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In England, people put hot chips between two slices of buttered white bread, call it a chip butty, and eat it for lunch. Chips are what the British call thick fries. My friend Margaret made me my first one in her kitchen, and she explained the whole point while she buttered the bread: the chips must go in hot enough to melt the butter straight into it. Soft white bread, never toasted, real butter spread thick, a pile of salted chips, a shake of vinegar or a spoon of ketchup, and the top slice pressed down hard. I laughed when she handed it to me. Then I ate two.
The sandwich is only as good as the chips, and proper chip shop chips are not the same as thin fast-food fries. They are cut thick, rinsed, dried, and fried twice: once at a lower heat to cook the potato through until fluffy, and again in hotter oil to turn the outside golden and crisp. Here is how to fry chips at home that stay crisp outside and fluffy inside, and how to build the butty the way Margaret does.
Why this chip butty works
- Starchy potatoes. Russets have a dry, floury inside that turns fluffy when fried, the way chip shop chips are.
- A soak and a thorough dry. Rinsing removes surface starch so the chips do not stick, and drying them stops the oil spitting and lets them crisp.
- The first fry at a lower heat. It cooks the potato all the way through to a soft, fluffy center without browning it.
- The second fry in hotter oil. A short, hot fry turns the rested outside golden, crisp and blistered.
- Hot chips on cold butter. Soft white bread spread thick with butter melts around the chips and holds the sandwich together.
Ingredients
Makes 4 chip butties. The measurements are in US cups with grams in brackets.
For the chips
- 4 large russet potatoes (about 1.8 pounds, 800g)
- Vegetable or peanut oil for deep frying, about 2 quarts (2 liters)
- 1 teaspoon flaky or fine salt, plus more to taste
For the butties
- 8 slices soft white sandwich bread
- 4 tablespoons salted butter, softened (60g)
- Malt vinegar or ketchup, to serve
Use plain soft white bread, the softer the better; a crusty or seeded loaf fights the chips. Keep the butter soft enough to spread thick without tearing the bread.
How to make chip butty
Prepare the potatoes
- Peel the potatoes and cut them into thick chips about 1/2 inch (1.3 cm) wide.
- Put the chips in a large bowl of cold water and leave them to soak for at least 30 minutes, then rinse until the water runs clear.
- Drain and spread the chips on a clean kitchen towel. Pat them completely dry. Any water left on them makes the oil spit and the chips soft.
Fry twice
- Heat the oil in a deep heavy pot or a deep fryer to 300 degrees (150°C). Never fill the pot more than halfway.
- Fry the chips in small batches for 6 to 8 minutes, until they are soft all the way through but still pale. Lift them out onto a rack set over a tray.
- Let the chips rest for at least 15 minutes, or up to an hour. As they cool, the outsides dry and form a skin that will turn crisp.
- Raise the oil to 375 degrees (190°C). Fry the chips again in batches for 2 to 4 minutes, until deep golden and crisp.
- Drain them on the rack and salt them at once, while they are still glistening.
Build the butties
- While the last batch fries, spread every slice of bread thickly with butter, right to the edges.
- Pile a generous handful of hot chips onto four of the slices, sprinkle with vinegar or add a spoon of ketchup, and top with the remaining slices, butter side down.
- Press the top slice down firmly with the flat of your hand so the chips settle and the butter melts in. Cut in half and eat straight away.
Tips that make the difference
- Cut all the chips the same thickness so they cook at the same speed.
- Fry in small batches. Too many chips at once drop the oil temperature and the chips turn greasy.
- Use a thermometer. Both temperatures matter: too cool and the chips soak up oil, too hot on the first fry and they brown before the middle is cooked.
- Salt the chips the moment they leave the oil, when the salt sticks best.
Variations
- Cheesy chip butty. Add a handful of grated sharp cheddar over the hot chips before the top slice goes on.
- Oven chips. Toss the dried chips in 3 tablespoons oil and bake at 425 degrees (220°C) on a hot sheet, turning once, for 35 to 40 minutes.
- Bread roll butty. Use a soft white bread roll, split and buttered, the way some chip shops serve it.
- Gravy dip. Serve a small bowl of hot brown gravy on the side for dipping, a northern England favorite.
Storage and make-ahead
A chip butty is made to be eaten straight away and does not keep.
You can do the first fry up to 2 hours ahead, keep the pale chips on a rack at room temperature, and give them the second fry just before serving.
Leftover chips crisp up again on a sheet in a 425 degree (220°C) oven for 8 to 10 minutes.
Frequently asked questions
What is a chip butty?
A British sandwich made of hot chips, which are thick-cut fries, between two slices of buttered white bread. It is a classic chip shop lunch or supper in England.
Why fry the chips twice?
The first, gentler fry cooks the potato through until fluffy. The second, hotter fry crisps and browns the outside. One fry cannot do both.
Why are my homemade chips soggy?
They were not dried, the oil was not hot enough, or the pot was crowded. Dry them on a towel, use a thermometer and fry in small batches.
Which potatoes make the best chips?
Floury, starchy potatoes such as russets or Maris Piper. Waxy potatoes stay dense and never turn fluffy inside.
Make one the British way, hot chips and cold butter, and see if you stop at one.
Chip Butty (The British Chip Sandwich, with Proper Chip Shop Chips)
The British chip butty: hot, thick-cut chip shop chips fried twice until crisp outside and fluffy inside, piled between two slices of soft buttered white bread so the butter melts in.
Ingredients
- 4 large russet potatoes
- Vegetable or peanut oil for deep frying, about 2 quarts
- 1 teaspoon flaky or fine salt, plus more to taste
- 8 slices soft white sandwich bread
- 4 tablespoons salted butter, softened
- Malt vinegar or ketchup, to serve
Instructions
- Peel the potatoes and cut them into thick chips about 1/2 inch (1.3 cm) wide.
- Put the chips in a large bowl of cold water and leave them to soak for at least 30 minutes, then rinse until the water runs clear.
- Drain and spread the chips on a clean kitchen towel. Pat them completely dry. Any water left on them makes the oil spit and the chips soft.
- Heat the oil in a deep heavy pot or a deep fryer to 300 degrees (150°C). Never fill the pot more than halfway.
- Fry the chips in small batches for 6 to 8 minutes, until they are soft all the way through but still pale. Lift them out onto a rack set over a tray.
- Let the chips rest for at least 15 minutes, or up to an hour. As they cool, the outsides dry and form a skin that will turn crisp.
- Raise the oil to 375 degrees (190°C). Fry the chips again in batches for 2 to 4 minutes, until deep golden and crisp.
- Drain them on the rack and salt them at once, while they are still glistening.
- While the last batch fries, spread every slice of bread thickly with butter, right to the edges.
- Pile a generous handful of hot chips onto four of the slices, sprinkle with vinegar or add a spoon of ketchup, and top with the remaining slices, butter side down.
- Press the top slice down firmly with the flat of your hand so the chips settle and the butter melts in. Cut in half and eat straight away.
