Festive Chips
The pairing we never knew we needed…CHIPS, GRAVY & FESTIVE FLAVOURS 🎄🍟
We’re back with my 24 Days of Christmas Potatoes and this one is for all those who consider cheesy chips with gravy a meal of the gods. If you’re northern or Canadian this is surely a winner and the best end to any night out. Not that you need an excuse to eat it. I can’t begin to tell you how much I enjoyed this carby treat. This recipe is basically a festive poutine tbh.
If you’re new to the world of poutine, let me explain…
Poutine is basically chips (fries to my north american audience) topped with gravy and cheese curds. I’m pretty sure it means ‘hot mess’ which sums me up perfectly – a beige, potato-y hot mess usually covered in something sticky x
In the UK it can be a lil tricky to come across cheese curbs, which is an absolute travesty tbh. But, if you can’t justify a trip to beautiful Canada, hopefully this festive take will transport you there (f0r way less money and way less effort).
To make this as festive as a mince pie wrapped in tinsel, I’ve topped homemade chips with crumbled stuffing, chunks of melted cambembert and a generous coating of gravy and cranberry sauce. It screams Christmas and will warm up even the iciest grinchy soul. You can also made this messy treat in the air fryer if ya fancy! To make air fryer chips, follow my recipe here.
For a non-christmassy poutine, check out my version here. If you struggle to source cheese curds, use torn chunks of full-fat mozzarella (the kind you’d put on a pizza), not the super watery one. If you find any curds, please DM me to tell me where you found them.
Tips
- Use all the potato off cuts! You can boil them for mash, pan fry them for some little crispy bits, whatever you can think of.
- If you have leftover gravy this is a great place to use it up, the same with any leftover cheeses! Mozzarella works great on top of these chips.
Ingredients
- 8 large maris pipers, peeled
- Veg oil to deep fry in
- 17fl oz red wine
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed but still whole
- 6 sprigs of rosemary, 3 stems picked off the stalk
- 3 sage leaves
- 200ml beef stock
- 1 heaped tbsp blackcurrant jam
- 1 tsp cornflour mixed with 1 tsp cold water
- 1 tbsp flaky salt
- 100g grated strong cheddar cheese
Method
- Square off the edges of your potatoes and cut into chunky chips. Par boil them for 10 minutes starting in cold salted water until starting to become tender.
- In a small saucepan bring the wine to the boil with the garlic, sage and rosemary stalks. Boil until reduced by half.
- Drain into a colander and arrange onto drying racks to steam dry without the potatoes touching. Heat a pan of vegetable oil up to 160ºc/320ºf on the hob.
- Deep fry for 4-5 minutes until starting to lightly colour around the edges and drain on paper towels. Then increase the heat on the oil to 180ºc/350ºf.
- Give the chips their final fry until golden brown and crispy.
- In a mortar and pestle grind up the salt and the picked rosemary to make a fresh rosemary salt to season the potatoes with. Sprinkle this over the chips while they cool.
- When the sauce is fully reduced, whisk in the jam and beef stock and finally the cornflour mix to thicken it.
- Get the chips into a roasting dish and scatter over the cheddar cheese. Put this under a hot grill until bubbling and melty. Pour over the reduction and add a final bit of the rosemary salt.