carlton deep fat fryer

[ckfe]

got a deep fat fryer off a freecycler last night because my OH has been banging on about having "proper chips" for months now.. only problem is i've not got a clue how to use it, there's a temperature button thing and a timer button.. anyone got any idea how hot the oil has to be before i bung the chips in it?

[shirlthegirl43]

Which model is it?

[ckfe]

DF1000.. i've had a look on google for instructions but couldn't find any

[shirlthegirl43]

Hmm, indeed there appear to be none. No matter. I usually do chips at 190 degrees. Most frozen stuff that goes in the fryer says on the packet what temperature to do it at.

have fun!

[ckfe]

Hmm, indeed there appear to be none. No matter. I usually do chips at 190 degrees. Most frozen stuff that goes in the fryer says on the packet what temperature to do it at.

have fun!

i'm going to be doing real chips with real potatoes (heart attack waiting to happen) but i'll take your advice and do them at 190 degrees.. thanks shirl

oh and how long do they usually take? just so i can coincide them with whatever we're having with them

[shirlthegirl43]

Oh, now that is a tricky one. All depends on how thick you cut the chips etc etc. What I would suggest is fry them till nearly done then do everything else and pop the chips in to finish off at a time suited to the rest of the meal. (hope that makes sense)

[shirlthegirl43]

Oh, and it isn't a heart attack waiting to happen unless you eat them every meal every day of your life Chips are gorgeous!!!

[Hilary B]

My chip pan has a pictorial guide to frying on it. It shows chips as taking about 15-20 mins (and yes of course it depend on size).
To get the best chips (crispy outside, fluffy inside) ALWAYS 'double fry' (triple if you can). Lift them out of the pan for a minute or 2 (longer if busy) and give them an extra sizzle just before serving! Some pubs that serve that sort of food will advertize 'tripple fried chips', and that is why!

[ckfe]

never heard of double and triple frying before, i'll definitely be trying it though well i made my chips last night and the first batch i did at 190 degrees were done in 5 minutes and they were far too brown.. second lot i did at 170 degrees took about 10 mins and were a nice golden colour on the outside but not particularly fluffy in the middle... tasted lovely though!

[Hilary B]

You can cheat, with thick-cut chips. After cutting put them in a heat-proof bowl, sprinkle on loads of salt, pour boiling water over to just cover. Allow to stand for a few mins, then drain, and get as much water off as possible. (My mum used to wrap the chips in a tea-towel to get them dry).
If they are still warm from this process when they go in the chip pan, they will cook quicker, but the main point is that it helps with getting that fluffy centre...

[ckfe]

cheating is good .. i vaguely remember my mum washing the chips before she cooked them when i was a child, think it was probably just to get the starch off though because she always did them in cold water then patted them dry with a pot towel

[hmk]

I haven't got a chip pan, but apparently the best (fluffy centered) chips are double fried- once to cook without browning, and then at a higher temperature to brown and crisp. Sorry, no idea what the temperatures are, but shouldn't be too difficult to find out. There was a Hairy Biker episode where they were raving about twice cooked chips in Belgium...

[ckfe]

I haven't got a chip pan, but apparently the best (fluffy centered) chips are double fried- once to cook without browning, and then at a higher temperature to brown and crisp. Sorry, no idea what the temperatures are, but shouldn't be too difficult to find out. There was a Hairy Biker episode where they were raving about twice cooked chips in Belgium...

i'll have a look on google, gave my daughter chips last night and she was whinging saying she liked the frozen ones done in the oven better.. what's wrong with kids these days?

[Hilary B]

i'll have a look on google, gave my daughter chips last night and she was whinging saying she liked the frozen ones done in the oven better.. what's wrong with kids these days?

You can make oven 'wedges'. You need potatoes which are not too thick (but can be long). I haven't weighed them for this recipe, but it took 6, about 2-3 inches thick by 4-5 long last time I did it.
WASH the potatoes thoroughly, cut into wedge shapes (usually 6 to a potato; looking at the end imagine a clock face and cut into '2 hour' sized sections, bigger spuds cut into 8), dry in a tea-towel.
In a roasting tray, put a couple of tablespoons of oil, and whatever seasonong you fancy (I just use sea salt and coarsely ground black pepper). Add the potato wedges, and shake the pan vigorously to coat them with the oil.
Put in a hot oven (gas 7, don't know what that is for electric) for 45-50 mins, taking the tin out of the oven for a good shake half-way through.
If they don't look quite done, turn them over, and give them another 5-10 mins.

[ckfe]

you're making me hungry now!! i'll have to do the wedges tomorrow... promised my OH chips again tonight (3rd night in a row).. we're having tata hash so shouldn't really have chips with it seeing as it's already got tons of potatoes in but what the heck