Blanching Spuds?

pokerkingsni

Hi, does anyone know how to blanch spuds for making fried chips?

I've seen some methods that say to boil them for 4-5mins and some that say to fry them in oil for 4-5mins. Is there any difference in the two methods?

Also if blanched can i then freeze the spuds?

Cheers. The search thing is broken so i couldnt see had this been discussed before

Dizzyblonde

Blanching chips generally means frying them at a low-ish temperature - around 150 degrees. Then you finish them off at 180 degrees.
I think you could freeze them after blanching, but you'd have to 'open freeze' them by laying them on a baking tin in the freezer before bagging them so they wouldn't stick together.

hussey

http://www.masterchef.com.au/episode-29.htm

I seen a program and one of the australian masterchefs cooked restaurant quality chips

his method was to boil them(start with cold water) then put them in the fridge for a couple of hours to dry them out (I think he had them on a bed of rock salt) and then when ready he put them in hot oil just purely to crisp them

He explained this method was more healthy as the chips were cooked with water rather than cooked in oil, and the oil purely coated them.

I can't remember the exact wording, but he explained the method took away some of the starch and tasted better

pokerkingsni

Thanks guys. I saw somewhere about leaving them in cold water for as long as possible, so i have them in the fridge overnight.

Gonna give them a go for lunch today!