Review- M&S NEW Spirit of Summer: Dirty Fries

I really like chips. Like, really really, which is somewhat ironic given that I went off potatoes entirely for about 2 years, a while back. Thankfully those days are long gone and as soon as I saw these Spirit of Summer Dirty Fries, I knew they would be mine! 

Perhaps somewhat foolishly ignoring that "mild" heat warning, I purchased the 500g side dish for £3, choosing once again to opt out of the Pizza meal deal. Freezer fanatics rejoice but bad news for Veggies.. Good old porky bacon is included so best steer clear if that's the life you've chosen!  

Battered spiced chips with cheese and bacon sauce topped with mozzarella cheese, jalapeño peppers and parsley. 

Why are the fries a shade of mahogany? Why do they bear no resemblance to the picture on the packaging? All good questions I feel. 

I popped the foil tray into a preheated 180ºC Fan oven for about 25 minutes until piping hot with the cheese bubbling away.. Sure enough, the hue hadn't changed apart from falling further into the mahogany abyss.

Anyone who doesn't want to face plant their tech screen, may as well leave now.. What a glorious gooey sight to behold! Bizarrely smelling uncanny to Pizza Hut, pizza, the fries were loaded with a stringy, full of creamy flavour, melted cheese puddle with enough being present to cover the lot as well as to dunk into. A crisp, almost fried batter like coating covered the soft and fluffy fries which I found to almost have a sweet taste and were certainly not like any I had, had before.. I could even see past the mild lingering spice! Nibs of jalapeño however were one thing I did struggle with as much to my dismay, they were everywhere! - Although understandably great for those who like a kick but for me, I found it all to much and my mouth and throat were near death! As for the bacon sauce, it was hardly noticeable with everything else going on.. Perhaps it did contribute to the overall smokey, chilli, garlic, herby flavour but I would have thought it would have been more distinguishable regardless of the strength of heat. 

Blimey, these Dirty Fries are certainly a taste sensation! There is so much going on, from full on cheesy goodness to spiced, sweet/savoury chips to a real kick* of heat, all whilst managing to smell like a popular chain restaurant and appearing not as they seem - They are bizarre, they are indulgent and they are very much enjoyable! If you've been umming and ahhing, get them - You won't regret it and there's even enough to feed M&S's "serves 2" claim! It's a 4 out of 5 from me (And MSW!). 

*Please do bear in mind that I find everything spicy. I can't handle black pepper let alone chilli, jalapeños.. Or anything else remotely seasoned. It's essentially a Russian roulette every time I eat as to what extent my face will be on fire. I like boring and I like bland.