National Chip Week: Mark Hix Recipes

National Chip Week - Mark Hix Recipes

"Chips are without a doubt one of the nation's favourite foods - they're always popular in my restaurants as well as in my home! Chips are incredibly versatile and there's a different type to go with just about anything. Plus they're really simple to make at home, whether it's a traditional fried chip or an oven-baked wedge." Mark Hix

Traditional Chips

"Beef dripping or lard (pork) is the ultimate chip cooking fat because it gives a crisper, tastier result. It tends to burn quicker than vegetable oil which is why we don't tend to use it in the restaurants and of course it's not that veggie friendly so use vegetable or corn oil for a vegetarian version."

Ingredients:

• Allow 200-250g of potatoes per person
• Pre-heat dripping, lard or vegetable oil

Method:

Peel your potatoes, then for thick-cut chips, cut into 1cm slices then slice these into 1cm-wide chips. For allumettes (thin shoestring like chips) follow the same procedure, but cut them ½cm thick.

Wash the chips in water then drain on kitchen paper.

Place the chips in a pan of cold water, bring to the boil and simmer for a couple minutes for allumettes and about 3-4 minutes for thick cut. Drain in a colander and leave to cool.

Pre-heat dripping, lard or vegetable oil to 120°C in a deep-fat fryer. Blanch your chips two or three handfuls at a time until they are soft but not coloured. Remove from the fat and drain. You can store the chips in this state in the fridge for up to a couple of days.

To serve the chips, re-fry them in hot fat (160-180°C) until they are crisp, season lightly with salt and serve immediately.

Rosemary and parmesan baked chunky chips

Ingredients (serves 4)

"These are rather like oven baked chunky chips with an Italian accent. I've cut them in chunky chips here but what shape you cut them into is up to you."

Ingredients:

• 4 large baking potatoes weighing about 200-25g each
• 5-6tbls olive oil
• 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed
• 2tbls rosemary leaves
• 3tbls freshly grated parmesan

Method:

Pre heat the oven to 200°C/Gas mark 6.

Halve the potatoes then cut each half into 6 or 7 chunky chips. Place them in a pan of cold water, bring to the boil and simmer for 3-4 minutes then drain in a colander.

Heat the olive oil in a roasting tray in the oven then add the potatoes, garlic and rosemary, season and roast for about 45 minutes, turning them a couple times during cooking, or until the potatoes are crisp and cooked through.

Scatter over the parmesan and return to the oven for about 10 -12 minutes.

Kentucky Style Chips

"This is one of those great seasonings that you can use on pieces of chicken, fish or in this case chips. Kids love it especially with a bowl of mayonnaise mixed with ketchup, gherkins and herbs to make a thousand island dressing."

Ingredients:

• Allow 200-250g of potatoes per person
• 1tsp onion powder
• 1tsp ground cumin
• ½ tsp paprika
• Pinch of sea salt
• 1tsp ground black pepper
• Pinch of celery salt
• 5-6tbls olive oil (for baked chips)
• Pre-heat dripping, lard or vegetable oil (for fried chips)

Method:

Mix all of the spices together then use to season either fried chips or the baked style chunky chips. For fried chips follow traditional recipe above. For baked chips, heat the olive oil in a roasting tray in the oven then add the potatoes.

With the baked ones you can actually add the seasoning at the beginning or half way through cooking.