# What condiments/sauces do you use on fish and chips? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** food-cooking\ **Created:** [November 28, 2020, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-condiments-sauces-do-you-use-on-fish-and-chips/926632 "2020-11-28T00:39:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Fiddle\_Peghead](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiddle_peghead/32/3506_2.png) [@Fiddle\_Peghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiddle_Peghead)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2020, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-condiments-sauces-do-you-use-on-fish-and-chips/926632/101 "2020-12-01T17:48:25Z")
The fried fish is far from being simply a delivery device for tartar sauce, but it makes a damn good one. Otherwise, a light douse of malt vinegar on the fish, and a medium douse on the fries, and I’m in heaven. Any thing else just needlessly complicates the matter. ---
**Author:** ![Fiddle\_Peghead](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiddle_peghead/32/3506_2.png) [@Fiddle\_Peghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiddle_Peghead)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2020, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-condiments-sauces-do-you-use-on-fish-and-chips/926632/102 "2020-12-01T17:54:17Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > Then we spent 11 years living in Alaska, where you can find killer deep-fried halibut, but not much else. I usually make mine with hake, but the next time, I’m going to try it this way. Know why? Just for the halibut. ---
**Author:** ![tofor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tofor/32/13727_2.png) [@tofor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tofor)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2020, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-condiments-sauces-do-you-use-on-fish-and-chips/926632/103 "2020-12-01T17:55:42Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > It’s probably actual potato that’s sliced at the factory, partially-cooked, coated with the sugar and other ingredients, and then frozen before being shipped across the country, but it’s still potato. You can look up the ingredients of these things: McDonald’s French Fries: Potatoes, Vegetable Oil (canola Oil, Corn Oil, Soybean Oil, Hydrogenated Soybean Oil, Natural Beef Flavor [wheat And Milk Derivatives]\*), Dextrose, Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate (maintain Color), Salt So corn oil and dextrose (often or always a corn-derivative). ---
**Author:** ![xtenkfarpl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/c2a13f/32.png) [@xtenkfarpl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xtenkfarpl)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2020, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-condiments-sauces-do-you-use-on-fish-and-chips/926632/104 "2020-12-01T17:58:23Z")
Although I’ve spent quite a lot of time in Edinburgh, I confess I never tried the brown sauce, being a dyed-in-the-wool salt & vinegar fellow. I only heard about the sauce from the Quentin Jardine police procedural books about Bob Skinner… quite a readable series, by the way… ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2020, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-condiments-sauces-do-you-use-on-fish-and-chips/926632/105 "2020-12-01T18:00:40Z")
> [@SanVito](#): > > It should be fresh cod/haddock, hand-dipped in beer batter! I’d be willing to give it another try, but I don’t even know a place that sells it much less a place that sells a quality version of it. I guess the U.S. just isn’t a Fish & Chips eating country. England, right? ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2020, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-condiments-sauces-do-you-use-on-fish-and-chips/926632/106 "2020-12-01T18:02:38Z")
You might find a local restaurant or pub that offers fish & chips. There are a couple of places near where I live, including a few British-type pubs. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2020, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-condiments-sauces-do-you-use-on-fish-and-chips/926632/107 "2020-12-01T18:10:35Z")
May cod strike you down. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2020, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-condiments-sauces-do-you-use-on-fish-and-chips/926632/108 "2020-12-01T18:31:04Z")
> [@tofor](#): > > So corn oil and dextrose (often or always a corn-derivative). The whole process can be found [here](https://www.businessinsider.com/how-mcdonalds-fries-are-made-2015-1#:~:text=McDonald's%20The%20water%20sends%20the,into%20the%20familiar%20fry%20shape.&text=McDonald's%20Then%20the%20fries%20are,after%20freezing%2C%20according%20to%20Neher). It’s not really all that mysterious. Potatoes cut, sprinkled with some sugar and then the Sodium acid Pyrophosphate to prevent color change during freezing, parcooked, flash frozen, sent off to the restaurants where they fry them in vegetable oil with natural beef flavor in it (in lieu of tallow), then sprinkled with salt to serve. ---
**Author:** ![tofor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tofor/32/13727_2.png) [@tofor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tofor)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2020, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-condiments-sauces-do-you-use-on-fish-and-chips/926632/109 "2020-12-01T18:32:29Z")
I love that they use what is essentially a potato gun to slice them. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2020, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-condiments-sauces-do-you-use-on-fish-and-chips/926632/110 "2020-12-01T18:35:25Z")
They really do got the thin American fast-food style of French fry down. I was never around for the tallow years, or at least I don’t remember the tallow years, but as a kid they’ve been my favorite skinless fries. (ETA: it was 1990 when they stopped using tallow? I didn’t realize it was that late. I was 15 then. I guess I should remember the old fries, but I still liked them after the change.) These days, I prefer skin-on fries, so a place like Five Guys may have my vote for best American fast food French fries, or a good hot dog place here in Chicago (where you can still find hand-cut fries, double fried and all), but I do miss a good pile of British chips. And I do like that curry sauce from time to time, as well. ---
**Author:** ![SanVito](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sanvito/32/2805_2.png) [@SanVito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanVito)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2020, 9:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-condiments-sauces-do-you-use-on-fish-and-chips/926632/111 "2020-12-02T09:20:17Z")
England indeed (and Wales/Scotland/Northern Ireland/Ireland). ---
**Author:** ![SanVito](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sanvito/32/2805_2.png) [@SanVito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanVito)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2020, 9:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-condiments-sauces-do-you-use-on-fish-and-chips/926632/112 "2020-12-02T09:23:01Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > I was never around for the tallow years, or at least I don’t remember the tallow years, but as a kid they’ve been my favorite skinless fries. (ETA: it was 1990 when they stopped using tallow? I didn’t realize it was that late. I was 15 then. Is tallow what we’d call beef fat? I’ve also associated that word with candles. The better class of chippy in the UK will use beef fat to cook the chips. Tends to be more of a foodie rarity these days though. ---
**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2020, 9:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-condiments-sauces-do-you-use-on-fish-and-chips/926632/113 "2020-12-02T09:27:20Z")
For me, [remoulade](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Remoulade), tartar sauce, or mayonnaise, in descending order of preference. Vinegar only if nothing else is available, and then it had better be malt vinegar. I always add salt and never use ketchup. ---
**Author:** ![Smid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/838e76/32.png) [@Smid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smid)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2020, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-condiments-sauces-do-you-use-on-fish-and-chips/926632/114 "2020-12-02T12:42:07Z")
> [@SanVito](#): > > Salt 'n sauce! I loved that when I was there. It’s [brown sauce](https://www.hpsauce.co.uk/product/100118200001/hp-brown-sauce) (which is already pretty vinegary) mixed with malt vinegar. Quite the tongue-tanger. I thought it was a peculiar Edinburgh thing. Salt and sauce usually means weirdly Salt and Gravy, which I believe is an Edinburgh thing (the gravy). There were some in West of Scotland which did that style, but it was unusual rather than the norm. However, Brown sauce is widely used in the UK, and probably more popular than ketchup. Typically used with sausages, bacon. Some people do use it on your chips but I’ve not come across a region which has it as it’s style. As I said sauce in that context in Edinburgh I believe is gravy. ---
**Author:** ![Smid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/838e76/32.png) [@Smid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smid)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2020, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-condiments-sauces-do-you-use-on-fish-and-chips/926632/115 "2020-12-02T12:45:48Z")
> [@SanVito](#): > > Is tallow what we’d call beef fat? I’ve also associated that word with candles. > > The better class of chippy in the UK will use beef fat to cook the chips. Tends to be more of a foodie rarity these days though. It was dying out in Scotland around the mid-80s as vegetarianism lost some chippies a lot of custom, their custom going to veggie oil chip shops, and it didn’t seem to make that much of a difference, really. I guess restaurants might fry in lard/beef fat, but few chippies would stand to lose the veggie custom. Some countries, like Hungary, use it by default still and it catches out visiting veggies. ---
**Author:** ![SanVito](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sanvito/32/2805_2.png) [@SanVito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanVito)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2020, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-condiments-sauces-do-you-use-on-fish-and-chips/926632/116 "2020-12-02T12:46:32Z")
No, it’s definitely brown sauce, not gravy (which is popular in some places in England). [This site](https://www.cooksinfo.com/chippie-sauce) suggests it’s just watered down, other sources say it’s mixed with vinegar. Either way, brown sauce (which is tangy/spicy). ---
**Author:** ![SanVito](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sanvito/32/2805_2.png) [@SanVito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanVito)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2020, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-condiments-sauces-do-you-use-on-fish-and-chips/926632/117 "2020-12-02T12:51:49Z")
There’s a [most excellent chippy](https://mhorfish.net/takeaway/) in Stirlingshire, where the chips are cooked in Beef fat/dripping. As I said, it tends to be the choice of purest foodie places. Case in point: [Rick Stein’s chippy](https://www.rickstein.com/restaurants/steins-fish-and-chips/) in Padstow, Cornwall. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2020, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-condiments-sauces-do-you-use-on-fish-and-chips/926632/118 "2020-12-02T14:19:38Z")
In Flounder’s fields the pomfret grow? ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2020, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-condiments-sauces-do-you-use-on-fish-and-chips/926632/119 "2020-12-02T14:50:44Z")
For the Americans, you actually can find British brown sauce, or at least HP Sauce at some supermarkets. Around here (Chicago), there’s at least two major chains that carry it: Meijer and Mariano’s, though I suspect Whole Foods might have it as well, and I wouldn’t be surprised if Jewel (an Alberson’s store) has it. Cost Plus World Market would also be a place to try. If you’re American and unfamiliar with brown sauce, it’s kinda sorta in that A1 ballpark, but not nearly as sharp, and it’s thicker. Heinz 57 sauce is also in the ballpark, especially if you add a little bit of Worcestershire to it. Pickapeppa sauce is also there, though a bit more runny and also a bit “sharper.” It’s all good stuff. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2020, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-condiments-sauces-do-you-use-on-fish-and-chips/926632/120 "2020-12-02T15:17:18Z")
Brown sauce-wise, I’ve always been more partial to Daddies rather than HP, although HP is the on in the fridge the most. Probably because I can get it at the local grocery, whereas Daddies means a special trip to World Market or the like. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-condiments-sauces-do-you-use-on-fish-and-chips/926632.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-condiments-sauces-do-you-use-on-fish-and-chips/926632.md?page=7)