Sometimes you just need a big old plate of fries..  Having been born in the 70’s and having my teen years set in the 80/90’s the go to was a pop or coffee an a plate of fries..  Sometimes you could get the right place and gravy was included..

But most of the time it cost more to order the side of gravy but the Ketchup was free as was the salt/pepper and most places had vinegar on the side was well..  I can not even begin to say how much I loved those plates of fries on trips or visiting over them with school friends

When I moved to Ontario everyone said, wait till you try our chips..  they love them thick cut with skin on, par cooked and then cooked twice..  to me they are soggy and wet..  So if you love those heavy double cooked chips..  These chips are not them!

What makes a good chip?

• the type of potato
• the type and temp of the oil
•  the length of time spent cooking
•  the salt or seasoning

So lets break it down.. What kind of potato do you want to make the best chip.. look for your baking style potato.. if its ideal as a mashing spud its going to make a ok chip.. but a nice hard baking spud..  its got a firmer flesh texture and it will give you a better chip..

In all the places I worked in the west where we cut and did our own chips, we always used the russet potato and its easy to get, but if you can get your hands on the German Butterball potato… go for it.. you will not regret it at all..

Now comes the oil..  Lard is good but it foams when the water comes out of the veggies which means you can have issues with this from a safety stand point and so most folks recommend veggie oil..

The best oil for French fries is goose oil but that is really hard to get in N. A. but if you can get your hands on it and make your fries with it.. you are in for a treat and everyone will beg for more.. they will never know your secret.. Goose oil when heated to the temps needed for frying this way take on a number of the same properties as olive oil.

Which is my second choice after many years of trying and the good news.. you can get the heaviest darkest cheapest (within reason) olive oil and it will give you a delightful flavour.

Farm Gal Tip : remember your oil can and will take on flavours from what is cooked in it, that is why a really good kitchen will have the fries basket and then they will have the meat cooking basket..  Now some will cook the onion rings in the fries fryer..  I can always tell if they do when I eat the fries..

The worst for me is when they cook their bacon or sausage or other breakfast meats and I can still taste it in their fries at supper time.. Sigh! Keep your oil for your fries away from your cooking up fish for sure..  Oil keeps between uses.. just let it cool down, strain it and hold in a cool dark place between uses.

The amount of time cooking, that one is up to you.. everyone has their own perfect timing.. make a batch, learn the color you like, lift one out and try it..  this is truly practice makes perfect..

But you are ideally want a hard skin with crispy bits on edges and soft center..

Its not a chip without seasoning..  that can be good salt, that can be vinegar and salt, that can be seasoning salt, that can be herbs, that can be gravy if you want.. dipped in the red sauce.. so many ways to eat them once they hit the plate..

So if you have not made yourself a big old plate of fresh homemade chips in a while.. pick up some good russet, get them peels, sliced and into that hot oil and enjoy!