Fish and Chips

There are a few factors which make British Fish and Chips the envy of the world.

1. Nowhere in Britain is too far away from a sea or ocean. This is an important factor re availability of fresh fish across the nation.
2. The seas and oceans surrounding Britain have fish that is eminently suitable for deep frying, including Cod, Haddock, Plaice, Sole, Halibut.
3. Specialized fish and chip frying equipment is made in the UK for the 8500 or so outlets
4. Greek Cypriot immigrants who came to Britain years ago, all of whom seemed to have the ability to produce world class Fish and Chips. 

There is a huge difference between fresh chilled fish stored temporarily in dry ice and deep frozen fish. Anything deep frozen tends to lose its texture and taste and to transport fish across huge continents, deep frozen is the order of the day. I feel sorry for you all..

Fresh water fish is really good if sautéed but you never want to deep fry it. Salmon or Trout in breadcrumbs maybe. In Beer batter? No thanks. The white ocean fish already mentioned are the best anywhere.

The fryers seen in burger joints are ok for frozen French Fry style chips, but fish and chips need space to fry properly, just as pasta needs a large pasta pot if it is to be anything other than mediocre.

Not only are Greek Cypriot people super friendly, they are the top fish and chip producers in the world. They also introduced Kebabs and chips. While I was still resident in the UK, I knew a few good Fish and Chip shops whose kebabs were so good that I stopped eating the fish.

British Fish and Chip shops also do a range of products, including fish, fish cakes, roe, sausage, saveloy, chicken, Mars bars, scallops, pickled eggs, gravy, curry sauce, mushy peas and kebabs. There is something for everybody.

Why don’t fish and chip shops do as well in other countries?? I believe that it is because only the concept is carried across, not the full product. We call them Fish and Chip shops in Britain still, but they are more than that, way more.

A note about Harry Ramsden’s. This is what made the company famous.

.. White Cross, Guisley, West Yorkshire, a large dining room with chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. I have to admit that I did not care for the fish and chips here. In the North, there was a tendency to use lard in the fryers, where in the South, oil was used. As a consequence, I found the fish batter to be too heavy, and the whole meal left an after taste which I didn’t like.

HR expanded into a chain, but Fish and Chip shops are not about chains. The best are where the skills of a master fryer are passed down through generations, not an instruction sheet taped to a wall.

There was a Fish and Chip shop opposite the church on the A61 out of Skipton in Yorkshire where the fare was so good, I had to go in and get more. North, South or the bit in the middle, there are some excellent Fish and Chips shops and long may they succeed. I could list many which I regard as worth a visit, but it has been a few years and they may not exist anymore, or have changed hands.

One thing I can tell you,, the Fish and Chip places here in Ontario Canada are ok, but not like back home. The Fish and Chip shop is one of Britain’s Best that I really do miss.

Edible yeast extract..

Better known as Marmite, it is a fairly sharp-tasting spread. The more you apply, the sharper it gets. In raw form, its been around for centuries, but until a German guy discovered that yeast extract could be worked on and made into an edible form, Marmite was conspicuous by its absence.

So, what has Marmite done for us and the rest of the world? Well. it can be spread on bread and butter, toast and butter, added to recipes, is the spicy part of Twiglets, can be licked directly from whatever is used to apply it, has helped win two world wars and is available across the world.

Marmite lovers are instantly recognisable as being British, and most of us born after WWII will have been introduced to soft boiled eggs and Marmite soldiers. What is a Marmite soldier, I hear you ask. It is Marmite spread onto hot/cold buttered toast, and cut into strips narrow enough to be dipped into the top of the egg. The secret is not to apply it in thick layers. Even the toughest of Brits struggle if it is laid on with a trowel.

It is available from the Brit sections in Spanish grocery stores, and can be found in Canadian grocery stores too. Here in Canada, the locals see the words ‘yeast extract’ on the label and promptly put it with other baking goods like baking powder and paper cup cases. Is it any real wonder that without instruction, Canadians don’t know what to do with it? Baking? I don’t think so..

I can see that you are itching to become a member of the Marmite Fan Club and find out more about this heroically British foodstuff.. See here..

http://www.marmite.com/ 

Lots of history, why it was called Marmite and of course the fan club..

Beer

Forget what you have read about warm British beer. It is a myth. Real beer is stored in cellars where the temperature was and still is carefully controlled.

There are two breweries close to where I used to live, Donnington and Hook Norton. Both breweries provide superlative beer in a few varieties. These beers are designed to be supped quietly in a small room, large open fire, and with no hint of plastic or ‘faux’ in sight. You can, if you want, have a bar snack, but nothing that takes too much time away from the beer.

Not all pubs are created equal. Here is a short beginners guide..

http://www.timetravel-britain.com/articles/travel/pubs.shtml

You don’t want to make a ‘Shandy’ out of any real beer, nor do you want to disgrace the brew with paper umbrellas, plastic maraschino cherries and crushed ice. Do this with the less classy gas pumped keg beers or the fancy imported designer beers if you are intent on spoiling the brew..

So what does a classic British pint look like? Well, I was born a Midlander, and beer looked like this. It does in the south of the country too. To pick it up, you put four fingers through the handle (you can see it just to the right on the glass), and then you position your finger ends and thumb comfortably into the dimples on the glass.

What you don’t want to do is hold it like you would a milk jug. It is far too easy to waste it into your lap or on the carpet.

During a sortie to the North of where I lived, (Ossett Yorkshire actually), a pint came in a conical glass. Earlier types had a ‘blown’ ring towards the top which helped stop the glass slipping through inattentive hands. This is fairly typical of what is used for lager beers, cider and Snakebites, a combination of lager and cider in the same glass.

OK, so this is my quick guide to ‘warm’ beer and some of the places where you can try it out. There are real ale breweries across the country, and all of them are worth a visit, believe me.

If ever you are a visitor to the UK, I can guarantee that when you arrive back home, you will remember the sunny Sunday afternoon you sat outside a country pub with a glass of Britain’s finest, and you will wish that you were back there, re-enacting your very first taste of the best beer in the world.

A note on Scrumpy..

This is a drink made primarily in England’s West Country. It is essentially fermented apples, nothing added, and is made in quite small quantities. Cloudy in appearance, it can be killer stuff. If ever you have seen horses stagger around after they have eaten a few rotting apples off the ground, you will have a good idea what it will do to you.

You can find it in some West Country pubs, but the best place to get it is direct from the producers. They will be happy to show you how it is made, the tours are always short, fermenting apples in a container with another container in close proximity to catch the finished product, and you can try before you buy.

Cider is a derivative of Scrumpy, way more refined, always carbonated, and way less alcoholic.

Best British Meal

Ha-ha. If you are expecting to see Roast Beef and Yorkshire Pudding or fish and chips, think again.

The best British meal comes out of the Asian community in the Hollywood Road area of Birmingham England.  

Can you guess what this is? I will tell you. It is Chicken Tikka Masala on a bed of Pilau rice, accompanied by a kebab and Naan bread. Doesn’t it look good!!

This, along with Chicken Tikka and Tandoori chicken was my staple diet for years. I used to frequent the Raj Bhuj (King Place) in Royal Leamington Spa more times than I can remember. Mohammed and his crew always gave top service, top food and, if you were a regular as I was, would customize meals for you if they knew when you were coming by.

OK, so what was/is it that captured the palette of the Brits? Well, it’s a mild taste to die for, you will not die eating it, and the meat content is always good and juicy. Anybody can eat this meal, even the most squeamish.

I used to have it with a Keema Naan, which is a regular Naan but with spiced lamb inside. Mmmmmmmmmmmmm

Note that almost the entire menu at any present day Indian restaurant in the world started life on the Hollywood Road, Birmingham England. It is as Indian Asian as Chinese food is real Chinese, and bears little resemblance to food served in India, unless of course they have caught on to the magic of Chicken Tikka Masala and its menu mates.

Good eating..

A Sunday treat

Its made from batter, and is traditionally eaten with roast beef. I am, of course, talking about Yorkshire Pudding.

Forget healthy eating. As said already, it is made from batter to which one applies drippings from the beef as it cooks. The most tasty things to eat are rarely good for you, but who cares. I don't know if there is an equivalent anywhere else, but I do know that nationals from other countries generally get an instant liking for it.

In Yorshire, it is sometimes eaten as a first course, but most have it with the beef, roast potatoes and vegetables of choice. And they say that English food is boring!!

In the photo, it is easy to spot the Yorkshires. They are the golden, gravy soaked bits on the right side of the plate. Don't tell me that it does not make you feel hungry. I would never believe you, and neither would millions of other Brits..