National Chip Week UK

Chips or fries are a favourite in many parts of  the world, but so much so in the UK that we've dedicated a whole week to them. Unlike some other countries, we make and eat our chips in a variety of ways -  from thick to thin, as an accompaniment or on their own, with vinegar, brown sauce, tomato ketchup and more recently mayonnaise (comme les Belges) and not forgetting one of our most traditional of meals, fish and chips.  Below are some interesting facts relating to our long term love affair with the humble chip.

 

What's in a name?

As with many food items, the name for what we in the UK call "chips" sometimes differs in other parts of the world, so for the sake of clarification, here are some pictures of types of fried potatoes and their UK names.

 

Timeline

1790s - The first chips or ‘pomme frites’ are thought to have been served in France.
1860s - Fish and Chip shops started to open in the UK
1920s - There were around 35,000 fish and chips shops in Britain
1960s - Frozen chips first hit the shops in the UK in the 1960s
1980s - Oven Chips are introduced for the health conscious
1980s - Microwave chips become fashionable as a time saving “instant” convenience

 

Did you know……
1 in 4 of all British Potatoes consumed in Britain are eaten as chips

Chips are eaten by 80 per cent of all UK households
There are now around 8,500 fish and chip shops in the UK (quite a drop from the 1920s)
Over 277 million portions of chips are sold in UK fish and chip shops per year

 

Best types of potatoes for chips

 

For chips, a floury potato is the best option  as they have  soft, dry textures when cooked. All-rounders such as King Edward, Maris Piper, Romano and Desirée potatoes are suitable for making chips or,  if you can get them,  specialist types such as Estima, Pentland Dell, Maris Bard.  If you are unsure what type  of potato you have just mix one part salt to 11 parts water in a jug and put the potato into the solution. If it's  floury it should  sink to the bottom if it's waxy it should float....well that's the theory anyway.

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Specialist Kitchenware

 

As with most things, the old adage "the right tool for the right job" holds very true when making chips - from peeling to cutting to frying. Below is some essential equipment specially selected by Recipes4us form you to buy direct from Amazon.co.uk which will help you to make PERFECT chips during National Chip Week.

 

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Recipes

 

Traditional Chips    Veg  HT  ACC  30mins

 

Although we've used vegetable oil in this recipe, an excellent flavour can be achieved by using beef lard which was the traditional frying medium.

Serves 4-6      Hot Vegetarian Vegan Vegetables Dairy Wheat Gluten Free Eggless

Ingredients
900g/2lb Floury Potatoes e.g. Maris Piper, King Edward, Disiree
Vegetable Oil for deep frying
Salt (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat the deep fat fryer to 160C/320F. Peel the potatoes then cut into slices 1cm/just under ½ - inch thick. Cut the slices into chips/fries 1cm/just under ½ - inch thick.

2. Place the chips in a colander and rinse well under cold running water then drain and dry well on kitchen paper.

3. Place the chips if the basket, lower into the oil, cover the fryer and fry for 8-10 minutes until softened but not coloured. You may have to do this in batches depending on the size of your fryer.

4. Remove from the fryer and shake the basket to drain well. At this point you can set them aside covered with kitchen paper for up to 30 minutes.

5. Turn the deep fat fryer up to 190C/375F making sure it has reached this temperature.

6. Fry the chips again, in batches if necessary, for 3-5 minutes or until crisp and golden. Do not cover the pan when frying the 2nd time.

7. To serve - drain well on kitchen paper, season with salt and serve immediately.
 

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Home Made Oven Chips    Veg  HT  ACC  55mins

Although these take longer to cook than conventional chips, they have the added bonus of having a considerably less fat content.

 

Serves 4-6      Hot Vegetarian Vegan Vegetables Dairy Wheat Gluten Free Eggless

 

Ingredients

900g/2lb Floury Potatoes e.g. Maris Piper, King Edward, Disiree

A little Vegetable Oil

Salt (optional)

Chilli Powder (optional)
 

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 200C, 400F, Gas Mark 6. Peel the potatoes, cut into slices 1cm/just under ½-inch thick then cut the slices into chips about 1cm/ ½ - inch thick.

2. Place in a large shallow dish and coat all over in sunflower or corn oil.

3. Spread the chips evenly onto a baking sheet in one layer, sprinkle sparingly with salt and/or chilli powder if using, then bake for 45 minutes, turning 2 to 3 times during the cooking period.