Jump to:What’s the difference between fries and chips? 📋 What do we need? 🔪 How to make these Homemade Oven Chips 🍽️ What to serve them with Why are you cooking with the foil on first? Why do I need to use cornflour? Do I need to soak the potatoes first? 📺 Watch how to make it 🍲 More Potato-Based Goodness! Homemade Oven Chips 💬 Reviews
I’ll be the first to admit that I have a bag of frozen chips in in my freezer right now. It’s a handy freezer staple that I won’t hesitate to use. However, I always feel just a little bit more angelic when I make chips at home.
And this recipe makes lovely CRISPY chips - without having to get that deep fat fryer out.
What’s the difference between fries and chips?
From a UK perspective:
Fries are skinny chips. Fries are around 4-5mm thickChips are your regular-sized version. About 1cm thick.Steak chips are fat chips - 1.5cm-2.5cm thickIncidentally, for the 3 versions listed above, we’re talking about that potato side dish made up of long rectangular sliced potato with fluffy potato interior and crispy exterior. We’re not talking about crisps in any way shape or form.
From a US perspective - (US friends please let me know if I’m wrong here!):
What the UK call crisps are known as chips.What the UK call fries is the same thing in the US I believe. Although I think fries in the US covers anything from 4mm-1cm thick,What the UK call chips are sometimes can be known in the US as fries or sometimes steak fries if they’re on the larger side?What the UK call steak chips I believe are called steak fries in the US.
So we’re making UK chips which are also US steak fries.Right? Yeah, I’m 91.7% sure that’s right. Serve with a sprinkling of salt (and a good dollop of ketchup if you’re so inclined). Ketchup? mayo? or a mixture of both!
Crispy Chicken BurgerCheesy Chickpea Veggie BurgersButtermilk Fried ChickenSteak PieBBQ Chicken WingsI’ve even been known to serve them with homemade lasagne. shhh don’t tell anyone 😉
Why are you cooking with the foil on first?
This helps to par-cook the potatoes in their own steam so that the fries are tender in the middle by the time they’re crispy on the outside. It’s easier to steam them in the oven rather than dirty a pan by par-cooking them in boiling water.
Why do I need to use cornflour?
Cornflour is a starch which produces a light crisp coating. We’re only using a small amount – so as not to give the fries a chalky taste. Just enough to help crisp up the fries a little more than they would naturally.
Do I need to soak the potatoes first?
Some people do. I don’t think it’s necessary.Soaking the potatoes removes some of the starch from the potatoes. Removing this excess starch does two things:
Starch can make the surface of the potato sticky - which can make the chips stick together on the baking tray. However! We’re coating the chips in a little oil - which will stop them sticking together.Starch contains sugar molecules. These sugars cook quickly, causing the potatoes to brown on the outside before the inside is cooked. However! We’re covering the potatoes for the first part of the cooking process - which starts the cooking process whilst protecting them from browning.
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