Triple cooked chips

[Gillthepainter Profile Website]

are they that good? Have you tried them.

We had a jolly nice meal in Totnes at the hotel. Seabass for me, lamb for OH. Which came with potatoes.
But an extra on the menu was triple cooked chips, which we also ordered for curiosity.

Rather fat, wedge shaped. Nice enough.
But I prefer my way, slim chips, fried till cooked inside but white. Cooled. Open frozen.
Then fried a second time to crisp and brown when required.

Why are triple cooked so great?

[Alexandria Profile]

If I am not mistaken, it was Chef Heston Blumenthal who had begun this " triple fry process " of potatoes close to a decade ago.

Surely, his récipe is online .. or in one of his books ..

[Sakkarin Profile]

Because they can charge thrice as much?

Telly screen shot from about 15 years ago, Chips on one channel and Mash on the other...



EDIT: I am pretty sure my mother used to parboil chips before cooking. Couldn't afford to deep fry though, so always shallow fried.

I think the double frying was pretty standard too in chippies, cooked at lower temp then a final fry at a higher temp.

Combine those two nd you've got triple fried.

[Stokey Sue Profile]

I have had the triple cooked chips at Heston’s pub
They were wonderful - light and fluffy inside, crisp and golden outside. Good flavour too.

I have had them also in pubs and restaurants where they have not been so good, resembling roasties at best. Quite stodgy some of them. You probably need Heston’s attention to detail to make them simultaneously crisp and fluffy it seems, as well as the flavour

Funnily enough Iceland’s frozen ones to finish in the oven are pretty good, a bit slimmer. Not vegetarian (dripping)

[Joanbunting Profile]

Sue did you have the chips at Quo Vardis in May? They were triple cooked and utterly divine

[Stokey Sue Profile]

Yes, I had some of them, I was trying to remember where else I’d had perfect triple cooked chips, Quo Vadis Yum.

But Jeremy Lee’s attention to detail also notorious!

[dennispc Profile]

Are you sure they're tripled fried? Tripled cooked in a lot pubs could mean; parboiled, fried once, left on the side covered overnight and quick fried next day when ordering.

[Gillthepainter Profile Website]

The triple cooked does seem to mean plunged in the fryer 3 times.
And it does also seem to mean excellent chips from our experienced tasters. Thank you.

I should try Iceland chips next time we make them. Always with steak, that is.

Did you know, the bossman lieutenant in CHIPS is Chris Pine's dad?

[Stokey Sue Profile]

Heston par boils for the first cooking

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.redonline.co.uk/food/recipes/amp501428/heston-blumenthal-triple-cooked-chips/

[Gillthepainter Profile Website]

Thanks for the link.
That's a long time to parboil. Perhaps making them fragile = as light as a feather end result.

[Renee Profile]

Floury potatoes start to break up after a long simmer and they become more crispy.

[karadekoolaid Profile]

The best chips I´ve had in years and years, I snaffled down in Marino´s Fish Bar in Rye.
They were twice fried, rather than thrice, and served with an exquisite chunk of battered cod
The cook was from Lithuania

I don´t know if I could be bothered to eat triple fried chips. Too much effort for a humble chip, IMO. Just malt vinegar will do me, and it doesn´t matter of the last few are a bit soggy!

[Gillthepainter Profile Website]

We might be going to the Isle of Wight at the weekend - not decided till nearer the end of the week.

I'm pleased to hear it comes up to snuff still. We always like the food there = especially the pint of prawns for me, whenever I see it.

Sorry, but to clarify. As I wasn't absolutely sure.
Triple cooked is parboiled, and fried twice.

I suppose that's why the chips have to be quite big, as you wouldn't have much left of a french fry.

When I studied in the West Midlands, I could believe how strong the vinegar is there in the chips shops.
Splutteringly intense. I don't know if it still is.

[Stokey Sue Profile]

Yes, the par boiling is Heston’s original method

Never understood vinegar on chips. Hate the smell. And of course chip shop “vinegar” is usually the dreaded non-brewed condiment; I was surprised when I got some real malt vinegar for a recipe that it is actually quite nice!

[Gillthepainter Profile Website]

What's real malt vinegar Sue.
I guess I only know Sarsons.

I'd like to try it, as we seem to use a lot of vinegar in our house.

[Stokey Sue Profile]

Yes Sarsons is real malt vinegar, made by brewing a kind of beer from malted barley and then letting acetobacter (vinegar mother) convert it to vinegar, which still has a faintly malty character.

Chip shop “vinegar” is often non-brewed condiment, made by diluting acetic acid with water and adding a touch of caramel to colour it.

If I wanted to make a niche artisan product perhaps I’d make s posh malt vinegar

[Gillthepainter Profile Website]

Ah-HA.
Thanks again, Sue. My chum brews her own vinegars & concoctions, but she has a mahoosive garage for her foodie works and equipment and racks.
Plus, a massive driveway for the 2 cars

[Pampy Profile]

I'm with Sue on vinegar on chips - really don't like it. It always seems to catch in my throat and i end up coughing and spluttering.

[Joanbunting Profile]

I have made my own wine vinegar fro years since I got my vinegar jars and mothers from a French friend.
I make white and red and sometimes flavout them - usually to give as gifts.
the only reason I use mely vinegar is for some pickles.
I too hate any sort of vinegar on chipes - just makes them soggy.

[Stokey Sue Profile]

When I worked in a lab the lads used to put stock acetic acetic acid solution on their chips