Double-cooked chips, also called twice-fried chips, are a simple delectable treat that marries perfectly with everything from battered salmon and deep-fried chicken to gourmet sandwiches and roast duck. In fact, we can’t think of many dishes that wouldn’t be enhanced with these crunchy, doubly tasty chips! So, with that in mind, here’s how to make everyone’s favourite side dish.
What are double-cooked chips?
These French fries got their name from the cooking technique used to make them. They are cooked twice – deep-fried at a low temperature first to ensure the potato chip gets softly cooked through, then a second time at a very high temperature to give a crispy outer shell. This creates the perfect mix of soft, fluffy insides surrounded by crunchy, golden goodness.
What are the best potatoes for twice-cooked chips?
You’ll need a large variety potato with a floury, starchy texture for the best results. We recommend Maris Piper, King Edward, or russet, all of which are widely available. You can even try and grow your own potatoes at home for a home grown supply. Read more about the best potatoes for chips.
What is the best oil for making chips?
Because you’ll need to deep-fry your chips at a very high temperature, you can’t use just any cooking oil. You’ll need one with a high-smoke point that is well-refined. This means that it’s a very clean oil that can reach high temperatures without burning. It’s important because a low smoke point or unrefined oil can catch fire at high temperatures, causing a safety risk. It would also degrade at these temperatures, causing it to go dark and leave your food with an unpleasant taste. The best oil for deep-frying chips is palm kernel oil because it has a high smoke point, is very well refined, and has a neutral taste. It is also reusable providing you strain and clean the oil after use.
The best double-cooked chips recipe
So, with that being said, here’s how to make the perfect twice-cooked chips.
Ingredients
You will need:
1.75kgs of potato
2 litres of palm kernel oil
Prep time – 10-15 minutes
Cooking time – 12 minutes per portion (approximately 40-50 minutes in total)
This recipe will create 4-5 servings
Nutritional information (per serving)
Calories – 530Kcal
Fat -17gm
Saturated fat – 3gm
Carbohydrates – 82m
Sugars – 4m
Fibre -9gm
Protein – 9gm
Salt – 0gm
Method
- Peel your potatoes (you can leave the peel on if you like) and cut into large chips approximately 1-1.5cm thick, or finger sized.
- Soak in warm water to help remove the starch and to prevent the raw chips from discolouring.
- Pour your palm oil into a deep, wide pan or pot. The oil should be 4cm deep but shouldn’t fill the pan or pot more than halfway.
- Heat the oil to 140 degrees Celsius on a medium hob setting. You can test the temperature using a cooking thermometer or by dropping in a small piece of bread. If it browns in 8-10 seconds, you are at the right temperature. If it’s faster, let the oil cool a bit. Remove the piece of bread before you start frying.
- Dry your chips off well – Any excess water left on the chips will cause the oil to spit and splatter, which can be dangerous and cause injury. You can use clean kitchen towel to dry them off.
- Add your chips into the oil gently in small batches (one portion size at a time). Pouring them all in can cause the hot oil to bubble and overflow, while overcrowding the pot or pan will cause uneven cooking. A good idea is to use a slotted spoon or wire mesh basket to lower the chips in.
- Let them cook for just 8 minutes so that they get soft, but before they start to break up. Gently turn them and keep them moving so that they don’t stick.
- Remove the chips and place them on kitchen towel to drain.
- Now, heat the oil to 180 degrees Celsius. You can test this using a piece of bread, which should brown in 3-4 minutes if the temperature is correct.
- You can then add the chips in slightly larger batches (we recommend 2 batches) to finish them off. Once they are golden and crisp, which should take about 4 minutes; you can remove them and drain them on kitchen towel.
- Salt, sauce, or add vinegar – and enjoy!
Tips for making the perfect twice-cooked chips
Every chippie and chef has their secrets, and we’re here to share some of the best with you!
- Keep your chips warm between batches by placing them on a baking tray in the oven at about 90 degrees Celsius. This is especially useful if you are making chips for the whole family or bigger groups.
- Check your oil temperature between batches. Adding a batch of chips naturally lowers the temperature, so give it a minute or two to get back to the right heat level before you add the next batch.
- If you find your temperature is dropping by quite a lot, reduce the size of your batches. Smaller batches actually make it go a lot faster than large ones, and the chips come out better too!
- Try out more unusual potato varieties. Did you know that there are 5,000 or more potato species in the world? As long as they are large and starchy, they’ll make great chips. More unusual varieties to try out are Arran Victory, Red Rooster, Agri, Yukon Gold, and Chippie’s Choice.
- Make them in advance. If you’re planning a bigger event or simply want a more convenient option for chips, twice-cooked chips can be made in advance. All you need to do is prepare your uncooked chips and do the first cook to par-cook them. Then you can leave them at room temperature before the final fry for up to 3 hours.
- Get creative with your salts, spices, and sauces! Potato chips are incredibly versatile and suit so many different flavours and cuisines. While the traditional condiments are wonderful, we also love a creamy garlic aioli, rosemary salt, sriracha, cheese sauce, horseradish mayonnaise, and herbed sour cream.
For the best double-cooked chips, trust the deep-frying oil specialists!
FryMax is the UK’s largest supplier of frying oil to fish and chip shops and other food outlets and restaurants since 1954. And our oil doesn’t just give you the best results every time you heat up the frying pan, it’s the best choice for sustainability too. Since 2013, FryMax oil has been made from fully-segregated, vegan, RSPO-certified palm fruit oil. Not a drop of non-certified oil goes into the production of FryMax. Home cooks and restaurateurs can rest assured that, when they choose FryMax, they are supporting sustainable, ethical palm oil production – and that they’ll make the best chips in town, every time. For more information don’t hesitate to get in contact with the helpful Frymax team.
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