Salt & pepper chips
- Preparation and cooking time
- Prep:
- Cook:
- Easy
- Serves 4 as a side
Ingredients
- 4-5 large floury potatoes
- 5 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 tsp black peppercorns
- 1 tsp Sichuan peppercorns
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 1 red pepper, finely chopped
- 1 green pepper, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, sliced
- 1 red chilli, finely sliced
- ½ tsp Chinese five-spice powder
- 1 tsp caster sugar
- 1 tsp sea salt
- ½ tsp chilli flakes
- 3 spring onions, finely sliced
Method
- STEP 1
Heat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Cut the potatoes into chunky chips or wedges. Tip into a pan, top up with cold water and bring to a boil. As soon as you see bubbles, simmer gently for 5 mins. Drain carefully and leave to steam dry.
- STEP 2
Meanwhile, heat 4 tbsp of the oil in a shallow-lipped baking tray in the top of the oven. Transfer the parboiled chips to the tray, carefully coat in the hot oil and cook for 20-25 mins until golden and crisp, turning halfway through.
- STEP 3
While the chips are cooking, toast the peppercorns in a wok or large frying pan for a few mins, then transfer to a pestle and mortar and crush. Heat the remaining in the pan and stir-fry the onion, peppers, garlic and chilli for 5-8 mins over a medium-high heat until the onions and garlic turn golden brown. Remove from the heat and set aside.
- STEP 4
Mix the Chinese five-spice powder, sugar, salt, chilli flakes and ground peppercorns together. Tip the cooked chips into the pan with the veg and return to a medium heat. Toss to combine. Sprinkle in the salt and pepper mixture and the spring onions. Toss everything together for 1-2 mins until evenly coated, then serve straight away with another pinch of sea salt, if you like.
