Reform Chips is a traditional British recipe, based on Charles Elmé Francatelli's recipe of 1861, for a classic accompaniment of carrots, truffles, ham, egg whites and gherkin skins cut into long, thin, strips that are warmed in the oven and typically served with Reform cutlets. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic British version of: Reform Chips.
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This is a classic recipe for a Victorian version of Reform Chips that's derived from the chef, Charles Elmé's 1861 volume, The Cook's Guide and Housekeeper's & Butler's Assistant. Below you will find both the recipe in its original form and a modern redaction.
Original Recipe
No. 103.—REFORM CHIPS
These are composed of the following ingredients, viz.: boiled red part of carrots, black truffles, lean part of boiled ham or bacon, hard-boiled whites of eggs, and the outer part only of Indian mountain green gherkins. These must be very neatly shred into strippets, measuring about half an inch in length by the twelfth of an inch square or thick. These chips should be made hot in a basin in the screen, tossed lightly to mix them, and piled up in the centre of cutlets à la Réforme.
Modern Redaction
Ingredients:
2 carrots, boiled until tender
1 black truffle
100g lean boiled ham (or boiled bacon)
2 hard-boiled egg whites
pared skin of 4 gherkins
Method:
Shred the vegetables into strips about 12mm long and 2mm broad. Place in a bowl in a metal casserole (this emulates the Victorian roasting screen), allow to heat through then toss to combine and pile in the centre of your dish. Traditionally these chips were served with cutlets à la Réforme.
