Egg and chips

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Posted at 12:27PM, 10 April 2008 by Mary Cadogan - Food writer

Egg and chips for me is a marriage made in heaven. Whenever I feel the need of a bit of comfort eating this is the dish I usually turn to.

As with most comfort foods, it evokes memories of childhood. I'd fly through the kitchen door after school feeling cold and hungry to be met by mum clucking round the stove making batches of chips in the old chip fryer, then I'd sit around the huge scrub-topped kitchen table tucking into a great plateful. A squirt of brown sauce, never ketchup, was the icing on the cake. She always used floury King Edwards and lard for the chips and the chip pan, complete with basket, and a few stray chips would be put back in the larder after use to cool and solidify. The chips were always hand cut and chunky and I don't think I have ever tasted better.

Other countries have their own version of this classic combo. French omelette and chips is hard to beat, although you don't get to dip your chips in runny egg yolk

The scientists among you will love to read Heston Blumenthal's take on this recipe. These days I take the healthier option of roasting the chips, complete with skins, in olive oil in a shallow tin, then dropping in the eggs for the last few minutes.

Other countries have their own version of this classic combo. French omelette and chips is hard to beat, although you don't get to dip your chips in runny egg yolk, an essential part of the routine for me.

The Spanish have their beloved tortilla, which is especially good when the centre is still on the gooey side, and my brother-in-law introduced me to the Greek version where he fries the chips in olive oil in a wide shallow pan until cooked and golden, then tips out most of the oil and pours lightly beaten eggs, salt and pepper and a sprinkling of grated cheese over the hot chips. The heat from the chips quickly sets the egg and that's it. Served with a Greek salad it's a great midweek supper.

Comments

James

10 April 2008, 2:14PM
James

I'm not sure about Heston's Maris Piper potatoes - too floury for me. I like using desiree (king of potatoes) dug from the garden. Has anyone ever tried it with quail eggs? What about frying a large chip, scooping the top out, cracking the quail egg in the hole and baking it in the oven. That would make a good eye catching addition to the Sunday brunch table.

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Gayns

11 April 2008, 7:24PM
Gayns

my mums chips were the same -nothing beats the flavour and comfort of them.We all helped with cutting them up and they were all shapes and sizes but tasted yummy.She always cooks them now when we all decend on her as she knows they still hit the spot with us(all 7 of us plus spouses & children) the eggs have to be runny to dip the chips in. Once the lard had solidified we had it with marmite on toast..... thats another story!!!mmmmmmmm

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.:~carol~:.

13 April 2008, 12:02PM
.:~carol~:.

my mum used to make this for the whole family, such a nice easy dinner to do as well, I make ham, egg and chips for my lot. I like estima or marfona potatoes, I don't know about trying to make a healthy alternative, I think sometimes it should just be left as it is. Egg and Chips yum yum yum.

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Gbobs

14 April 2008, 6:23PM
Gbobs

we always had egg and chips too as little ones loved them have in fact just bought myself a chip pan and are loving having home made chips again (although not too often!!!) Best cooked in lard really but i use vegetable oil now!

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Mary's Fan Club

15 April 2008, 5:17PM
Mary's Fan Club

I think James's suggestion (above) completely misses the point. Egg & Chips is good, honest food, and all the better for it. As incongruous as a Sheffield steelworker opting for a nice plate of Black Cod at Nobu instead of his favourite fish & chips, his monstrous abuse of its noble sibling, egg & chips is enough to kickstart a campaign to get Europe to grant it Protected Designation of Origin.

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Flip

15 April 2008, 5:29PM
Flip

Egg & chips for me is perhaps the meal that immediately makes me think comfort food. My favourite thing to do was to have a slice of nice buttered bread with it and make a chip butty that you could dip into the glorious golden egg yolk (it must be runny as many of you have mentioned). Like you, Mary it makes me think of my mum and coming home from school when I was younger. Now as an older person its a nice supper meal to have when you feel down and need a little cheering up or if you have unexpected friends over its something you can pull together at the drop of a hat which everyone loves. yum yum yum!

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Lily

16 April 2008, 7:45PM
Lily

I dislike fried eggs and am not too keen on chips, half a dozen and that's it. However, I always find Mary's recipes of interest and several have become firm favourites. The last one was Chocolate Tart, very easy, and delicious.

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Carol

20 April 2008, 11:12AM
Carol

Thank goodness for oven chips, I make my own of course but when I saw Mary's blog on egg and chips it had me hankering after some deep fried chips that I haven't had for quite a few years now having thrown out the deep fat fryer when I had a kitchen installed 10 years ago. I would love a chip butty to dip in my fried egg....................... definitely comfort food and back to childhood!!

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SUE

4 May 2008, 5:39PM
SUE

Can anyone tell me why,in the film Shirley Valentine,they always refer to it as chips and egg? Is this a northern idiosyncrasy?

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