Yummy and crispy golden potato goodness! Perfect as a snack, main course or side dish. There is an unlimited number of ways to prepare this all-time favourite. There are also many opinions about how chips should be served. Read on to discover some of the best ways to prepare delicious potato chips.
Yummy and crispy golden potato goodness! Perfect as a snack, main course or side dish. There is an unlimited number of ways to prepare this all-time favourite. There are also many opinions about how chips should be served. Read on to discover some of the best ways to prepare delicious potato chips.
A deep fryer, saucepan, or an oven?
Chips, although also called French fries, originate from Belgium, where they were originally fried in beef tallow and cut into thicker slices. The problem at home is that you have to use a large amount of oil and have a suitable pot (not too high, but frying pans are too shallow). You could buy a suitable saucepan with a wire insert, but deep fat fryers are more convenient, because you can set the optimal temperature and frying time. The perfect chips should be fried in two stages; first for approx. 3 minutes at 170-175 °C, until they become slightly yellowish. Then strain them and cool them. The net stage is to fry them at 190 °C until they obtain their desired colour.
Electric deep fat fryers make oil temperature control easier and prevent its overheating or burning due to the built-in thermostat. On the other hand, if the oil is insufficiently heated the potatoes absorb it excessively. A deep fat fryer will let you avoid this, because in properly heated oil the chips form a outer layer that keeps the oil out (but they will soften inside).
Chips baked in an oven will have even lower fat content. They are also healthier, and have the same beautiful colour and taste as those fried with a deep fryer. They do taste slightly different, but they are also popular.
Which oil is the best to fry chips? Many people suggest rice oil as the best option (it has a very high smoking point of 210 °C), but it is also relatively expensive. In commercial catering, special fritter (mixtures of various fats), beef tallow, as well as cottonseed, soybean or corn oil are usually used. At home, refined rapeseed oil will do.
Ketchup and mayonnaise – popular condiments
Ketchup is the most popular condiment, but in many European countries mayonnaise, curry sauce or thousand island dressing are common, and of course vinegar in the UK. In Canada, on the other hand, a popular choice are French fries with gravy, sprinkled with a special type of white cheese.
Other sauces that go well with chips, though perhaps not so common, are based on cream or yoghurt. Some people prefer a garlic or dill sauce – others like tomato. Salt is usually used for sprinkling (preferably freshly ground sea salt), but coarsely ground pepper, or ground hot peppers, will also do.
Moving on from condiments, let’s take a look at the calorie content. A 100g serving of chips has around 314 calories. This is neither particularly much or especially little. But if you make this 200 g (628 kcal), add two tablespoons of mayonnaise (338 kcal), pork chops (311 kcal) and fried cabbage (245 kcal), then you have:
628 + 338 + 311 + 245 = 1522 calories, which is a lot for one meal.
However, if we stick to the 100g portion plus a tablespoon of ketchup (15 kcal), add some grilled turkey (123 kcal) and lettuce sprinkled with lemon juice (34 kcal), you will get:
314 + 15 + 123 + 34 = 486 calories, which is an average meal. So chips aren’t all that bad, as long as you eat smartly and pay attention to the amount, condiments and frequency of consumption.
Bear in mind, however, that chips will not go well with every meal. Serving them with a delicate truffle sauce or cooked meatballs with dill may not be the best idea. Therefore, they should never be treated simply as an alternative to potatoes, groats, pasta or rice. They are a perfect addition to grilled meats, battered fish (fish & chips), hamburgers and fast food dishes – e.g. hot dogs, nuggets or shawarmas.
Although in some countries you can also find bold combinations of pizza or sandwiches with chips in fast food bars, they are rarely a flagship dish.
Denar or Asterix – what type of potato?
Why is it that some chips are crunchy and delicious, while others resemble heated rubber? The temperature, frying technique and the type of oil used are of fundamental importance. However, another important aspect is the type of potato from which they are made. Starchy potatoes are best. How can you check this? After cutting them in two, put the halves back together and the higher the starch content, the more difficult it will be to separate them. According to restaurateurs, the following potato varieties are best suited for chips: Denar, Santana, Innovator, Asterix. They are said to be the most mealy, which means they contain a lot of starch (up to 15-18%). This is a sugar and is caramelised during frying, which is what gives chips their lovely golden appearance and delicious taste.
Or maybe… chips cooked in water?
Those with a little more experience in the kitchen could try some rarer and more time-consuming techniques. These include the method of blanching sliced potatoes beforehand. This is a method found in well-known restaurants, giving the chips a unique appearance and delicious taste. This trick lets you get rid of the excess simple sugars from the tubers (they sometimes give the fries a bitter aftertaste). The texture of the fries also changes, with them becoming very soft inside. An unquestionable advantage is the possibility to add seasoning to the water in which the chips are cooked. They then acquire the desired taste on the inside as well – even before frying. There is therefore no need for any sauces or other condiments later on!
Fans of beautifully browned fries often add sugar to the water, which caramelises on the surface of the crust during frying. The addition of baking soda, in turn, lets you prepare very dark fries (popular in the US), which are fluffy inside.
How long should you cook chips? It depends on the type of potato and your personal preferences. You usually keep them for about half an hour at 70-80 °C before the water is brought to the boil. Fans of this method often dry the chips before frying, as this stops them from absorbing fat. If the chips are too dry, however, they will not be very tasty.
Chips don’t only have to be made from potatoes, but other root vegetables can also be used instead. Delicious chips can be made from sweet potatoes, zucchini, celery, carrots or even asparagus.
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