What are the best potatoes for deep frying chips

On 1 Aug 2006 04:09:43 -0700, "pablopabreasto"

I'm no expert (and rarely eat chips) but, AIUI, nearly all chippies use Maris Piper. But chips depend not only on the variety but also, firstly, on sugar content - which can vary over time and between two potatoes. The sugar content, rather than starch, is what makes them brown nicely as they fry. Too much and they look done but are still hard in the middle - too little and they just never seem to brown. Moisture content also varies enormously. Too much will make them steam rather than fry.

When we've had a glut, I have made successful chips from "unsuitable" potatoes by making allowances for their characteristics. But it's hard to do that with a bag of spuds from a supermarket.

I was talking the other day to old friends who used to run a cafe. They didn't really want to sell chips but they were what people wanted so, as with other things they sold, they checked all the local wholesale suppliers to find out which provided consistently good quality. Their chips were always very popular and received lots of compliments.

I suspect very few outlets make their own from scratch these days - they're delivered ready-cut and fresh daily. A good wholesaler will, no doubt, be checking the quality, moisture and sugar content. That, and how they're kept and fried, is perhaps what makes the difference between a good and bad chippie or cafe. -- Phil C.