Fish and Chips

doris

doris

Well-Known Member
Joined
19 Jun 2001
Messages
2,264
Location
London
Visit site
Isn't it extraordinary that one has to leave the country to get the best fish and chips. Last week we went to the Braye Chippy and the fare was truly outstanding in both size of fish and quality. The chips were spot on too.. A barren piece of rock with a population of 1,500 alcoholics whose only export is empty bottles is how Alderney has often been described, but the chippy serves F&C that are way better than anything I can think of on the mainland.

Long may it continue.
 
The biggest fish market used to be in Birmingham, or so it was said. You can buy excellent fish in the midlands, but often it is difficult to get anything that is acceptable at the coast. Maybe that explains the problem. Local filleting is often also very poor.

Certainly I have found that the best fish and chips have always been well inland. By comparison Grimsby and Hull, for example, were always dreadful. Crazy isn't it?
 
Our local Poole chippies are OK but rarely have locally caught fish. We buy good fish, including local dayboat caught cod in Poole and do our own fish n'chips. 'Proper' chips are a bit time consuming, blanched first then twice fried, once at 160 then at 180 degs C and must be Maris Piper spuds! However a very acceptable alternative is to use Maris Piper spuds again, but just wash and pat dry the chips then roll in a little oil in a bowl before putting them on a tray, sprinkling sea salt over them and baking at 215degs C for 25 minutes, thick home made oven chips but much better. Took ages to find a fish batter that worked for me but now use one based on this recipe, in our case usually using soda water not beer.http://http://www.fishbatter.co.uk/

Local fish apart, our local Tesco had half price Atlantic Cod loins (skinless and very chunky) recently at just £7.50 per kilo and having done a quick test and found them really good we stocked the freezer!
 
dmmbruce said:
By comparison Grimsby and Hull, for example, were always dreadful. Crazy isn't it?
Click to expand...

I thought that I couldn't let this terrible slur go past unchecked, but then realised that the F&C shops the honour of which I was leaping to defend are in Cleethorpes, not Grimsby, but if you are not local I doubt you'd know the difference. That said, Ernie Beckett's for take away and Steele's for eat in the Market Square are amongst the best I've come across. Further afield Corrie's Cabin in Cowes are always good, but only ever eaten in the post race euphoria of the RTIR, so it may not all be down to the taste and there's a place in Harwich that seems to be excellent, but again it may be due in part to the comparison with the food served up on board the ferry. The fish and chips on board are truely dreadful - no better than Hull, I suspect;-)
 
Each year we return to UK and sample all of those things we miss from home. Last year we were taken to a chippie in Whitby (being told it was the best); we were quite disappointed. The fish and chips, with mushy peas, at Joe Jack's Fish Shack, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico are far superior; something confirmed two weeks ago by the person responsible for our Whitby trip visiting us here.

Still, looking forward to being back in UK next week for Marks & Sparks gastro Moussaka!

Paul
 
MoodyNick said:
Its a long way to go for a quick meal after a busy day at work, innit!
Click to expand...

How about this place, then?

SanRemo.jpg


Buy your fish (just landed) and chips freshly cooked, then walk across the road and eat them, admiring the view above.

San Remo, in Victoria :D
 
Last edited:
There can be few to beat the Anstruther chippy, Fresh local fish all cooked to order, excellent chips. You rarely find them without a queque, sometimes it can take over half an hour to get served but always worth the wait.
 
The best fish & chips I ever had .....

Was in Cowes.

Lot of years ago, I went for a taster weekend with one of the Solent schools, in December.

Arrived late on the Friday & set straight off, 1st time in the Solent, no idea what was where, lots of big dark shapes looming up out of the dark & it started snowing.


Having learnt sail in the Canaries, it's a hell of a shock to be sailing into sleet & snow, in the dark, wearing everything you possess & still freezing.

Eventually we ended up in West Cowes, parked the boat, walked up the hill & there was a vision of heaven, the chip shop, serving hot food with steam coming out of the door & a pub next door. Bliss.

I have hated the Solent ever since.

Only bettered by a delivery from Antigua to Lymington, provisions a bit thin, variations on corned beef for the last few days & me drooling over what to eat when we tie up & all the crew straight into a chippie for a feast.
 
The chippy in Aldeburgh is pretty good, although they have a bad habit of selling out. When you've managed to flog every bit of fish in the shop by 8.45pm, you didn't order enough!
 
maxi77 said:
There can be few to beat the Anstruther chippy, Fresh local fish all cooked to order, excellent chips. You rarely find them without a queque, sometimes it can take over half an hour to get served but always worth the wait.
Click to expand...

Got to agree with that. But let's not shout too loud about it . Pity the water get's too shallow when the tide goes out.

We will be sailing down there sometime this season.
 
Another vote for the Anstruther chippy

Got to agree they do serve excellent fish and chips. They won the Scottish Fish and chip shop competition several years running then lost it to one in Biggar. Think they have got it back now. Well worth the queue!
 
Hows the Bervie Chipper nowadays? I've not been since the fire, and now they've opened in different places you always wonder if the rot has set in.

Mikes in Torry always used to be good, but other places in Aberdeen City seem to have pretty bad fish.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top