OT: Potato Crisps

[gareth]

Whilst the major players make much of their low fat sunflower oil processes, where can one get _PROPER_ crisps that are fried in Ox Fat, like they always used to be, and so taste well?

ISTR that the Kettle marque were like that until they were taken over by one of the major players in te market.

I have crisps very rarely, so when having such a treat, it would be great to have some _REAL_ crisps instead of the bland (healthy?) offerings available on supermarket shelves.

Failing that, is there a d-i-y recipe for producing such delicacies oneself?

[Nightjar]

Slice potatoes with a mandolin, to get them really thin. Soak in water until they start to curl at the edges (this takes starch out and makes them crunchier). Drain well and pat dry with kitchen towel - the dryer the better as any water will cause hot oil/fat to spit out when you dunk them in the fryer. Put a single layer of slices into your deep fat fryer basket. Dip them briefly (10-15 seconds) in very hot fat or oil of your choice to cook. Season while still warm.

This can be very tedious if you need to make a lot.

Colin Bignell

[chris French]

In message , gareth writes

I reckon it was sometime ago that crisps were cooked using animal fat - Kettle Chips started production in the 1980's, pretty sure by then they would have been using vegtable oil.

My grandfather used to cook them for us when we were kids. AFAICR her used to slice them and shallow fry them.

[gareth]

There was a marked change in the delectability of Kettle when they were taken over, to the extent that they were no longer worth the extra money.

[Adrian]

In case you hadn't noticed, there's quite a few people who don't eat animals - and probably an even larger number who don't eat things fried in animals, since they'd trade in a little bit of flavour for not doing a Bob Crow.

For about the best you seem to be able to currently get, try Tyrrells - or Co-op own brand, which are made by Tyrrells. Taste very similar, but tend to be much smaller crisps in the packet.

[Broadback]

Co-op, very old fashioned so is now on the way out!

[Tim+]

What has other folks eating disorders got to do with the OP desire to buy what he wants? The vast majority of folk in this country are very happy to eat animal products.

Tim

[Tim Streater]

I don't eat animals either, I eat meat.

This makes no sense whatever.

Such people have, in fact, no idea whether eating one way or another does any good. There is an article about this is today's Times. "Celebs" apparently take their fruit and veg, liquidise it, and drink the result. As the article points out, our bodies are optimised to eat the fruit and veg, not drink it, and useful substances that are held within the fruit/veg and released in our stomachs, may do harm (such as sugars on yer teeth) if ingested directly.

[Jethro_uk]

Indeed. I recently completed a YouGov survey specifically commissioned by the Co-op. In my case, I don't think it was an effective use of money. The vast majority of my answers were "Don't Know", and that's primarily because (possibly deliberately) there was no "Don't Care" option.

[Nightjar]

Then it is up to them to avoid the foods they don't like, rather than to impose their standards on everybody else. My pancreas cannot tolerate even small amounts of alcohol, but I don't expect the food industry to give up putting alcohol in foods, just to suit me and others like me. It is up to me to be aware of what foods may be a risk.

Colin Bignell

[dennis]

It does make sense.. many fried products are done in vegetable fat to pander to the vegies and healthies.

Fish and chips done in dripping taste completely different to the stuff in most shops BTW.

[Tim Streater]

Well I've never heard or seen anyone frying something in an animal.

[Another John]

FWIW: Have you tried Seabrooks crisps? I've found that they've consistently been the best that money can buy, for decades now. Proper crisps (not kettle chips, which have an attraction all their own), and tasting pretty damn near what we used to have country-wide, until Walkers [Coca-Cola] moved in like a 300 pound lard-ass sitting next to you on the plane, and bought up most of the British crisp industry.

If you can get 'em, try 'em. (Though I believe that they tend to be more available Oop North, because they originate in Bra'fud.)

John

[polygonum]

Think they are available in Asda, down south.

[Andy Burns]

They seem to be in every Morrisons (and ASDA?), if you struggle to feed your craving ...

[Jim K]

/ FWIW: Have you tried Seabrooks crisps? I've found that they've consistent ly been the best that money can buy, for decades now. Proper crisps (not ke ttle chips, which have an attraction all their own), and tasting pretty dam n near what we used to have country-wide,/q

Up until their change of management/marketing a few years back I would agre e 100% , but since the remurketing - new "don't see what you buy" bags hidi ng substandard "burnt" & small shrapnel crisps,the new compact multipacks f ull of bags of burnt & smashed shrapnel crisps, my enthusiasm has waned. I was even driven to email them at the time bemoaning the end of from my POV a lifelong era - of course no reply....

f*ck em;-)

Jim K

[spuorgelgoog]

I thought it was now accepted that butter, lard, suet etc from good British beasts were healthier and more eco responsible than hydrogenised trans-substantiated polyesters from rain forest palm trees.

All this talk about crisps is not helping this month's waistline reduction target though.

Owain

[ss]

Ah the memories, I used to work for Golden Wonder crisps 30 odd years ago before all the health fads kicked in. I can still remember the taste of eating crisps just a day old and I had an unlimited free supply way back then. Yes times have changed but I do wonder if for the better.

[Tim+]

A bit of googling suggests that Grandma Utz potato chips are a brand you might like. Need to go to the US for them unfortunately. :-(

Tim

[Huge]

I worked for United Biscuits (who own(ed?) KP) in the late 70s, doing process control & automation, including some work in their crisp factories (weighing flying crisps...) and they were frying in vegetable oil even then.

A belt-fed deep fryer is a wondrous thing.