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Air Fryer Michelin Star Chips (Thrice Cooked Method)

Barry Lewis is convinced a £20 air fryer can recreate Heston Blumenthal's legendary thrice-cooked chips, you know, the ones with that impossible balance of fluffy centre and shattering crust. He's using frozen potatoes, groundnut oil at a gentle 130°C, and a technique so delicate it feels more like coaxing than cooking. Can it actually work?

R By Richard · Adapted from Barry Lewis · Published 10 June 2026
👁 84.5k source views ❤️ 3.5k source likes
⏱Prep 20 min
🌡Temp 180°C
⏲Air fry 15 min
🍽Serves 4
Can an Air Fryer Make Michelin Star Chips?

Source video by Barry Lewis on YouTube. This recipe was adapted with strict source-fidelity rules and is marked for human review.

This is a throwback to Heston Blumenthal's thrice cooked chip method, adapted for the air fryer. Maris Piper potatoes are cut into thick chips, rinsed of starch, boiled until just fluffy at the edges, then chilled, lightly coated in duck fat and air fried twice. The result is a fluffy potato centre with a glassy, golden crunch on the outside. Barry finds that classic air frying with just a light coating of duck fat works better than trying to submerge the chips in oil.

Air fryer notes: Source is Heston Blumenthal's thrice cooked chip method, traditionally done with deep fat fryers at 130°C and 180°C. Barry adapts the two fry stages to the air fryer at the same temperatures (130°C then 180°C), using only a light coating of duck fat rather than full submersion. He notes that submerging chips in oil inside the air fryer made them more fragile, so the lighter coating air fry method gave better results.

Ingredients

Chips
  • 1 kgMaris Piper potatoes, cut into thick chips (about the width of three stacked credit cards)
  • duck fat, melted
To finish
  • fine salt (add late)
  • garlic powder (add late)
  • fresh rosemary, finely chopped (add late)
  • black pepper, freshly ground (add late)
  • Parmesan, finely grated (add late)

Method

  1. Cut the Maris Pipers into thick chips, roughly three to a stack of credit cards wide. Place in a bowl and cover with cold water.

    ~5 min

  2. Rinse and refresh the water several times, agitating the chips, until the water runs clear. This removes excess starch, which would otherwise turn gummy and stop the chips crisping.

    ~5 min

  3. Boil the chips in fresh water until the edges just start to look fluffy and slightly broken, almost like little glass edges. Drain very gently and leave to steam dry.

  4. Lay the boiled chips out on a tray in a single layer and freeze for at least 1 hour. Freezing draws out moisture and helps the surface dry.

    ~60 min

  5. Set the air fryer to 130°C. Toss the frozen chips in a little melted duck fat to coat lightly, then add to the basket in a single layer. Cook for around 15 minutes, very gently turning once or twice, until a pale, delicate crust forms. You are locking in the fluffy centre, not browning.

    ~15 min

  6. Lift the chips out carefully onto a tray and return to the freezer for at least 1 hour. At this point they can also be frozen for up to about a month and finished later.

    ~60 min

  7. Preheat the air fryer to 180°C. Drizzle the chilled chips with a little more melted duck fat and add to the basket.

    ~3 min

  8. Air fry at 180°C for around 15 minutes. Once they start to take on colour, shake the basket to get an even golden crust. Cook until deep golden and properly crunchy.

    ~15 min

  9. Tip the chips into a bowl while hot and toss with salt. If you like, add garlic powder, freshly chopped rosemary, black pepper and finely grated Parmesan for a Michelin style finish.

    ~2 min

Frequently asked

Why Maris Piper potatoes?
Maris Pipers are a starchy variety, which gives a fluffy interior and a crisp exterior once the surface starch has been rinsed off. Any floury, starchy potato suitable for chipping will work as a substitute.
Do I really need to freeze the chips between chips?
Yes. Freezing dries the surface and firms the chips so they survive the second cook without falling apart. It also lets you prep them well in advance and finish them straight from frozen.
Should I submerge the chips in duck fat in the air fryer?
No. In the video, fully submerging the chips made them more fragile and harder to cook. A light coating of duck fat tossed through the chips before each air fry gives a better crunch and uses much less fat.
Can I use a different fat?
Yes. Groundnut (peanut) oil has a high smoke point and a neutral flavour and works well for the first fry. Beef tallow is another good option. Duck fat is used here mainly for flavour.
Do I need to preheat the air fryer?
It helps, especially for the second fry. A 2-3 minute preheat at 180°C means the chips start crisping straight away. If your air fryer does not preheat, add a minute or two to the total cook time.
Extraction notes (transparency): Quantities for potatoes, duck fat, salt, garlic powder, rosemary, pepper and Parmesan are not stated in the transcript. Boiling time is not specified (only that chips are boiled until edges are slightly fluffy). First air fry time stated as 15 minutes (set with 5 minutes slack); second air fry also set to 15 minutes with shake when colour develops. Freezer rest is at least 1 hour between chips. All amounts in the ingredients list are estimates for a 4-portion batch and should be reviewed. | Second-pass critique flagged 1 fabricated and 5 quantified issues. See critique.issues for detail.