The Big Debate: Gravy on chips

Heather Large: Context is everything

There is nothing wrong with gravy on chips – in the right context.

While it’s the perfect accompaniment to pie and chips, that doesn’t mean I would be pouring it over my battered cod.

I’m not a fan of ketchup or brown sauce but I don’t like dry chips and while I will often have some barbecue sauce, it doesn’t work with everything. So, that’s where gravy comes in.

While some people complain that it makes them soggy, I don’t mind that, I think it adds extra flavour that complements the rest of the food on my plate.

Somewhere that has embraced gravy on chips is Canada. Its national dish, poutine, consists of French fries covered in gravy and cheese curds.

I’m not so sure about cheese – that’s probably a whole different debate. But I do believe that gravy and chips can be a match made in heaven. If you have a nice steak or chicken and mushroom pie, then gravy is a must, in my opinion. If I’m having sausages, chips and peas – then I don’t mind adding some Bisto.

However, if I swap out the peas for baked beans, I’m not going to be covering them in gravy. I don’t think those two should mix under any circumstances!

But I believe it’s perfectly acceptable to have gravy on chips, there is no reason why it should just be limited to roast dinners.

Andy Richardson: It's a crime against potato

There’s a point to the humble chip, and it’s this. It’s a potato baton fried in oil, and frying it in oil makes it crisp. We might only be 25 words in of our allotted 250, but it’s tempting to say this: Case Closed. Leave some blank space – if it’s good enough for Taylor, it’s good enough for us.

But we will plough on, though with some sympathy for those who would ruin – yes, ruin – the humble chip and all of its carefully curated crunchy edges by dousing them with liquid.

And while suggesting that covering chips in gravy is as gastronomically crass as throwing soup at the Mona Lisa is artistically heinous might be over-egging the humble French fry, it’s not far off. If you want sauce, use a dish that works well with water-based sauces, like pasta.

Use something that’s porous, like risotto, not something that’s literally been dipped in the fryer to build up an anti-gravy crust. It would be easier, wouldn’t it, to just use mash, rather than going to all that fuss with a fryer, if you’re only going to ruin the damn chips.

Let’s run through a quick culinary checklist to settle this once and for all. Crispy edges – ruined. Crisp outside and fluffier inner – wrecked. Golden, caramel colour – utterly destroyed. Time spent making chips – completely wasted. You know, if you have to, put the gravy to one side and dip the chips in at the last minute. If you really, really, really must. But pouring chips on gravy, it’s a crime against the Maris Piper.