Diary: 04 September
The dinner is tonight and I am preparing some side dishes…
…including Heston Blumenthal’s perfect triple-cooked chips.
There is nothing that excites our family more than seeing these words on a menu: triple-cooked chips. How are they triple cooked? Are they deep-fried three times? Is that why they are soft inside yet crunchy outside? This recipe is adapted slightly from Heston Blumenthal’s book for the home cook*, and I guarantee that it is totally worth the effort.
For 6 people, you need:
1kg Arran Victory or Maris Piper potatoes
1 – 2 litres sunflower or grapeseed oil
Maldon sea salt flakes
How to Make:
Peeled the potatoes and cut into chips (approximately 2 × 2 × 6 cm). If the potatoes are small in size, simply cut each into four wedges.
Put the cut chips into a bowl under running water for 5 minutes to wash the starch off.
Place 2 litres of cold tap water in a large saucepan and add the potatoes. Place the pan over a medium heat and simmer until the chips are almost falling apart (approximately 20–30 minutes, depending on the potato).
Carefully remove the chips with a slotted spoon and place them on large tray to dry out. Then place the tray in the freezer for at least 1 hour to remove more moisture.
Heat a deep pan with oil to 130ºC. The temperature of the oil will lower significantly as soon as you put the cold chips in, so you need to turn up the gas to maintain an even temperature of 130ºC. Fry the chips in small batches until a light crust forms (approximately 5 minutes). Remove from the oil and drain on kitchen paper.
Put the potatoes on tray and place in the freezer for at least 1 hour. If you don’t intend to cook and serve the chips immediately, continue to freeze the chips until required.
For the final stage, heat the oil in a deep pan to 180ºC. The temperature of the oil will lower significantly as soon as you put the cold chips in, so you need to turn up the gas to maintain an even temperature of 180ºC. Fry the chips until golden (approximately 7 – 10 minutes). Remove from the oil and drain on kitchen paper. Sprinkle with the salt before serving.
I am also making a Korean radish pickle and a Green Chilli and Fennel Slaw, and these are in the next post.
*Heston Blumenthal at Home by Heston Blumenthal, ISBN 978-1408804407