Diet starts January.I thought it was worth blogging info on how to fry chips properly. It's not particularly difficult to do, but will ensure you crisp on the outside, fluffy on the inside chips every time, not soggy, oily nastiness.
Though not healthy by any means, frying food with high water content essentially steams the inside (as the water boils) whilst crisping the outside. Provided you get the temperature right it should not soak up oil or significantly increase the fat content compared to shallow frying/roasting.
To get good results you need to twice fry the chips, first at 170c and second at 190oc. The first fry cooks the potato, the second develops the outside.
Use Maris Piper or King Edward potatoes if available. If not use whatever is considered in your part of the world to be the best for frying. Use cheaper potatoes at your peril. You'll need 1-2 large potatoes per person. Try to cut the slices so that they're roughly even sizes, discarding small pieces if required. This will help ensure that they all cook at the same speed. You may want to shave a slither off the side of oddly shaped potatoes to then get a more even cut, but don't go over the top in a quest to create perfectly identical chips!
Cook at 170oc for 4-5 minutes, then remove the basket and shake off excess oil. Change the temperature to 190oc and cook for a further 2-3 minutes. When you think they're done it's worth trying one, just to make sure.
Drain, dry and serve immediately with malt vinegar and sea salt.
they look like perfect chips!! try as they might, the local chippy never can make chips as good as my dad.