The perfect chip butty needs Brits to fill it with more chips, according to a recent scientific study to discover the perfect formula for the tasty snack.
The study for supermarket Iceland evaluated several different aspects of the chip butty creation process including portion sizes, timings, and cooking temperatures.
Nottingham Trent University researchers surveyed 2,000 Brits to discover the formula and found chip-to-butty ratio was of an especial importance.
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Lead researcher Dr James Hind said: "We felt it our duty to ensure the British public know the optimum way to build their crispy potato sandwich."
The formula for perfection includes 12 fresh, thick-cut chips squidged between two slices of white bread spread with butter and topped with a squirt of ketchup.
In a mathematic equation for the very, very clever among us, that looks like this: C * 3b/4 + k + 3m, where C = chip weight in grams, b = bread weight in grams, k = ketchup in ml, and m = butter in grams.
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The mistake of using only seven or eight chips per butty (50% too few) is being made by more than a third of Brits when making their chip butties.
Dr Hind said the ratio of chips to bread should be about 3:2, meaning the measurements should be adjusted according to the bread's density.
Well, 'what happens if I use too few chips?', you ask.
Too few chips produce too little heat to melt the butter to soften the bread to create the soft-to-crunchy ratio so many love about the chip butty.
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But people who use too many chips risk losing the taste of the salty buttered bread beneath the heavy, potato-y chips.
Iceland's survey discovered that a sliced white loaf of bread best maximised the breadiness of the chip butty, but 14% of Brits preferred a roll and 8% preferred brown bread.
And while ketchup proved the most popular sauce to add to the butty, 17% of Brits said mayonnaise worked well too.
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Dr Hind provided a five-step process for making his perfect butty according to science:
- Cook the thick-cut chips in the oven for 22 minutes at 200C
- Spread a thin layer of butter over two slices of medium sliced white bread
- Place 12 fresh-cooked chips on one slice of the bread (adjust this according to the weight of the bread)
- Add ketchup (and add more chips if you use more than the quota)
- Place the second slice of bread on top and allow to cool for 30 seconds before tucking in
Dr Hind said: "Every type of bread and style of chip varies subtly, so I’d encourage people to experiment at home and devise their own perfect formula."
Topics: Food And Drink
Charlie Metcalfe