I am the new chef!!!

[amirm]

 

[Drengur]

The new chef is a big fan of blind testing.

 

[Mort]

I thought he wrote

'I am the new Chief'

And I thought he had been drinking too much.

 

[JSmith]

Kiwi's say fush and chups... (just stirring up the New Zealanders).

Fella in the video says there are so many fish options on UK F & C store menu's... that isn't really the case. It's usually cod, plaice, haddock, if lucky halibut... and that's about it.

Come to Aus, at many places one has a choice of many more types of fish, such as basic hake (shark), hoki, flathead, snapper, barramundi, ocean trout etc. A larger selection is available at fresh fish shops.

@amirm I didn't realise you're also a chef... will be expecting more food threads and a new subforum, CSR being cooking science review.


JSmith

 

[Mart68]

He says 'you go to any fish and chip shop and they always have a massive selection of fish.'

No they don't. Most have 'Fish' - the menu doesn't specify what type. Occasionally there's a choice of cod or plaice. At least on the menu, sometimes one or the other won't be in stock.

That place they're in on the video looks like some sort of restaurant - that's not a 'chippy.' A proper chippy doesn't have a chef, or tables and chairs. Usually they're tiny places, and queueing out of the door and down the street at 'tea time' is common. Or was common when it was cheap food, now it's a luxury.

.Our local chippy, yesterday



Note the orange 'Pukka Pies' sign. If it doesn't have that, it's not a proper chippy. The pies are disgusting btw.

 

[Soniclife]

No they don't. Most have 'Fish' - the menu doesn't specify what type. Occasionally there's a choice of cod or plaice. At least on the menu, sometimes one or the other won't be in stock.

Plus whatever rock salmon is.

Proper fish and chip shops are unlike anywhere else serving fish and chips, it's not better or worse, just different, though I do prefer it.

 

[Keith_W]

Come to Aus, at many places one has a choice of many more types of fish, such as basic hake (shark), hoki, flathead, snapper, barramundi, ocean trout etc. A larger selection is available at fresh fish shops.

IMO Flathead and King George Whiting make the best fish and chips! But neither compare to cod, which is sadly not available in Australia.

@amirm I didn't realise you're also a chef... will be expecting more food threads and a new subforum, CSR being cooking science review.

We should. There are as many myths in cooking as there are in audio.

 

[BeeKay]

I would be open to offering a life expectancy for good food, but certainly not for this stuff.

 

[Matt_Holland]

I know it’s your site and everything but video link with no summary or introduction?

 

[diablo]

A proper chippy doesn't have a chef, or tables and chairs. Usually they're tiny places, and queueing out of the door and down the street at 'tea time' is common. Or was common when it was cheap food, now it's a luxury.
Note the orange 'Pukka Pies' sign. If it doesn't have that, it's not a proper chippy. The pies are disgusting btw.

If not getting fish then I'd want a Hollands steak pudding. Never liked the Pukka ones.

There are many dozen chippies in my town, though finding a good one is difficult. The ones people recommend to me often aren't that good. I don't know if my tastes have changed or the quality of fish available isn't as good.

Or perhaps I'm remembering the times when I'd roll out of the pub near midnight and get fish and chips on the way home. Is it possible that things taste better after a few pints of beer?

Anyway, this thread has inspired me to get some cod fillets out of the freezer. So I'll fire up the deep fat fryer later on and have battered fish, chips and mushy peas.

 

[Mart68]

If not getting fish then I'd want a Hollands steak pudding. Never liked the Pukka ones.

There are many dozen chippies in my town, though finding a good one is difficult. The ones people recommend to me often aren't that good. I don't know if my tastes have changed or the quality of fish available isn't as good.

Or perhaps I'm remembering the times when I'd roll out of the pub near midnight and get fish and chips on the way home. Is it possible that things taste better after a few pints of beer?

Anyway, this thread has inspired me to get some cod fillets out of the freezer. So I'll fire up the deep fat fryer later on and have battered fish, chips and mushy peas.

I don't know, I agree it's hard to find a good one. Same with Chinese takeaways I find. Most of them give you huge portions but its so bad you wouldn't feed it to the dog.

I think the fish is probably the same but in the old days the batter would be a secret family recipe whereas now I suspect it comes in big sacks from the cash and carry. Plus frying chips properly seems to be a dying art.

 

[JSmith]

Plus frying chips properly seems to be a dying art.

At least most of yours actually fry fresh cut chips... most stores here moved to frozen ones a long time ago and is hard to find proper chips anymore. Still ok, especially the thicker cuts, just not quite the same. So you have us on the chips, but we got ya on the fish quality and selection I reckon.


JSmith

 

[Count Arthur]

Plus whatever rock salmon is.

Proper fish and chip shops are unlike anywhere else serving fish and chips, it's not better or worse, just different, though I do prefer it.

Rock Salmon, also called Huss, among other things, is a small shark and it might be either a Dogfish or a Bull Huss, or possibly another species of small shark, and then called whatever the local name is, once its battered and deep fried.

Bull Huss:

Dogfish:

 

[raindance]

When we lived in the UK the fish and chips we tried, at least in England and Wales, was usually pretty dire, typically cooked in oil that looked like varnish. The species of fish didn't make a difference and you couldn't taste it anyway.

The best fish and chips I've ever eaten was at a little place near Cape Town in South Africa and the fish was snoek.

2nd best would be a little place we found at the beach in North Carolina in the USA serving flounder.

 

[Mart68]

At least most of yours actually fry fresh cut chips... most stores here moved to frozen ones a long time ago and is hard to find proper chips anymore. Still ok, especially the thicker cuts, just not quite the same. So you have us on the chips, but we got ya on the fish quality and selection I reckon.


JSmith

Probably. I can't eat fish anymore, plays havoc with my guts. If I go to the chippy I have a fried chicken instead.

Last time I was in there he asks me 'Do you want it well done?'

I thought it was best to say 'Yes.'

 

[amirm]

A proper chippy doesn't have a chef, or tables and chairs.

What you saying? I was given a fake title much like here???

 

[amirm]

In US Pacific Northwest, baseline fish and chips is Cod. Half the places offer an upgrade in the form of Halibut. A few offer Salmon. The only time I tried that, I did not like it at all. Salmon is too oily to be fried in oil that way.

Our favorite fish and chips was this lovely place on the water. Sadly, after some 25 years, it went out of business during Covid. It was so nice to sit there, enjoy very fresh Halibut and Chips and enjoy the magnificent views over the water. Just recently found another place in the middle of nowhere. There is no view. But the fish and chips is good so we are happy again.

 

[raindance]

In US Pacific Northwest, baseline fish and chips is Cod. Half the places offer an upgrade in the form of Halibut. A few offer Salmon. The only time I tried that, I did not like it at all. Salmon is too oily to be fried in oil that way.

Our favorite fish and chips was this lovely place on the water. Sadly, after some 25 years, it went out of business during Covid. It was so nice to sit there, enjoy very fresh Halibut and Chips and enjoy the magnificent views over the water. Just recently found another place in the middle of nowhere. There is no view. But the fish and chips is good so we are happy again.

Halibut is very good... when I was visiting your area a few years ago, my son and I found a very nice place to eat it, also with no view, in Victoria BC near Fisherman's Wharf.

 

[Jeromeof]

Fun fact, if you are every in Ireland the Fish and Chips shops area almost all run by Italians, apparently there was a migration from Italy in the 50s to Ireland (don't know why - it wasn't for the weather ) the first families setup more traditional Italian restaurants but the second wave ( mostly from Sardinia I believe ) looked for a niche and decided Fish and Chips shops and their decendants still run most of them around the county.

But sadly we also have a similar limited about of Fish options (even though the west coast of Ireland should have huge access to the North Atlantic fisheries).

 

[Count Arthur]

Fun fact, if you are every in Ireland the Fish and Chips shops area almost all run by Italians, apparently there was a migration from Italy in the 50s to Ireland (don't know why - it wasn't for the weather ) the first families setup more traditional Italian restaurants but the second wave ( mostly from Sardinia I believe ) looked for a niche and decided Fish and Chips shops and their decendants still run most of them around the county.

But sadly we also have a similar limited about of Fish options (even though the west coast of Ireland should have huge access to the North Atlantic fisheries).

There was a Fish and Chip shop in my town called Mario's run by an Italian guy. There were also a couple of coffee and ice cream bars/shops, Bar Italia and Morelli's, which I'm guessing were Italian.