Frying Chips: A Quick Guide To Crispy, Golden Treats

There are many ways to make chips, and they can be cooked in an air fryer, deep fryer, or oven. The type of potato you use is important, and it's recommended to use a floury potato such as Maris Piper, King Edward, or Russet. The potatoes should be cut into evenly-sized, uniform fries, and it's also important to soak the potatoes in water for at least 30 minutes to remove excess starch and prevent the outside from burning before the middle is cooked.

How to Make Chips in a Fryer

Choose the right potatoes

The type of potato you use is crucial to achieving the perfect chip. The best potatoes for frying are floury potatoes, such as Maris Piper, King Edward, Rooster, Russet, or Desirée. These varieties will give your chips a soft, fluffy texture.

Maris Piper potatoes, in particular, are widely accepted as the best option for frying chips. They have pale gold skin and a cream-coloured centre. If you cannot find Maris Piper potatoes, Russet potatoes are a good alternative.

When selecting your potatoes, look for those that are large and evenly shaped, as this will make cutting them into uniform fries easier. Avoid potatoes that are wrinkled or have sprouted, as these are signs of age and dehydration, which can affect the texture and taste of your chips.

For the best results, use potatoes that are all roughly the same size. This will ensure that they cook at the same rate, so you don't end up with some chips overcooked and others undercooked.

Once you've selected the perfect potatoes, cut them into even-sized pieces. The ideal thickness for chips is between 1-2.5 cm, depending on your preference. Thinner fries will be crispier, while thicker cuts will result in fluffier chips.

Now you're ready to begin preparing your potatoes for frying!

Soak the potatoes

Soaking the potatoes is an important step in the process of making chips in a fryer. It helps to remove excess starch from the potatoes, which can make the surface of the potato sticky and cause the chips to stick together on the baking tray. By soaking the potatoes, you can also wash away the starch that contains sugar molecules, which can cause the potatoes to burn on the outside before the inside is cooked.

There are a few different methods for soaking potatoes. Some recipes recommend soaking the potatoes in a large bowl of cold water for 2-3 hours. This helps to remove most of the starch and results in crispier chips. However, if you are short on time, you can place the cut potatoes in a bowl of water and run them under a cold tap for a few minutes. This method will also remove excess starch and is just as effective as the longer soaking method.

After soaking, it is important to thoroughly dry the potatoes before cooking. This can be done by patting them with a clean tea towel or kitchen paper. Ensuring the potatoes are completely dry will result in a crunchy, crisp texture once they are fried.

In summary, soaking the potatoes is a crucial step in making chips in a fryer. It helps to remove excess starch, prevents sticking, and ensures even cooking. By using either a long or short soaking method and thoroughly drying the potatoes afterward, you will achieve the best results for your fried chips.

Use the right oil

The type of oil you use is crucial to achieving the perfect homemade chip. You want an oil with a high smoke point, which means it can withstand high temperatures without burning. This is important because the oil needs to be hot enough to cook the potatoes quickly and give them a crispy texture.

Vegetable oil is a great choice for deep frying as it is affordable, readily available, and has a neutral flavour. Sunflower oil is also a good option and is known for producing crispy chips, although it is more expensive and needs to be replaced more frequently than vegetable oil. Canola oil is another popular choice, particularly in the US, as it is very close in price to vegetable oil and produces excellent crispy fries.

If you are using an air fryer, you can use sunflower or olive oil. For oven-baked chips, olive oil is a good option, but you can also use a neutral-tasting oil such as sunflower or vegetable oil.

Remember to be careful when heating oil and never leave hot oil unattended. Always follow the safety guidelines for your fryer or oven, and ensure you know how to properly dispose of the oil after you're done.

Parboil the potatoes

Parboiling is an important step in making crispy, fluffy homemade chips. Here is a detailed, step-by-step guide:

Peel the potatoes and cut them into your desired chip shape. The size and thickness of the chips are up to you, but for even cooking, it is best to cut them into evenly sized, uniform pieces. For straight, neat chips, trim away any rounded edges to create rectangular blocks before cutting them into batons. If you prefer a more rustic look, you can cut the potatoes into chips without peeling them.

Rinse the cut potatoes under cold running water for a few minutes to remove excess starch. This step helps to reduce stickiness and prevents the potatoes from browning too quickly during cooking. After rinsing, place the potatoes in a saucepan and cover them with water.

Place the saucepan on the stove and bring the water to a boil. Once the water is boiling, cook the potatoes for approximately 5 minutes. You are parboiling the potatoes, so they should be partially cooked but still firm. A fork should be able to pierce the potatoes easily, but they should not be so soft that they break apart.

Once the potatoes are parboiled, drain the water and let them cool. It is important that the potatoes are completely cool before proceeding to the next step. You can speed up the cooling process by spreading the potatoes in a single layer on a cooling rack or patting them dry with a kitchen towel.

At this point, you can choose to pat the potatoes dry with a kitchen towel or let them air dry. Ensuring that the potatoes are dry before frying is crucial, as it will help to create a crispy texture.

Parboiling the potatoes is an optional step, but it is recommended for achieving the perfect chip. By parboiling, you reduce the frying time and guarantee extra crispy chips. It also ensures that the inside of the chip is fluffy while the outside is golden and crunchy.

Fry in small batches

Frying in small batches is key to achieving the perfect homemade chip. If you add too many chips to the oil at once, the temperature of the oil will decrease, resulting in soggy, greasy chips. Therefore, it is important to only partially fill the fryer with chips, so that the oil temperature doesn't drop too dramatically. This will ensure your chips are crispy and golden, rather than half-frazzled and half-uncooked.

When frying in small batches, it is also important to ensure that the chips are evenly sized. This will ensure they cook at the same rate, so that none are overcooked or undercooked. It is also important to ensure the chips are completely dry before frying, as this will help to achieve a crunchy, crisp texture.

If you are cooking for a large group, it is best to fry the chips in multiple small batches, rather than one large batch. This will ensure that all the chips are cooked to perfection, and no one is left with a soggy chip!

Frying in small batches also allows for more control over the cooking process. By adding a small amount of chips to the fryer at a time, you can easily monitor the colour and texture of the chips, and adjust the cooking time and temperature as needed. This ensures that the chips are cooked to your desired level of doneness.

In addition, frying in small batches helps to prevent the chips from sticking together. When too many chips are added to the fryer at once, they can clump together, resulting in uneven cooking and a less-than-ideal texture. By frying in small batches, you can ensure that each chip has enough space to cook evenly and properly.

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