Questions about fish and chips
 

No doubt most of you are familiar with the famous fish and chips of the UK, which is usually served with haddock or cod breaded in a thick tempura style batter.

My question is first to Brits then to Irish and then to mainland Europeans.

Have you tried the American South's version of fish and chips, with fried catfish (using cornmeal as the breading) and french fries?

My inlaws from Switzerland just couldn't get enough of this dish when here in the US. They stated there was nothing comparable in Europe, and that cornmeal was much preferred to the thick battering that occurs in the UK.

In contrast, a coworker from Ireland stated that he couldn't stand catfish because of its "earthy" taste.

I just wanted some honest feedback from those of you that have tried both styles.

ttt

I'm an American, but have lived in both the UK and the South. To me they both have their qualities, but the big advantage of the cornmeal-breading is that it can be more forgiving. If traditional fish and chips are poorly done, which is sadly all too common, then it will often end up a soggy, greasy mess. I also find the preparations in the Southern States usually have more spices (and the breading itself is more flavorful), and the fish usually used in fish and chips is usually a blander one, so it could use the help.

Hi bkluvsNola

Would you take an answer from a fellow Southerner? (and a fellow Southerner who just had fried mullet and shrimp for dinner last night, at that)

Between the two, I prefer cornmeal to tempura. Cornmeal makes a light and crispy coating. Most tempura batters I have had have been thick and seem to hold onto the grease. Who knows, maybe I just haven't had tempura done right. I have had some good tempura fried vegetables, though.

I'm with your coworker on the catfish, though. I'm not really a fan.

Just my .02

Johanna

Both are wonderful if prepared well. I do like our cormeal coating on fish & shellfish. It seems lighter than the batter type, and really crispy. I've had the battered fish many times in the UK, and there are some places that really do it well, and others that turn out a soggy, greasy product. I really enjoy the mushy peas, too. I've tried doing my own peas here at home...it loses something in the translation.

I've tried doing my own peas here at home...it loses something in the translation.>>>

Were you using marrowfat peas?

gracie04,

I certainly will take comments from anyone, especially a fellow Southerner :)

However, I'm interested in Europeans response on this. My inlaws, who generally despise all things American, loved catfish so much that they had it 2-3 times per week for the month they stayed here in Texas.

I had perch and chips in Switzerland last year and I thought it was pretty good, but my father-in-law said that it was repulsive compared to catfish and that he wished catfish grew in Europe.

I replied that with global warming, perhaps Switzerland's streams may one day have catfish in them - LOL...

On the other hand, I have an Irish coworker who despises catfish and many other things American, but loves fried cod and chips. I asked him why, and he said catfish tastes "earthy or dirty". I replied that the mainstay of his homeland (potatoes) also tastes quite earthy, so why the problem?

Personally, I find the batter in the UK a bit too heavy for me and I like the crispiness of cornmeal, but I like the flavor of haddock/cod better than catfish. So to me they are totally separate experiences - both enjoyable. Also, we don't have fried Mars bars here in the South...

CW: What in the world are marrowfat peas?

I have a question about fish and chips also. In the UK, should the fish have scales on one side?

That's the way ours were in Ireland.

Marrowfat peas = older. dried-on-the-vine peas:

http://www.icons.org.uk/nom/nominations/mushy-peas

CW: What in the world are marrowfat peas? >>>>

What mushy peas are made of - not garden peas.

I have a question about fish and chips also. In the UK, should the fish have scales on one side?>>>>

Skin yes - scales no. The fish should have been descaled but we like it with the skin on.

ps we don't have catfish but we do have dog fish. Perhaps we could arrange a fight?

On the trailer to gordon Ramsey's TV show - next week he's catching and cooking catfish. They're bloody huge!

Yes, some of those catfish at the bottom of the lake near us could pretty much eat a small child. Pretty scary stuff.

I'll be sure to watch Ramsey's show next week.

If you give your catfish fillets a good soak in some buttermilk, it neutralizes that 'dirty' flavor.

We've actually had deep fried mars bars at highland games in the South...

For the record, I love good fish and chips in the UK far better than catfish.

I like to neutralize my catfish in some beer. Nothing like a good beer soaking in Shiner Bock!

Do they ever use halibut for the fish in fish 'n chips? Here (Toronto) it's often halibut which makes the meal more expensive.

Sally,

According to wikipedia:

"Canadians use a wide variety of fish, including cod, halibut, haddock, pollock and bluefish."

So I guess the answer is yes, halibut is used, but mainly in Canada only.

You do see halibut on the menu in the UK but the usual suspects are cod; haddock; place; skate; rock eel (which goes by a variety of names).

In Austrlia they eat sharks and mackerel. Wierdos.

In Scotland its almost universally Haddock for the fish, seems to be more choice down South. There would never still be skin on, sounds awful. The very best I ever had was from a van on the pier in Tobermory. They made the batter with soda water and the batter was as light and crispy as I've ever had. In general it would be wrong to decribe the batter on UK fish and chips as a tempura, its much heavier than that. In Scotland you can also have a "special" fish supper wich is done in breadcrumb rather than batter.

I am not a great lover of F&C, however if I have ever had this dish I will always smother it in tomato ketchup.

So I don't suppose it matters what it is I eat lol

I have had Tempura in Japan and made it at home and its quite different from battered fish we have. There is far more air space in the batter we have here in the UK.

Muck

There does seem to be a line at Hadrians Wall. To the north - haddock, to the south Cod.

It's also, sadly, marks the limit of scotch pies.

The only redeeming feature of the North (where it is grim) is chips and gravy which we in the Beautiful South don't get.

I don't think saveloys are universal either.

BTW Fish and chips were introduced to us by the jews - it's a varient on a jewish meal, so breadcrumbs are closer to the original. It's still wrong though.

<i>The only redeeming feature of the North (where it is grim) is chips and gravy which we in the Beautiful South don't get.</i>

Ummm... Whisky?

Personally, I like many of the Scottish beers. And Haggis is really quite tasty.

We recently tried cod, haddock and huss back-to-back in a fish &amp; chip shop. They were all served piping hot and crispy so were at their best. Having tried them all we both thought that haddock was the best, then cod and then the huss.

I have a recipe that uses polenta (cornmeal) as a batter for chicken - dip in a bit of spiced flour, in some beaten egg and then roll in polenta before frying, and serve with fried banana.

But never thought of using it for fish. I have some raw prawns that I think might come up well using that.

You can get whisky in the south you know.

Scottish beers are a amatter of taste. I by and large don't like 'em.

Haggis is made by sweeping a butchers floor and putting the seepings in a balloon.

To bring the discussion around; huss is a kind of dogfish (ie a shark). So no catfish - just dog fish.

It also answers to rock salmon or rock eel.

<i>BTW Fish and chips were introduced to us by the jews - it's a varient on a jewish meal, so breadcrumbs are closer to the original.</i>

Certainly, however, the preference for cornmeal with catfish is not a Jewish thing, as catfish is not Kosher.

<i>Haggis is made by sweeping a butchers floor and putting the seepings in a balloon.</i>

I don't concern myself with how it is made, I only care how it tastes. It reminds me of dirty rice to some extent, which the southerners on this thread should know well.

Certainly, however, the preference for cornmeal with catfish is not a Jewish thing, as catfish is not Kosher.&gt;&gt;&gt;&gt;

I was referring to British fish and chips - which are kosher. They were also one of the few staples not rationed during the war - hence the ubiquity.

We got ice cream parlours from the Italians, not to mention the curry house etc etc.

We've been eating &quot;fusion food&quot; for thousands of years.

I am very fond of Fish and Chips, but it can be horrible if poorly done.

Apparently one of the reasons they used to use beef fat to fry was thehigher temperatures obtained. Ideally the batter should almost instantly solidify into a hard coating, leaving the fish to &quot;Steam&quot; within the hardened shell and the batter not to absorb too much fat.

The best F&amp;C I have eaten was from a fish shop in Bordon in Hampshire. The owner had won &quot;Young fish fryer of the year&quot; several times, and weighed about 400 pounds, so obviously liked his own cooking (Never trust a thin chef?). The queues were often very long, but he would say &quot;Sorry, not cooking until the oil gets back up to temperature&quot; - possibly the secret of his success.

I read somewhere that fish and chips were a Marks and Spencer sort of thing.
Jews would sell fried fish and Belgians sold fried potatoes.
One day, a Jew and a Belgian had stalls close together and the rest is history.
I was recently in a small Suffolk town where there are two chippies in the same street.
One had a queue halfway down the street and the other had hardly anyone.

I am very fond of Fish and Chips, but it can be horrible if poorly done.&gt;&gt;&gt;

Ain't that the truth.

This is why I feel sorry for tourists. They have heard of this marvellous dish and so order it at the first opportunity they get - usualy in a pub in a tourist hot spot. That's never going to go well. Never order F&amp;C in a pub - it will be minging.

You want a shop with a queue.

We had chips before we had fish n chips. The mill towns in the north (grim) had chip shops. They sold chips and pies.

Thanks for the interesting discussion. I take it from the posts that most Brits/Scots have not had fried catfish and french fries in the American South.

I suggest you try it next time you're in Dixie. It's a totally different experience than what you're used to. The cornmeal (you call it polenta in your parts) makes the catfish crisp and not greasy.

I also say that Haggis did kind of remind me of &quot;dirty rice&quot; as one poster pointed out.

So, if not a pub, give some concrete suggestions of where to get really good fish &amp; chips in London please. I'll be there in late July and I want the good stuff!

Kellye - The North Sea Restaurant has been recommended here. It has a sit-down resto as well as a take out shop front next door. It is at 7-8 Leigh Street, just 5-min walk south of British Library in Bloomsbury.

Hi Kellye
http://www.timeout.com/london/restau...atures/28.html

Good list of decent London chippies. CW is right pub fish and chips are just wrong. A lot of the time the fish will have been frozen and the chips will be totally different. A good chippy will have its fish fresh every morning.

I've had cat fish in Georgia with iced tea. Not impressed but I do agree the batter was better than UK batter which I find a bit too fatty.

Iced tea is ok in its way but I disliked it with fish.

Uk issues are more about the type of oil its fried in and the differnce between once, twice and thrice fried chips (fries). I like thrice but in vegtable oil

Still think Belgium horse fat is a step too far

London: Lost much of its flavor when they stopped wrapping it in newspaper :). Regards, Walter

Not to mention the entertainment value of reading the wrapping, especially if it was one of the News of the World's tales of errant vicars and (contd. p.94)

It still is wrapped in newspaper. It just hasn't got any printing on it now.

the old elf and safety strikes again. Damn that elf.