We often walk around a car boot on a sunday for some light exercise
(& grab some bargains) ...my dad insisted on buying an old & unloved crinkle chip potatoe cutter! ..My mum laughed & said it would never be used, but now a few years later I can use this safely to cut crinkled chips safely without cutting myself.
In fact dad tells me that this sort of cutter is ideal for the blind & partially sighted because they are very safe but cut easily through most vegetables & cheeses & other food-stuff, this is why he let me go crazy with it, because it's good practise with kitchen tools learning how much pressure (strength) is needed to cut or chop through different things for a kid like myself.
We don't eat a lot of chips but when we do like "proper" home-made ones with good goose, chicken, or duck eggs to dip. ..dad let me go a bit crazy cutting them & said the TWO large platefuls made up for all the ones he hadn't eaten for the last 20 years!
Chips might seem like an odd thing to teach me to make & fry, but we all eat chips, & the best chips are often made from older potatoes ..so you can use up potatoes with "eyes" ..& the uglier looking ones! ..dad say's there are bad chips & good chips so I may as well learn to make & appreciate GOOD chips! as an occasional treat!
I had great fun learning to cut them (it helps me learn to use proper kitchen tools too) & even though they take time to cook in a pan of oil it's good to know how make your own ..I think crispy ones are best.
Once they're cooked add some grated cheese to melt on them! ...or if you are disgusting like my dad is, lots of stinky mouldy stilton cheese & sweet chili dipping sauce!
With a good salad or a portion of grilled fish fingers ...delicious & something I can make myself.
Have you got an old fashioned crinkle chip cutter? ..give it a go on a potatoe or two (you don't need to fry them), cut them into wedges (leave the skins on),season them with a drizzle of oil & salt, pepper or herbs & stick them on a hot-plate grille (with an adults help) ..then eat them hot with some mayonnaise or ketchup! (or some mayonnaise mixed in with a bit of ketchup = ..seafood sauce).
Here's a recipe if you'd like to try it with a grown-up! (but this one involves frying them)
The secret of good chips is to cook them twice at two different temperatures, so you will need a deep pan and a thermometer for this recipe.
Ingredients
- 4 large potatoes, preferably Maris Piper
- sunflower oil, for deep frying
- Peel the potatoes and cut lengthways into roughly 1cm/½in slices. Cut each slice into fairly thick chips and rinse in a colander under plenty of cold water to remove excess starch. (If you have time, it's worth letting the chips soak in a bowl of cold water for several hours, or overnight.) Pat dry with kitchen paper.
- Heat a deep, heavy-bottomed saucepan half-full of the sunflower oil to 130C. It's important to use a cooking thermometer and check the temperature regularly. Alternatively, use an electric deep-fat fryer heated to 130C. (CAUTION: hot oil can be dangerous. Do not leave unattended.)
- Using a large, metal, slotted spoon, gently lower half the chips into the hot oil and stir carefully. Fry for ten minutes, or until cooked through but not browned.
- Remove the chips from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside to drain on plenty of kitchen paper. Repeat the process with the remaining chips. (The chips can be left for several hours at this stage.)
- When ready to serve, reheat the oil to 190C. With a slotted spoon, lower all the par-cooked chips gently into the pan and cook for 4-5 minutes, or until crisp and golden-brown. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper.
- Tip into a serving dish and sprinkle with salt and vinegar to serve (alternatively this is when you sprinkle & melt some grated cheese on them).