How can you have a fat steak without chips? Well I struggle to, so here is my recipe carefully cultivated over many years and many potatoes. It really is worth the slight extra hassle…

Step 1 - Prepare the spuds

• Peel the potatoes and cut into chips around 2 cm cross section
  Top tip: I get the best results with Maris Piper potatoes which are widely available. Red potatoes can work well but don’t get as crispy

Step 2 - Cook them once

• Put the chips into a large pan of boiling salted water - there should be plenty of space
  Top tip: I sometimes add a tablespoon of glucose and a teaspoon or bicarbonate of soda to the water to help mimic the chemistry of the spud itself - this can enhance the potato flavour

• Take them off the heat just as the first of the chips is starting to fall apart and drain in a colander

• The aim now is to cool the chips down completely so starch begins to crystallise on the surface (a white powdery coating). This helps generate a crispy coating

• I have been known to be over the top cooling mine…

Step 3 - Cook them twice

• Heat your deep fat fryer to 130C

• Fry the cooled chips until they look dry and haven’t taken on too much colour (approx 10 min)

• Again leave the chips to cool down

• Top tip: at this stage you can put the chips in a sealed bag in the freezer until you need them, carrying out step 3 straight from the freezer. An effortless way to impress people with no apparent effort. For this reason I always do an extra batch for the freezer!

Step 4 - Cook them thrice

• Heat the deep fat fryer to 190C and return the chips to the hot oil

• The chips will quickly brown and crisp up. Remove when to your liking (approx 4 min)

• Serve immediately with plenty of salt and quite probably a steak

 Ingredients

• Good, large potatoes - roughly one per serving

• Vegetable oil for the deep fat fryer