Ask for a potato scallop in Melbourne and you will get a polite look. Ask for a potato cake in Sydney and you will get a different one. It is the same thing either way: a thick slice of potato dipped in batter and deep fried until the outside shatters and the inside turns as soft as mash, sold for small change at fish and chip shops all over the country. Victorians and Tasmanians say potato cake, most of New South Wales and Queensland say scallop, South Australians tend to say fritter, and the matter is discussed with the gravity usually reserved for team orders.

The other fixture of the chip shop counter is chicken salt, a golden seasoning created in the 1970s in Gawler, South Australia, first for rotisserie chicken and soon shaken over hot chips from one coast to the other. Most versions contain no chicken at all, just salt with onion, garlic, celery, paprika and a savory stock flavor. The blend here takes two minutes and fills a jar that will see you through a season.

We have used the northern name in the title, knowing the Australian Grand Prix is held in Melbourne, and we fully expect to hear about it. Whatever you call them, parboil the slices first so the centers are tender by the time the batter is crisp, and eat them while they are too hot to hold comfortably.

Homemade chicken salt

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons fine sea salt
• 1 tablespoon chicken stock powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon celery salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper

Method

1. Put all the chicken salt ingredients in the mortar or spice grinder. Grind with the pestle, or pulse the grinder in short bursts, for about 30 seconds, until everything is a fine, even powder with no visible crystals of stock powder.
2. Tip the blend into the small jar and close the lid. Keep it somewhere dry; damp air turns it lumpy.

The potatoes

Ingredients

• 3 large (about 1 1/2 lb / 700 g) floury potatoes
• 1 tablespoon salt

Method

1. Peel the potatoes. Cut each one crosswise into rounds 1/4 inch (6 mm) thick, keeping the slices as even as you can so they cook at the same speed. Set aside the small, uneven end pieces for another use.
2. Bring the large saucepan of water to a boil and add the tablespoon of salt. Lower the slices in gently and cook for 3 minutes, counting from when the water returns to a boil. Lift them out with the slotted spoon.
3. Lay the slices in a single layer on a clean towel and pat the tops dry with another towel. Leave them to steam dry and cool for at least 10 minutes.

Batter and frying

Ingredients

• 8 cups (2 liters) neutral oil for deep frying
• 1 1/4 cups (155 g) all purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• 1 1/4 cups (300 ml) ice cold sparkling water
• 1/4 cup (30 g) all purpose flour
• 2 to 3 teaspoons homemade chicken salt
• 1 lemon

Method

1. Pour the oil into the heavy pot; it should be at least 2 inches (5 cm) deep and the pot no more than half full. Clip on the thermometer and heat over medium heat to 350°F (175°C). This takes about 10 to 15 minutes. Heat the oven to 200°F (95°C) to keep the first batch warm.
2. Whisk the 1 1/4 cups flour, baking powder and salt together in a mixing bowl. Pour in the cold sparkling water and whisk just until smooth. Make the batter only when the oil is nearly hot, so the bubbles stay lively.
3. Put the 1/4 cup dusting flour in the shallow dish. Turn 4 potato slices in it so they are lightly coated, and tap off the excess. Using the tongs, dip each slice into the batter, turn it to coat, then lift it and let the excess drip back into the bowl for a few seconds.
4. Lower the battered slices into the oil one at a time, laying them away from you so the oil does not splash toward you. Fry 4 at a time for 4 to 5 minutes, turning once halfway with the tongs. Keep the oil between 340°F and 360°F (170°C and 180°C), adjusting the heat as needed.
5. Lift the scallops onto the wire rack set over the baking sheet and sprinkle them immediately with chicken salt while they are still glistening, so it sticks. Keep each batch warm in the oven while you fry the rest, letting the oil come back to 350°F (175°C) before every batch.

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