A food blogger has revealed a simple step to make homemade chips extra crispy: adding vinegar to the soaking water.
Why vinegar works
Nagi Maehashi from Recipe Tin Eats said: "Fluffy on the inside, crispy on the outside – and stays crispy well beyond the time it takes to eat the fries and, say, a big juicy cheeseburger. The ideal French fry!"
She explained that the conventional method of soaking raw fries in water and double frying yields crispy fries only when piping hot. "But the first problem is that within minutes, before they even hit the table, they start to lose crispiness."
Simmering the fries in water with vinegar removes excess sugars, preventing them from browning too quickly and allowing them to become properly crisp. The water activates starches in the potato, creating a crispy surface. Maehashi added: "Meanwhile, adding acid (the vinegar) to the water prevents the potatoes from disintegrating for the 10-minute simmering time required."
How to make crispy chips
Ingredients:
- 1 kg Maris Piper or King Edward potatoes
- 2 tablespoons white vinegar
- 1 tablespoon cooking salt (or kosher salt)
- 1 litre vegetable or canola oil, for frying
- Fine sea salt to taste (optional)
Method:
Peel the potatoes and cut into 6mm fries, using a serrated knife if possible for a rougher surface that crisps more easily. Keep cut fries in a bowl of cold water to prevent browning.
Drain and rinse fries under cold running water for a few seconds. Transfer to a large saucepan with 2 litres cold water, vinegar and salt. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer and cook for 10 minutes.
Using a stainless steel slotted spoon, lift fries into a colander, then spread over tea towel-lined trays and leave to steam dry for 5 minutes.
Heat 3cm of oil to 205°C in a deep, heavy-based saucepan. Divide fries into three batches and fry each batch for 50 seconds, adding fries in three portions with a 10-second pause between each addition to prevent oil from bubbling over.
Drain on paper towels and leave to cool for 30 minutes. Reheat oil to 205°C and fry cooled fries in two batches for 4 minutes, or until golden and crisp. Drain on paper towels, season with salt and serve immediately.
