My Best Oven Chips!

It should really come as no surprise to discover that there are so many potato recipes available here on Eating for Ireland – the clue was in the word ‘Ireland’ – we do love our spuds!  😉

I’ve been making potato wedges in my oven for years, but this recipe is for proper chips, and they too are cooked in the oven.. Before you start, the 30 minute cold-water bath before you cook them makes an amazing difference, but often I’ve just given them a quick dip in icy cold water, and they’ve turned out fine. If you can manage it though, the 30 minute soak definitely makes a difference.

So, here’s the latest potato recipe – which, if I do say so myself, is pretty darn good

EQUIPMENT:                                                                     

• 2 Medium-sized bowls – I used my Pyrex ones
• a large, sturdy baking tray
• *Baking parchment* Please do use this – it reduces the amount of oil you need, the chips don’t stick to the tray, and clearing up is a dawdle!
•  1 or 2 clean, dry tea towels,
• A tablespoon

INGREDIENTS: These quantities will generously feed 4 people.

• 1-2 medium-sized potatoes per person (less for kids or, you know, maybe not 😉 )
• 1 heaped tablespoon of grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 teaspoon each of Paprika, finely ground black pepper and  garlic salt. See NOTES
• 1 dessertspoon of Oil – I used Rapeseed.

METHOD:

• Peel the potatoes and wash them well.
• Cut the potatoes into chip-sized pieces, and place into one of the bowls.
• Rinse the potatoes again, until the water runs clear,  then fill the bowl with really cold water.

• Leave the potatoes to soak for about  30 minutes, or look, for as long as you can manage..
• Cut a sheet of Baking Parchment to fit your baking tray. Leave to one side.
• Heat the oven to 200Fan
• Meanwhile, put the dry ingredients into the second bowl, and mix together. See NOTES

• When the 30 minute cooling is done, drain the potatoes, and dry them on the tea towel(s)

• Add the dried-off potatoes to the spice mixture, and using the tablespoon, mix them really well until all the chips are coated. This takes no time at all..
• Add the dessertspoon of oil to the bowl, and mix through again.

• Transfer the coated chips to the baking tray, and make sure that they are all in one single layer. It doesn’t really matter if they’re close to each other, but they must be in contact with the baking tray.

• Put the tray into the oven, set the timer for 35 minutes, then walk away – that’s how long it will take for them to cook. There’s no turning required with this recipe. (How cool is that??) I turn the tray once, half-way through the cooking time, but that’s just my oven..
• When the 35 mins is up, the chips will be crisp and golden and ready to serve.

• Drain the chips on some kitchen paper, if you need to, then transfer them to a serving plate.
• Sit back and wait for the compliments. These are really like proper chips!

NOTES:

• The 30 minute soak is what helps these chips become beautifully crisp, so it’s well worth doing.
• Do please use the baking parchment – I forgot recently, and the chips stuck to the tray – they were still fully edible, but had to be scraped off the tray – not a good look!
• The single layer is what avoids the need for turning the chips during cooking.
• Taste them before you add any salt – the Garlic salt and the Parmesan add enough I think.
• I used some elderly potatoes that were hanging about, and I really believe that it was the soaking that made them so delicious.
• Don’t be tempted to add more Paprika, Garlic salt or black pepper – the 1/4 teaspoon of each is plenty.
• It’s important to make sure that all the potatoes are equally covered with the mix of flavours and the oil before cooking.
• I had a some uncooked but dressed chips left over, so I experimented, left them in a covered bowl in the fridge overnight and cooked them next day – they turned out perfectly! That’s so good to know if you’re cooking after a day’s work!