.

So I have cooked the triple cooked chips a few times at home. Ground nut oil makes all the difference. Here is the recipe I use http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/da...ht_91283.shtml

lostkat · 30-08-2009, 09:01

Mmm nice recipe Loki! Will have to give that one a try

I'll be making fries rather than chips because they don't have chunky British chips on the continent, so I think I'll give the boiling a miss this time because it'll be too much for them. However, I'll follow the preparation, 2nd & 3rd steps to the letter and see how they turn out. I have some groundnut oil from the Indian I cooked last week.

I've found a small deep fat fryer in Argos for £12 that get a reasonable review, so I'm off to get that later today. I'll feel a lot more comfortable knowing that the temperature is controlled.

Thanks for all the tips guys

Knipples · 30-08-2009, 09:03

Make sure you dont forget to go and buy the oil on the way back

You can get a bottle of oil specifically for deep fat fryers which is designed to be reused, otherwise you need so much its an awful waste.

Pickers · 30-08-2009, 09:04

MMMMMmmmm grand prix and home-made moules frites...

29-08-2009, 18:08	#1
lostkat Good Cat Join Date: Jun 2006 Posts: 5,550	Homemade chips? I'm doing moules frites tomorrow in honour of the Belgian grand prix and want to make proper homemade chips. I normally just make some oven-roasted potato wedges, but I fancy having a go at deep frying them. I don't have a deep fat fryer or anything, so it'll just be a saucepan and some cooking oil. Does anyone make homemade chips at all? Any hints/tips? I don't particularly want to burn the house down __________________ Oooooh Cecil, what have you done?

29-08-2009, 18:29	#2
Glaucus Absinthe Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 1,855	never made them. But never leave a fat pan on heat on it's own. Have you got a jam or other suitable cooking thermometer? The idea is to cook the chips for about 5 minutes on a low heat they should not fizz. Until Tender, remove and allow to totally cool. Then whack the heat up and fry till golden. Where did you get your mussles from? and do you get them pre cleaned? I've cooked them once and the whole faffing about cleaning and soaking them. Is such hard work. Would; love to cook them again. but would want them pre cleaned. __________________

29-08-2009, 19:11	#4
Streeteh Vodka Martini Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Kingston Posts: 862	AcidHells' suggestion of using a jam thermometer is right on the money, makes the job a hell of a lot easier and ultimately safer. __________________ PSN & Live! ID: Streeteh

29-08-2009, 19:33	#5
lostkat Good Cat Join Date: Jun 2006 Posts: 5,550	Hmm, better go out and get myself a thermometer tomorrow then. There's a good cook shop in the town nearby. The twice cooked method sounds good to me. I've been thinking of investing in a fryer, but only want a very small one as it'll be for small quantities like bhajias, samosas, tempura prawns etc. I've found a 1 litre one that will fit nicely in the cupboard at Lakeland Plastics so I'll probably order it next week. We don't eat any deep fried stuff really, but I do find myself avoiding recipes if things are deep fried simply because the safety aspect worries me. AH2 - Morissons do a vac-pac of fresh live mussels, which I find much better than buying them in a net bag from the fish counter as you get a lot of dead ones that way. They're not cleaned, but I don't find it much of a faff really. I just rinse them and then cut off the beards. The annoying part for me is telling whether they're alive or not. They're really sleepy when you get them out of the fridge so you need to bring them up to room temperature or none of them will close. Then it takes some whacking to get some of them to shut. Little sods! Had mussels last week too actually, but only as a substitute because there weren't any clams or squid. __________________ Oooooh Cecil, what have you done? Last edited by lostkat; 30-08-2009 at 16:16. Reason: typo

29-08-2009, 20:51	#6
leowyatt Chef extraordinaire Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Infinite Loop Posts: 11,143	One method I've got in my head from somewhere is to par boil them for about 10 minutes then stick them in the fryer to brown them off The two cook method is the one I've always done though, but don't cook chips that often. __________________ "Dr Sheldon Cooper FTW!"

29-08-2009, 18:43	#3
Burble Rocket Fuel Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 7,826	Double cooking FTW. Cook once to actually cook the chips then again (at a really high temperature) to make them crispy. Doing them in a saucepan is fine. After you've cut the potatoes soak them in cold water to remove the excess starch then dry and cook. Then eat!

30-08-2009, 00:36	#7
loki Vodka Martini Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Manchester UK Posts: 871	I'm no expert on home made chips but when I was down at the Fat Duck at the start of the year, I got to say that triple cooked chips are the best. Now I have a fairly unforgiving 7 year old where food is concerned, if it's good he will tell me and if it's bad then he can be brutally honest. So I have cooked the triple cooked chips a few times at home. Ground nut oil makes all the difference. Here is the recipe I use http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/da...ht_91283.shtml __________________ PC & Console LAN 9th-11th July

30-08-2009, 09:01	#8
lostkat Good Cat Join Date: Jun 2006 Posts: 5,550	Mmm nice recipe Loki! Will have to give that one a try I'll be making fries rather than chips because they don't have chunky British chips on the continent, so I think I'll give the boiling a miss this time because it'll be too much for them. However, I'll follow the preparation, 2nd & 3rd steps to the letter and see how they turn out. I have some groundnut oil from the Indian I cooked last week. I've found a small deep fat fryer in Argos for £12 that get a reasonable review, so I'm off to get that later today. I'll feel a lot more comfortable knowing that the temperature is controlled. Thanks for all the tips guys __________________ Oooooh Cecil, what have you done?

30-08-2009, 09:04	#10
Pickers Absinthe Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Cornwall Posts: 2,692	MMMMMmmmm grand prix and home-made moules frites... __________________ Pictures