Potatoes for lazy people (Morrisons Crispy Potato Slices)

Member Name: GentleGenius

Product:	Morrisons Crispy Potato Slices
Date:	15/01/09 (178 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Tasty, good appearance, moreish

Disadvantages: Very high in fat and calories, very small portion

COST: 99p for 200g (supposed to serve 2 people)

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION (per half pack, single serving):

Calories: 310
Sugar: 1.4g
Fat: 25.9g
- of which saturates: 2.1g
Salt: 1.5g

INGREDIENTS:

Potato, sodium metabisulphite, maize flour, salt, egg albumen, diphosphates, baking soda, rapeseed oil

ALLERGY ADVICE:

Contains egg, gluten and sulphate

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I'm not usually a fan of pre-prepared potato dishes, but today I visited Morrisons and being as I knew that later I'd have very little time for preparing and cooking a meal from scratch, I decided to try their Crispy Potato Slices.

Morrisons Crispy Potato Slices are to be found of all places, in the fresh fruit & vegetables section of my local branch of the supermarket. They are packed in a fairly shallow, clear plastic tray which is covered with a floppy clear plastic thin seal that is easily removable.

On the front of the pack is a label which, on a green background, bears the standard Morrisons logo. The label is outlined in yellow, and in black lettering inside of a yellow circle near the top, is the 99p price. Under the Morrisons logo and in white lettering, are the words "Crispy Potato Slices", and in smaller white letters under that, are the words "Potato Slices Coated In Lightly Seasoned Batter". On a white panel underneath that are the cooking instructions (cook on a wire rack which is placed on a baking tray, and cook in a pre-heated oven - 200C/400F/Gas Mark 6 - for 12-15 minutes), nutritional information, ingredients list, a postal address for Morrisons and refrigeration/storage instructions. The product must be consumed within 24 hours.

Had I not been in a hurry, I wouldn't have overlooked the fact that these potato pieces are coated in batter. If I'd have noticed, I probably wouldn't have bought them as I don't personally feel that potatoes and batter compliment one another very well. The amount of potato slices in the pack to me appeared miniscule (but then I am a gut-bucket!!!!), and barely sufficient for a single serving - let alone intended for two people.

I decided to eat the potatoes (the whole pack) with two Morrisons Bacon & Cheese Grills (which I shall review in a separate article), peas, and some mushrooms fried with cherry tomatoes in a tiny smear of olive oil. I didn't have a wire rack small enough to fit over any of my baking trays, so I placed the potato pieces directly onto the tray - I didn't grease it first, and hoped they wouldn't stick. The pieces were rather yellow in colour, and of unevenly sized disc shapes. They took up most of the rather small tray, but left just enough room for the two Bacon & Cheese Grills. Being as the Bacon & Cheese Grills needed a longer cooking time, I decided to risk letting the potato pieces cook longer than Morrisons recommend, bearing in mind that I do like my potatoes very, very well done.

During the cooking time, I could hear a slight sizzling coming from the oven and a rather nice smell emanating which was partly the Bacon & Cheese Grills, but underneath that was the aroma of roasting potatoes. So far, so good!

Once everything was ready, I opened the oven door, removed the tray and was pleased to see that the potatoes hadn't stuck to the tray. They had come up a lovely, crispy golden brown and didn't look in the slightest overcooked, despite being in the oven for quite a bit longer than recommended. Their brownish golden colour looked very appetising on the plate next to the mushrooms and tomatoes, and I began to feel optimistic.

I thought I'd sample a piece of potato first, and noticed that as my fork speared through the crackly surface, the inside was soft and fluffy. On moving close to my mouth, there was a slight roast potato smell - and I bit into the piece - chewed, and declared the result very edible. Each potato piece had a lovely flavour - not like roast potatoes (despite the smell) and not like chips....just like potatoes really! I didn't even notice the very thin batter coating on them, as it was just as if the outer layer of potato had been roasted in the traditional way.

The potato pieces tasted particularly good when joined in my mouth with a piece of tomato and a bit of mushroom - all three flavours combining into something delicious, and enhancing one another.

My overall experience of Morrisons Crispy Potato Slices was rather good, and I didn't think they were too expensive at 99p per pack, although in my opinion, the pack only contains enough to serve a moderate amount to one person - I'd say mass-wise, there wasn't as much as even a whole small sized baking potato used to create this dish.

My verdict is that Morrisons Crispy Potato Slices are very tasty and a little moreish, but I'm not sure that I'd personally use them too often, despite having enjoyed them very much. It is merely that it's not the sort of food I normally eat, as mostly I have enough time to cook my own recipes/dishes from scratch. The only real horror-show aspect of this product is the very high fat and calorie content; no doubt coating the potatoes in batter increases the fat and calories several times over. It's horrifying to think that half a pack wouldn't be enough to satisfy even a modest appetite, and that means if a person (like me!) eats a whole pack (which is still a very modest serving), a colossal 620 calories and 68g of fat are being consumed - and that's without the rest of the meal!!!! Now I've said it like that, I can say with almost 100% certainty that I shall not be buying this product again, despite it being very tasty and moreish.

So, sorry Morrisons....your product tastes excellent, but the fat and calorie content is even beyond what I can feel comfortable with. If I ate these each day, within the space of three months, I'd need a crane to lift me out of my bed. You lose a couple of stars for this!

Thanks for reading!

Summary: Only to be reserved for high days & holidays