Topic: Restaurant/Takeaway style chips

[daveeb]

Right, now then, my final search which I would appreciate your feedback please.

As a travelling person I have had many curries from around the UK, and being a northerner I always have to get chips with my Madras and keema pilau - In the south I always seem to get thin "fries" which look like frozen fries from the supermarket but up in Newcastle we get chunky chipped potatoes a lot of the time which are obviously roasted and go quite sweet.

Ive tried to make these a few times and cant replicate them, they turn out either as roast potatoes with no sweetness or they turn into basic homemade chips.

Has anybody got an idea of how to do them??

I presume its quick par fried or boiled then in the oven and probably use maris pipers but if anyone knows I would appreciate the help.

cheers

[Peripatetic Phil]

Can't help with a "like for like" recipe, but I can tell you that I have for some time been cooking my chips ("home-fry" style) by slicing the potato (must be floury) and par-boiling the slices, then slicing the slices into chips and frying the chips at 180--190C until golden but not brown.  Far far better than pre-frying at 160C, and all who have tried them have said they are winners.

** Phil.

[daveeb]

cheers, ill give that a try!!

[Stephen Lindsay]

Phil it sounds like you've learned a bit from Heston who does a mean triple stage recipe, using the par boiling as stage 1.

[Peripatetic Phil]

Phil it sounds like you've learned a bit from Heston who does a mean triple stage recipe, using the par boiling as stage 1.

I confess with some embarrassment that I have never seen any of his television programmes.  Although we have two large old-fashioned Sony CRT televisions, they are almost never on, and if they are on it is normally to watch a recording of a cycle race !  Khanh is too busy working to watch television, and I have little or no interest in terrestrial output, so the chances of either of us seeing Heston Blumenthal are pretty close to zero.  But we have occasionally  watched parts of Raymond Blanc's series with interest, so there is still some hope for us !

** Phil.

[Stephen Lindsay]

Phil

I can only echo your approach to chips/fries. The par boiling does indeed have it's merits. Perhaps Heston has stolen your method rather than the other way round! 

Steve

[Malc.]

The triple cook recipe certainly produces a crispy chip. Though I am struggling to accept that the chip that daveeb is searching for would actually be bar Boiled or even roasted. But then, we wouldn't normally have chips with a curry in my area so would expect to find frozen being used.


Commercially the frozen chip market is huge, so I would start my search there I feel. The sweetness you mention Dave, do you think it might be from the cooking of chips they would use for bhaji etc. perhaps that is where the sweetness is imparted.


These are just my thoughts on it, sorry I can't be or more help, good luck with your quest. Perhaps you could take some pics next time you get some?


Cheers,
Malc.

[Tommy Timebomb]

I find you can't beat the chips that the Chinese takeaways used to do, big fat crinkle cut ones.
Not many places seem to do them around here anymore as most of the takeaways have become Chinese/Fish and chip shop hybrids and do a standard chip.
I used to love them on the winter evenings as a kid, Chips and curry sauce.

I'm speaking of E London, I live in the original China town which apart from the street names 'Peking street, Nankin Street' etc you would not even realise it now.

[Peripatetic Phil]

I'm speaking of E London, I live in the original China town which apart from the street names 'Peking street, Nankin Street' etc you would not even realise it now.

What, not even any opium dens ?  I am devastated.  All these years avidly devouring Sax Rohmer wasted.  How could they ruin the neighbourhood so ?!

[Tommy Timebomb]

Don't panic, we still have Opium derivative dens.
Just a different clientele!

Our main rd is unfortunately becoming a PFC superhighway, the last Chinese shop which I have been using for approx 15 years actually shut down Saturday as they cannot afford the rents etc, I got this news a little too late as I'm sure they would of gave me their version of curry sauce.
Never mind... Back to the chips!