Heston's Triple Cooked Chips

                                 heston's triple cooked chips with their crisp glass like finish

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Heston Blumenthal is popping up in my home state of Melbourne, well at least his world renowned UK restaurant 'The Fat Duck' is. For sixth months from February 15th 2015 the 'The Fat Duck' will be at Crown Casino. With only 16,000 seats available those hoping get a table must enter an online ballot. The ballot is open until midnight October 26th, if your successful break open your piggy bank to pay $525.00 per person without drinks. 

Dang, I want to experience four plus hours and 12 - 15 magical courses but I might have to settle for Heston's triple cooked chips.

Watch Heston himself make his chips, this video stops at final fry.

Heston's Triple Cooked Chips

Ingredients

1 kg (2.2lb) of potatoes ...  (use the best frying potato in your area)

Grapeseed oil for deep frying 

salt

chips cut not too big or too small ... shhh, I had a ruler out the first time I made them. 

Method

Put the cut chips into a bowl under running water for 5 minutes to wash the starch off. Ok, being on water restrictions a lot here, I caught as much water as I could and transferred it to the garden. 

The weird step; Place 2 litres (8 cups) of cold tap water in a large saucepan and add the potatoes. Place the pan over a medium heat and simmer until the chips are almost falling apart (approximately 20–30 minutes, depending on the potato).

Carefully, no really "carefully", remove the cooked chips with a slotted spoon and place them on a cooling rack to dry out. Then place the rack in the freezer for at least 1 hour to remove more moisture.

Heat a deep-fat fryer or a deep pan no more than half filled with oil (to a depth of around 10 cm - 4 inches) to 130ºC (266F). Fry the chips in small batches until a light crust forms (approximately 5 minutes), remove from the oil and drain on paper towel.

Put the potatoes on a cooling rack and place in the freezer for at least 1 hour. You can do this ahead and store the chips in fridge for up to three days. 

Heat the oil in the deep-fat fryer or deep pan to 180ºC (356F) and fry the chips until golden (approximately 7 minutes). Drain and sprinkle with salt.

I served the chips wrapped in food colouring printed newspaper, for a fun nostalgic presentation. 

The best chips we have ever had... the most work for a chip... longest time investment for a chip... but oh baby it's a great chip! 

Haven't entered the ballot yet and want to try for a booking ... head on over to The Fat Duck/Crown Melbourne.

Happy Baking :) 

You might also be interested in Nutella Dust

Heston Mince Pies with Pine Sugar review

               pack of six Heston mince pies with pine sugar

Heston Blumenthal, is an English celebrity chef and owner of The Fat Duck, a three-Michelin-starred restaurant in the UK. Heston has written many cookery books, appeared in many TV cookery shows including regular appearances on MasterChef Australia. 'Heston' is a ready made range of food produced for Waitrose an upmarket range of British supermarkets .

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Oh, I missed out on these pies last Christmas so I was excited to see them in the local supermarket today. Straight home to open the pack and popped them into the oven to warm. Ahhh, tragic I know that I'm excited about fruit mince pies but I do love Heston Blumenthal, the theatre, the magic, the great food. 

Lets start with the pastry on these little fruit mince pies, puff pastry replaces the regular short crust. Now being a lady (I am so!!), my first bite contained pastry, just pastry. It's not particularly buttery, it is umm, nice and "puffy" ;) Back to the "being a lady" your last bite is all pastry too. The kind of pie you need to have a drink with or provide cream/ice-cream to get it down.

Hmmm, the side of the box promises fruit mince filling with 'the added ingredients of lemon curd, rose water and apple purée'.... the ingredient list includes citrus oils, juices and zest. This is sounds lovely and I want that fruit mince pie, what you actually get tastes pretty much like the filling of any good commercial fruit mince pies... I missed the citrus and the promised rose water.

The pine sugar for sprinkling does deliver a "fun factor", when sprinkled on the oven warmed pies the aroma is "Christmas" and it provides a much needed flavour boost.  The sugar alone (ok I put it on a spoon and ate it which you aren't going to do) is heading towards loo cleaner... not that I have eaten loo cleaner but you know what I mean. 

All in all, the pies are just ok, they look pretty and the sugar element is fun. 

In Australia from Coles Supermarkets

You might also be interested in fruit caviar 

Or make some Nutella dust