Triple-Cooked Chips

Triple-cooked chips are British chef Heston Blumenthal's signature method, and the three stages each do something specific. First, the cut potatoes are simmered in salted water until they're almost falling apart — this fissures the surface, which becomes the crust later. They're cooled and dried thoroughly. Second, a low-temperature fry around 130°C drives off surface moisture and forms a tough skin. Cool again. Finally, a hot fry at 180°C blisters that skin into a glassy, audibly crunchy shell while the inside stays fluffy. Skipping the cooling stages between fries is the most common reason home attempts go limp.