Triple-cooked chips facts for kids
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| Course | Appetizer, side dish |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | England |
| Created by | Heston Blumenthal |
| Serving temperature | Hot |
| Main ingredients | Potato |
Triple-cooked chips are a special kind of chips. They were created by a famous English chef named Heston Blumenthal. He started working on this recipe in 1993. Eventually, he came up with a unique three-step cooking method.
First, the chips are gently cooked in water. Then, they are cooled down and dried. After that, they are fried in hot oil at about 130°C (266°F). They are cooled again. Finally, they are fried one more time at about 180°C (356°F). This special process makes chips that Heston Blumenthal describes as having "a glass-like crust and a soft, fluffy centre." This means they are super crispy on the outside and wonderfully soft inside!
A newspaper called The Sunday Times said that triple-cooked chips were Heston Blumenthal's most important food idea. They even said these chips gave regular chips "a whole new lease of life."
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The Story of Triple-Cooked Chips
Heston Blumenthal was really keen on making the "perfect chip." He said he was "obsessed" with the idea. From 1992, he worked hard to find a way to make chips that were crispy outside and fluffy inside.
He studied different types of potatoes. He looked at how much starch they had. He also tried different ways to dry the chips. He even tried using a microwave or poking tiny holes in them.
Eventually, Blumenthal created his special three-step cooking method. This is what we now call triple-cooked chips. He said it was "the first recipe I could call my own."
These chips were first served at his restaurant, the Fat Duck, in 1995. Since then, many other restaurants have started making them too.
How to Make Triple-Cooked Chips
The Special Three-Step Process
Usually, people cook chips in two steps. First, they fry them at a low heat to make them soft. Then, they fry them at a higher heat to make them crispy.
Heston's recipe adds an important first step. He cooks the potatoes in water for 20 to 30 minutes. They cook until they are almost falling apart. They also get many tiny cracks on their surface.
After boiling, the chips are drained. Then, as much water as possible is removed. This can be done by putting them in a freezer. This extra step helps in three ways:
- First, cooking potatoes gently in water makes them very soft inside.
- Second, the cracks on the chips help oil get in. This makes them extra crunchy when fried.
- Third, drying the chips well removes moisture. Moisture is the "enemy" of crispy chips, according to Blumenthal.
The second step is to fry the chips at about 130°C (266°F). This takes about 5 minutes. After this, they are cooled again. You can put them in a freezer or use a special machine called a sous-vide.
The third and final step is to fry them again. This time, the oil is hotter, about 180°C (356°F). They fry for about 7 minutes. They will become golden and very crunchy.
Heston says the second frying step is very important. It helps any starch left on the surface of the chips to dissolve. This creates a strong outer layer. This layer can then handle the high heat of the last frying. He knows this step takes time, but it makes a big difference. If you only fry them once at a high heat, the crust will be thin. It can easily get soggy from any moisture left inside the chip.
Different Ways to Make Them
There are some different ways people make triple-cooked chips. Some chefs use a refrigerator to cool the chips between cooking times. Others use slightly different temperatures. For example, they might use 140°C (284°F) for the first frying. Then, they use 200°C (392°F) for the second frying.
Another tasty idea is to cook triple-cooked chips in duck fat. This gives them a rich flavor. People also use different kinds of potatoes. Some popular types are sebago, Rooster, and Maris Piper.
