The Ultimate Pursuit of Chips: Four Essential Techniques for Perfectly Crispy Chips

Whether served in a paper bag at a street food stall or as a refined side dish in an upscale restaurant, this potato-centric dish consistently evokes feelings of joy and satisfaction. BigBoy delves into the ultimate secrets of frying chips, sharing four key techniques to help you create perfectly crispy-on-the-outside, soft-on-the-inside, and aromatic chips using high-starch potatoes. We’ll also put deep-frying and air-frying to the test, along with an upgraded method incorporating potato starch, to discover the most delicious path to chip perfection.

Choosing the Right Potato: The Foundation of High-Starch Excellence

The key to perfect chips lies in the choice of potato. High-starch varieties, such as Russet or Brushed Potatoes, are the top choice due to their low moisture content and high starch levels. During frying, the surface moisture evaporates quickly, forming a dry, crispy shell that delivers an unparalleled crunch. Additionally, high-temperature frying causes the starch to gelatinise, expanding to create a natural barrier that prevents excessive oil absorption, avoiding greasiness while preserving a fluffy interior. Cutting the potatoes into strips 1.5 to 2 centimeters thick ensures a balanced thickness, maintaining a soft core while achieving a uniformly crispy exterior. This potato selection forms the solid foundation for exceptional chips.

Secret One: Washing Away Starch for Even Crispiness

The first step in frying chips is to place the cut potato strips in a large bowl and rinse them repeatedly with clean water until the water runs clear. This seemingly simple step is critical for crispy chips. After cutting, the potato strips accumulate a significant amount of starch on their surface. If not washed away, the chips tend to stick together during frying, leading to uneven cooking and potentially causing the outer layer to burn prematurely, affecting both texture and appearance. Thorough rinsing removes excess starch, allowing each chip to form independently in the oil, ensuring even heat distribution and a dry, crisp exterior. This step sets a clean foundation for the subsequent cooking process.

Secret Two: Pre-Boiling Chips to Lock in Softness

The washed potato strips should be boiled in salted water for 8 to 12 minutes, depending on their thickness, until a thin, horn-like membrane forms on the surface. This step, known as the “Gelatinisation Effect,” allows the hot water to gelatinise the starch molecules on the surface, creating a protective layer that locks in internal moisture. This not only shortens the frying time but also ensures that during high-temperature frying, the outer layer dehydrates quickly to form a crispy shell while the interior remains soft and moist. After boiling, drain carefully, as the chips are fragile at this stage and require gentle handling to avoid damage.

Secret Three: Chilling to Set Structure and Prevent Breakage

The boiled chips need to be chilled in the refrigerator for 15 minutes, a crucial third secret. After boiling, the gelatinised starch on the surface remains soft, and frying them immediately could cause them to break or stick together. Chilling allows the starch to recrystallise, forming a sturdy surface structure. The cooled exterior also dehydrates rapidly during high-temperature frying, creating a crisper shell while securely locking in the internal moisture for a soft texture. This step not only enhances the structural stability of the chips but also elevates the final crispy effect.

Secret Four: Potato Starch for an Extra Crispy Boost

For the ultimate crispy texture, lightly coat the chilled chips with a thin layer of potato starch, tossing evenly before frying. The potato starch absorbs residual surface moisture, forming a rougher, airier surface structure during frying that adds extra crispiness and a light, airy feel. In testing, chips with potato starch outperformed others in both appearance and texture, with a slightly puffed-up surface and a satisfying crunch when bitten. This small step is the finishing touch that elevates chips to restaurant-quality perfection.

Deep-Frying vs. Air-Frying: Who Reigns Supreme?

Deep-Frying: The Classic Crispy Choice

Deep-frying is the traditional method for chips, requiring a two-stage process. The first stage involves frying at a low temperature of 140°C for 5 to 6 minutes to set the chips without coloring them. After draining and blotting excess oil with kitchen paper, fry again at 180°C until golden and crispy. Here, we use cold-pressed avocado oil with a smoke point of 260°C, blended with 200 grams of duck fat for added aroma. This two-stage frying ensures a dry, crispy exterior and a soft, non-dry interior. Testing showed that deep-fried chips, especially those with potato starch, maintained long-lasting crispiness even after sitting for a while, with a rich, lingering flavour.

Air-Frying: A Balance of Health and Convenience

Air-frying offers a healthier alternative, ideal for those seeking low-oil cooking. Toss the chilled chips with a small amount of duck fat and place them in an air fryer preheated to 180°C. Fry for 5 minutes, flip, fry for another 5 minutes, then increase the temperature to 200°C and fry for an additional 5 to 8 minutes. Air-fried chips have a partially crispy surface and a soft interior, enhanced by the aroma of duck fat. However, due to the air fryer’s heating method, achieving uniform crispiness is challenging, and the chips lose their crunch quickly after cooling. Still, when eaten immediately, air-fried chips offer good flavour with significantly less oil, making them a convenient choice for home cooking.

Chips may seem simple, but they embody countless details and ingenuity. From selecting high-starch potatoes to thorough washing, pre-boiling to set texture, chilling to strengthen structure, and the final touch of potato starch, each step paves the way for that perfect crispy-outside, soft-inside texture. Deep-frying delivers classic, rich crispiness, while air-frying offers a healthy and convenient balance, each with its own merits to suit different needs. Whether you’re a chip fanatic or an occasional indulger, these four essential techniques empower you to recreate restaurant-quality chips at home.

Ingredients

Steps

1.

Peel the potatoes, cut them into thick sticks, then wash them in water until the water runs clear to remove excess starch.

2.

Prepare a pot of boiling water, add a little salt, then blanch the potatoes for 8–12 minutes (depending on thickness). The hot water causes the surface starch molecules to gelatinise, forming a thin “cuticle-like” film that coats the fries.

3.

Drain the blanched fries well, then freeze for 15 minutes.

4.

Divide the chilled fries into three portions. Coat one portion lightly with potato starch.

5.

Air-frying: Brush the first portion with a thin layer of duck fat. Place into an air fryer at 180 °C for 5 minutes, then flip the chips and air-fry for another 5 minutes. Then increase to 200 °C and cook for another 5 minutes before removing. Sprinkle with salt and ready to eat.

6.

Deep-frying: Mix the duck fat with the avocado oil and heat to 140 °C. Fry the second portion (without potato starch) and third portion (with potato starch) at 140 °C until firm (about 5 minutes), without browning. The purpose of this first fry is to cook the fries evenly inside and out. Remove and let rest for 5–10 minutes. Then increase the oil temperature to 180 °C and fry the second and third portions again, this time until golden brown. The second fry rapidly dehydrates the surface, creating the golden, crispy crust. Sprinkle with salt and enjoy.