Great oven-baked chips only need 3 ingredients, which is why we love to ditch the freezer variety. But is there anything more disappointing than going through the extra effort to end up with soggy chips stuck to your baking tray? That’s why we’re sharing our ultimate tips for the crispiest oven-baked chips. No more pale, limp potato wannabes, these crunchy-on-the-outside-soft-on-the-inside beauties are oven-baked chips at their best. And just for fun, we decided to throw in a recipe for our favourite Canadian snack food – poutine!

3 tips to get the crispiest oven-baked chips

1. Give your chips an ice bath, and leave for 15-20 minutes if you have the time.  This will wash off some of the starch – you’ll see as the water goes cloudy.  Starch on the surface of the chips locks in moisture and causes them to go soggy.  Drain the chips and rinse under cold water, then dry thoroughly before cooking.

2. Using enough of the right oil.  We find that vegetable or sunflower oil work best, and be generous!  The oil is what makes your chips crispy.

3. Use a spatula to move the chips around after they have been cooking for 5 minutes if the chips have started to stick this will move them whilst they are still solid enough to stay in one piece.

What is Poutine?

Poutine is chips coated with lashings of gravy and melted cheese curds.  If this doesn’t immediately make you hungry, we’re guessing you haven’t tried it yet – trust us –  it’s incredible. It’s a staple on Canadian menus and a firm favourite at pubs and hockey games.  We’ve given it a Gousto twist and replaced the cheese curds with a mixture of mozzarella and cheddar and topped it with our KFC-style gravy.  If you want to make this into more of a meal check out the recipe for Chicken Poutine with Garlic Butter Greens.

Gousto’s Canadian-Inspired Poutine Recipe

Cooking time: under 30 minutes, serves 2

• 400g potatoes
• 1 Kallo chicken stock cube
• 2 tsp marmite
• 2 tbsp fried chicken drippings or olive oil
• 2 tbsp flour
• 125g ball mozzarella
• 40g cheddar cheese

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 220°C/ 200°C (fan)/ 425°F/ Gas 7.  Cut the potatoes (skins on) into thin chips, then add them to a baking tray with a generous drizzle of vegetable oil and a pinch of salt. Give everything a good mix up and put the tray in the oven for 20-25 mins or until almost crisp

Step 2: Whilst the chips are cooking dissolve the stock cube and marmite in 450ml boiled water.  Add fried chicken drippings to a pot over a medium heat. Once hot, add 1 tbsp [2 tbsp] flour and cook for 30 secs until a sandy paste has formed.  Add stock to the pan and simmer for 4-5 min, stirring occasionally, until thickened to a gravy-like consistency.

Step 3: Drain the mozzarella and pat dry with kitchen paper.  Chop both the mozzarella and cheddar into small pieces. Remove the chips from the oven and add the chopped cheese, return to the oven for 5-6 min or until the cheese has melted

Step 4: Serve the cheesy chips topped with the gravy