Need to know how to make perfect chips Mailcopiesto: never

I'd vote for King Edward potatoes as the best of those easily available if you want floury chips. Avoid DesireZ or others with a high sugar content, as the sugar burns before the chips get really crisp, so the chips have an unpleasant burnt flavour. If you're serving with steak, consider game chips: just slice the potatoes into rounds, thinly. A mandoline helps. In theory they should be as thin as crisps, but I like more variation. I used corn oil, others will speak longingly of dripping. Whatever you use, it should say 'suitable for deep frying' on the label -- some oils break down and burn at lower temperatures than others.

If you like fluffy, crunchy outside surfaces on the chips, parboil them for a couple of minutes, drain, cool and dry thoroughly before frying.

Settle for a few perfect chips rather a plateful of soggy, greasy potatoes. Don't exceed the recommended capacity of the fryer because too many chips drop the fat temperature and the chips just sit there soaking in hot oil rather than frying to crisps. They're best cooked in two stages, but I can't remember the timing or temperatures as I haven't fried chips for ages.

regards sarah

-- Think of it as evolution in action.