FishnChips

[tea42]

Its just a short walk to our Fish and Chip shop. They have a very good reputation and a good trade. But..I am fussy. We eat chips about once a week and find that McCain Home Chips are far superior to theirs. In the three minutes from the chip shop the chips which get wrapped in several layers of paper have gone a bit soggy - not so nice although I suspect many would say they are great. Possibly we could have a hot oven waiting and try and crisp them up. The McCain oven chips always come out nice and crisp after 20 minutes in a 220 centigrade fan oven, just right.

The shops fish is excellent, big flakes and a nice crispy batter, but that too can start to go soggy after just the few minutes carrying it home.

I decided its time to see what I can do with Fish myself. So far I have tried pre battered frozen fish from various supermarkets. The shaped fish pieces leads me to believe it has usually been 'assembled' from mashed up raw cod, the texture is just not right. I have found that Arctic Royal freshly frozen Cod Loins from Iceland (shop) are excellent large flake pieces of suitable Cod. Not cheap at a tenner for four 200g pieces. We dont have and dont want a deep fat fryer. We do have a deep Le Creuset pan which will hold 3/4 of a litre oil. Aldi Vegetable Oil is Rape Seed Oil 1 litre for a quid. So I am planning to make my own batter and use that. I have purchased a digital thermometer to get the oil temperature just right.

There are lots of recipes and YouTubes for batter. It seems like plain flour, water something to make it fizz like baking soda, beer or soda water and sometimes vinegar.

Does anyone do their own fish and chips? Any tips? Any batter recipes? Anyone doing twice fried chips?

[redsturgeon]

I do triple cooked chips occasionally, delicious but a lot of work. I use my wok to fry them.

Our local fish and chip shop serves its fish and chips in boxes, keeps the batter crisper than paper.

Never tried to cook battered fish at home.

John

[JMN2]

Should be sold in a cardboard box with holes in it in order to try to prevent them getting soggy, and no plastic carrier bags etc.

[staffordian]

Can't help directly with your query, but I find if I refuse salt and vinegar from the shop, the chips are far less soggy.

[JMN2]

Naturally everyone here is aware that the vinegar sold in every fish and chips shop is fake malt vinegar?

https://youtu.be/642x2Y3Zla0

[johnstevens77]

I very rarely make deep fried fish at home but when I do, I make a batter with water, selfraising flour with a pinch of baking powder, salt and a little turmeric for colour. I fry the (top quality fresh) fish in plenty of sunflower oil in a deep frying pan, turning it over after a couple if minutes. Use a probe thermometer and keep the oil at about 180C. Last time I used red gurnard fillet and it was superb with home made tartare sauce. In my professional life we tried other batters such as beer, flour and whisked egg whites and tempura. Too much faff for little reward.
OT but the best chips are fried in lard. Blanched and re fried.

john

[johnstevens77]

[quote="JMN2"]Naturally everyone here is aware that the vinegar sold in every fish and chips shop is fake malt vinegar? quote]

I use Maille Vinaigre de Cidre aduci au jus de pommes. I other words, cider vinegar with apple juice. Or maybe a wegde of lemon. Whatever you use it has to be top notch.

john

[staffordian]

OT but the best chips are fried in lard. Blanched and re fried.

john

I'm not sure if they still do, but the local village chippy where I used to live used a mixture of lard and (beef?) dripping - kept prior to use in cardboard cartons under the counter. Perhaps not the healthiest chips in the world but certainly among the tastiest

[redsturgeon]

OT but the best chips are fried in lard. Blanched and re fried.

john

I'm not sure if they still do, but the local village chippy where I used to live used a mixture of lard and (beef?) dripping - kept prior to use in cardboard cartons under the counter. Perhaps not the healthiest chips in the world but certainly among the tastiest

Most of the decent chippies in Yorkshire used to fry in beef dripping.

Is it a North South thing

John

[redsturgeon]

Once, when the wifey was away and when we owned a deep fat fryer, I chucked a couple of scotch pies into the basket with the chips.

Honestly, my mouth is still watering even now when thinking about it.

Of course, you;d be dead within a year if you did that too many times......but still.....

Did you finish off with the usual battered Mars bar.

John

[AleisterCrowley]

I love Scotch pies, that handy 'lid' for mushy peas. Sadly unavailable in Gregg's down here in festering Berk-shire

[JMN2]

Fish and Chips simply is not Fish and Chips unless Beef Dripping is the frying medium, IMO.

British surf and turf...

[JMN2]

I love Scotch pies, that handy 'lid' for mushy peas. Sadly unavailable in Gregg's down here in festering Berk-shire

Here in North East Gregg's are everywhere, I need to pop in and have a look what they have. Corned beef and pease pudding baps probably.

[redsturgeon]

Fish and Chips simply is not Fish and Chips unless Beef Dripping is the frying medium, IMO.

British surf and turf...

Had a fantastic portion of freshly landed battered Pollack and chips last time I was down in Porthleven. The beef dripping frying without a doubt makes the world of difference. You just can't have British fish and chips without frying in Beef dripping.

Sainsburys do some "taste the difference" oven chips which are coated in beef dripping. Makes a huge difference.

John

[tea42]

I love Scotch pies, that handy 'lid' for mushy peas. Sadly unavailable in Gregg's down here in festering Berk-shire

Sweeney Todds in Reading? Currently up for sale. And that Butchers at Pangbourne, pies to die for! Berkshire can hold its own in the pie stakes..