The Perfect Oven Chip
I’m not opposed to the odd bag of frozen oven chips as we all love a quick and easy option, but you just can’t beat a proper homemade oven chip!! They’re worth that extra bit of time and effort, I promise.
This recipe is beautifully simple and ideal if you don’t own a deep fat fryer or don’t feel comfortable heating up a pan of oil on the hob (I’ve seen the odd accident here and there so I don’t blame ya). Luckily, you’re pretty safe with this one as all your oil is contained in the oven! Woo! Although please be careful when transferring your chips to the tray as the oil still may spit. Oven gloves at the ready.
Once you’ve mastered the classic oven chip, why not give my Korean fries a go because who doesn’t love a bowl of sweet and spicy chips?! Or for a takeaway spin, you need to make my childhood fave, the orange chip – which is absolutely iconic where I live (west midlands, UK) and if you haven’t had it, you’re truly missing out. It’s essentially a battered chip with a fluorescent orange hue that comes from the dash of turmeric in the batter mix. I can’t talk about chips and not mention these.
After you’ve made these oven chips, I’ll need you to update me on whether this beats your bag of frozen chips?! I’ll lay down my potato queen crown if not.
Ingredients
- 3-4 maris piper potatoes
- 4 tbsp vegetable oil
- Plenty of salt
Method
- Preheat the oven to 220°C/425°F/Gas Mark 7 and get the oil onto a baking tray and place in the oven.
- Slice your potatoes into the infamous chip shape (the thickness of your index finger is always good to measure by) and get them into cold water to soak for a few minutes.
- After the time has passed, rinse them off, get them into a shallow but wide saucepan and cover in cold, heavily salted water.
- Bring the water to the boil and then cook for a further 7 minutes, until tender but not falling apart. You want to be able to poke with a knife and the potatoes slide off. That's when you know they're ready!
- Drain the potatoes in a colander, then get them laid out onto a cooling rack. Suspend this over the saucepan you’ve just used and cover with a tea towel. Leave for 10 minutes to steam dry.
- Carefully remove the tray from the oven and tip the chips into it, giving them one little mix so that they get coated in the hot oil but don't break up. Return the tray to the oven for 30-50 minutes. Watch your hands for any spitting oil!
- When you're half-way through cooking, give the chips a little turn so that all the sides get the opportunity to crisp up!
- Once they’re golden and crispy, serve up and enjoy! Maybe an extra sprinkling of salt for extra good measure.