The world of spuds is a far more complex one than I, a regular potato eater, had realised.
First, I learned that you’re meant to cook your mash in milk (yes, really). Then came the news that nope, you really shouldn’t use extra-virgin olive oil to cook your roast potatoes.
And now, I learn I’ve been making my chips wrong too ― I’ve been missing a vital step that transforms them from mushy, meh fries to crispy, moreish chips.
Good Housekeeping (among many others) advises that: “It’s imperative you soak your potatoes for at least 30 mins,” and having taken their recommendation myself, I can confirm it makes all the difference.
So, here’s why it works ― and how you should do it.
It’s all about starch
Soaking potatoes in water helps to remove starch, a glucose molecule, from the tubers.
Starches are sugars that can create a gummy or sticky effect on your spuds when cooked ― they’re also why your hands feel so gritty after you’ve peeled potatoes.
Aside from that, starches cook faster than other parts of your potato. So, working with an overly starchy spud might just mean that the outside cooks faster than the inside ― leading to the burnt-skin, hard-middle problem we all hate.
On top of that, a paper published in the journal Science of Food revealed that soaking potatoes before frying reduced their levels of acrylamide, a substance that’s released when starchy foods are exposed to high temps.
Acrylamide is also present in cigarette smoke and may be linked to heightened cancer risk. The jury’s still out on the association ― but for the sake of half an hour’s soaking and crispier chips, I’m willing to take the road less convenient.
How do I soak my chips?
Peel and slice your potatoes to your preferred size and shape.
Then, soak the chips in water for a minimum of half an hour ― I add a dash of salt to my water to draw out extra water from the fries-to-be.
For a speedy fry, you can then parboil your chips until a fork easily pierces them ― then, drain them, ensuring every last drop of water is removed from the spuds before they hit oil. This step is especially useful for chunky chips.
You can deep-fry or air-fry your chips until crispy ― make sure you don’t crown the basket or pan, as this will steam rather than fry your chips.
If you’re frying, use an oil with a high smoke point, like canola, rapeseed, or vegetable oil.
And you should try to lay your spud-loving hands on some flourier potatoes, like Mari Pipers, King Edwards, or Russet potatoes (for what it’s worth, Russets are my personal faves).
Waxier potatoes like baby news simply won’t get crispy enough.
And with that, we wish you happy chipping...