Salt and vinegar potato dabs

Potato dabs are a common snack item made in British fish and chip shops and are a brilliant method for repurposing cold or leftover fried potato chips. Serve with plenty of salt, vinegar, ketchup and gravy for the traditional experience.

Credit: Jiwon Kim

• serves

  4

• prep

  5 minutes

• cook

  10 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Stream free On Demand

Salt and Vinegar

episode • The Cook Up with Adam Liaw • 

cooking • 

25m

PG

episode • The Cook Up with Adam Liaw • 

cooking • 

25m

PG

Ingredients

• 500 g leftover mashed potato
• 1 kg storebought chip-shop fried chips, roughly chopped
• 1 bunch chives, finely chopped
• Vegetable oil, for deep-frying
• Salt and vinegar powder, tomato ketchup, tartare sauce and gravy, to serve

For the batter 

• 250 g bread flour, plus extra to coat
• 40 g baking powder
• A pinch salt
• 300 ml lager

Chilling time: overnight

Instructions

1. To make the dabs, in a large mixing bowl, gently combine the mashed potato, roughly chopped chips and chives. Spoon the mixture into a large baking tin (28 cm x 18 cm), lined with baking paper, until the mixture is around 5 cm thick. Smooth out the surface and press down with a second tray with a weight and refrigerate overnight.
   
2. When ready to cook, remove the dab mixture from the refrigerator and use a 6 cm round cutter to cut out 6 cm circles of the potato mixture.
   
3. To make the batter, in a large mixing bowl combine the ingredients and whisk until smooth. Heat enough oil to deep-fry to 180˚C. Dust the potato rounds with flour before dipping into the prepared batter, then deep-fry until golden-brown. Using a slotted spoon or tongs, remove the crisp, golden dabs to a tray lined with paper towel to remove any excess oil. Sprinkle with salt and vinegar powder.
   
4. Serve the salt and vinegar dabs in newspaper with your preferred sauce of choice.

Photography by Jiwon Kim.

Want more from The Cook Up? Stream all the seasons here and for free at SBS On Demand.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.

Stream free On Demand

Salt and Vinegar

episode • The Cook Up with Adam Liaw • 

cooking • 

25m

PG

episode • The Cook Up with Adam Liaw • 

cooking • 

25m

PG