Quote:
Originally Posted by ThirdOfFive
Interesting...we just got back about ten days ago from some time in Europe. The hotel we were staying at in London (Tower Hotel) had "The Great British Fish and Chips" advertised on the menu of their main restaurant, so we both decided to try it. I mean, who can turn down the chance to try something world-famous in it's place of origin? On the plus side the fish (Haddock) was so big it hung over both sides of the plate. It was a big plate, and it came piping hot. The "chips" though were like none I had ever seen: like little bricks maybe 1.5 inches long and a bit on the soggy side, and the entire dish was somewhat lacking in seasoning. Price was good, as I recall about 18 pounds per plate.
It was good. But great? Well...
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That’s the way REAL British fish and chips should be. That’s what they mean by “chips.” They are NOT French fries. Any place that serves French fries and calls them “chips” is NOT the real thing. The fish portion should be huge like that and about an inch thick. COD is a great fish for fish and chips. £18 was wildly expensive, but you ate in your hotel restaurant. You lucked out and got something good. When I’d buy fish and chips from the local “chippie” run by Pakistanis when I studied at Oxford forty-four years ago, I paid, I think, £2.50 for a huge serving. It was always to go. The chips were dumped on two big sheets of white newsprint paper, then the big delicious slab of fish was placed on top, the server said “salt-and-vinegar?” really fast and shook on salt from a big shaker and dashed on about four ounces of malt vinegar in a couple seconds. Wrapped up the paper. Off you go to find a place to sit and eat, like the church steps down the street or a bench near the river. Heaven! REAL British fish and chips have salt and vinegar for flavorings. NOT “tartar sauce.” Not ketchup. Do not ask!. In Florida, feel free to use tarter sauce with your fish and ketchup with your French fries, but understand that they are fake fish and chips. In the UK, do it right. And don’t complain that the chips aren’t like French fries. That’s sort of like saying that mashed potatoes aren’t much like French fries. Different beast! Learn to appreciate it! The malt vinegar not only goes well with the taste of fish and potatoes, but it cuts through the grease and keeps it from being so cloying and from instantly clogging your arteries. Sort of like Drano.
I often order the “Fish and Chips” from various restaurants in The Villages—not because I’m hoping for the real thing, but because I like my fish fried. While it’s been almost four years since I’ve eaten there, I liked the “fish fingers” at the Tierra del Sol country club restaurant. Big, generous fingers. I hadn’t even realized fish HAD fingers! Worth a try.
08-01-2025, 10:20 PM
