I guess I’m not very picky. I haven’t met much fish and chips I didn’t like. As long as I can soak the heck out of it with malt vinegar, even if I have to break a bit off in order to dip it to get it to soak in, I’m happy with it! Mmmmmm. Malt vinegar.
Yep. The typical Aussie Fish and Chip shop deep fried fish is a piece of fish, dipped into a batter then deep fried. Not too much batter. Several places also do it “Grilled” where it’s just dipped in flour quickly then put on the hot plate.
I’m not a massive fish eater but the Barra is bloody nice when you get it fresh.
Truth be told I actually preferred Crumbed fish, Flake preferably.
I find that to get a really nice piece of Barra it has to be wild caught, the farmed Barra always seems to be a bit bland and watery to me. My favourite fish though (not something you usually get at a fish and chips place) is Mahi Mahi.
Yes it does. It’s called ‘goujons’ - popular with kids. Increasing numbers of chippies serve them in my experience
Yep spot on, fresh wild caught is the way to go with almost all fish but it is becoming rarer these days. Im prepared to pay a premium for good fish.
I have heard of this mahi mahi but haven’t ever seen it, has to be better than the overhyped swordfish though!
I don’t think mahi mahi is quite as good as swordfish to be honest. I did a comparison taste test very recently (my partner works in the fish trade and was trialing a new range).
Mahi-mahi is better known as ‘dolphin’ in the Florida Keys. As a food fish, it has heavy competition. For frying, I, for one, prefer Grouper. And for baking, snapper. Dolphin’s okay…but it’s not my first choice.
This is a good one. I use more baking powder, since I like a thick, airy shell; and I don’t cut up the fish into one-inch strips. (I might cut them in half. Or not.) I use corn oil, because that’s what we have; and an electric fryer because it’s handier than my Dutch oven and it has a temperature control.
Concur, but substitute ketchup for malt vinegar.
Don’t judge me.
Drop by up here sometime and I’ll take you to one of the best brewpubs in the world (many local, regional, national and even international awards) that has great beer, a great selection of pub food, and the most thoroughly nasty fish and chips I have ever tasted. Sort of undercooked, slimy and soggy, like eating wet bread with fish chunks in it.
I tried twice and knew I’d made a mistake the second time when a woman at the next table was complaining about hers before my order came.
I used to eat there about 20 years ago. Then I moved to Cleveland. I still miss that place. 
And I’ve been all over the Middle East and India and I’ve never had a doner kebab like the ones I’d eat in Birmingham. Their Chinese food sucks though, so I guess there’s a limit on how many good ethnic foods can exist in a given area.
Yep. I really miss their fish’n’chips, even though mine are pretty good. It’s just so much easier to order them and have someone else make them! I also miss their bangers, though I can get acceptable ones from Uli’s Famous Sausage. I haven’t tried making the Scotch eggs yet, and even they have stopped serving faggots & peas. And there’s no place up here to get some nice curry for breakfast.
I may be alone here, but as a Brit I’ve always thought the most important things about fish and chips are that they are hot, cheap and generously portioned; taste comes a distant fourth.
This is good, honest working class stodge people, and I wouldn’t want it any other way.
Not so much here. Fish and chip shops are not common here, say, the way taco stands are. You generally have to make some effort to get fish & chips, and they cost as much as any other item on a menu. Here in the Pacific Northwest, many places make a point of offering halibut – for an extra charge. The ‘good, honest working class stodge people’ food is McDonald’s. Or if you live in the right areas, a taco stand or truck.
I must admit I do find it interesting that other countries seem to have taken a particularly British dish and raised it to a new level, and I also remember having some pretty good F&C in NYC (said restaurant going by the groansome name of A. Salt and Battery).
Still, to me, fish and chips will always be drudging down a damp London street, toting a bag of greasy hotness, steam rising from crumpled paper bathing my face, and the sharp tang of salt and vinegar annointing my eyes.
We get our fish & chips from a very small local chain, if two locations can be called a “chain”. Usually very good but there was that one time when the batter was way too thick.
In the Pacific NW of the US and on Vancouver Island in Canada, I’ve had wonderful fish and chips made from halibut…just heavenly in taste, and it stands up well to a good (craft) beer batter. But it is not cheap, more of a dish to share with a friend or for an occasion. The cod and haddock used in the eastern US does not compare.
Why do they serve those thick plank-fries for “chips”?
At least they aren’t Arthur Treacher’s extra wide chips.
