McDonald's Filet-O-Fish

[ludja]

Lenten food-related obligations for Catholics were revised about forty years ago after Vatican II. Basically, no meat on Ash Wednesday, Good Friday and all Fridays of Lent and complete fasting on Ash Wed and Good Friday. Here are a few more details: click

edited to add: I tried the Wendy's fish sandwich last Friday. Only one sample, but there was not enough tarter sauce for my taste; the sandwich was a bit dry. The sandwich was nice and crisp though; the fish was fine and it also had a piece of lettuce. I might try it again asking for extra tartar sauce...

Edited February 29, 2008 by ludja (log)

[feedmec00kies]

I'm not sure whether to blame it on the extremely late night volunteering after work, or the nagging subliminal suggestions originating from this thread, but... I had an FOF last night.

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...I think I have to agree with DCP here, this thread must be subliminally affecting me because I open my mouth and out pops "FOF combo please"...

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Heh, I was trying to figure out what to get for lunch today (and by lunch, I mean I mentioned to my superior, "Hmm, maybe I should eat" at 3:30 ), and I almost went to McDonalds for a FoF too! I think more than anything, I've eaten them before, so it's more that this thread has reminded me that they're available.

[jsmith]

I can answer the 2nd part: Fish is not considered "meat" for Kosher meals, since it is not a mammel (and doesn't feed it's young with it's own milk).

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So is a fillet-o-fish kosher then, or does the other non kosher food "prepared" there negate that?

[nliedel]

I believe I was told, and I was a religions major in college, so I used to really know this stuff, that the no fish on Friday changed to no fish on Friday during Lent, after Vatican II. Don't quote me on that, though.

I want a FoF in the worst way now.

[DCP]

I'm not sure whether to blame it on the extremely late night volunteering after work, or the nagging subliminal suggestions originating from this thread, but... I had an FOF last night.

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So I'm headed off to class last night and the only thing even close to the school is a McDonald's. I begrudgingly pull in not even thinking about a FOF sandwich until I get up to the microphone. I think I have to agree with DCP here, this thread must be subliminally affecting me because I open my mouth and out pops "FOF combo please".

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I knew I wasn't the only one whose food 'choices' were being subconsciously manipulated by many a prior eGullet browse. Next thing you know, you'll be looking all over for a McRib fix.

So much for avoiding fast, mass-produced food.

[Kim Shook]

Well, before this thread started I hadn't had a FOF in years. I had one last week. It was pretty good, too. And yesterday, just for comparison purposes, I had a Burger King fish sandwich. McD's is better - the fish in the BK one was 'fishy' tasting and they put way too much lettuce on it. But McD's doesn't have cheesy tots !

[CKatCook]

Lately around here in the southern part of the US there is the double FOF available. I do like them, but agree they have to be out of the fryer fresh. They are good. I also like Burger King's BK Big Fish, but only with bacon on it.

[Holly Moore]

Well, before this thread started I hadn't had a FOF in years.  I had one last week.  It was pretty good, too.  And yesterday, just for comparison purposes, I had a Burger King fish sandwich.  McD's is better - the fish in the BK one was 'fishy' tasting and they put way too much lettuce on it.  But McD's doesn't have cheesy tots    !

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Fish Sandwich Rule No. 1: No fishy taste.

[laniloa]

As far as the fish goes, here is what the McDonalds website says about that

Our Filet-O-Fish sandwich is made from white fish from the cold, deep waters of the Pacific Ocean and Bering, Baltic and North Seas. We take pride in the fact that the quality standards we use when preparing fish far surpass federal requirements.

http://www.mcdonalds.com/usa/eat/quality0/meat.html

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There was a big fight in Congress a few years back that pitted the fillet types against the surimi types. Executives from McD had to beg for the future of the beloved fillet-o-fish. Glad to see it was all worth it!

[blenny]

When I'm out on the road I'll end up having a double FOF every couple of months, and have found a huge disparity in the quality and ingredients, everything from no tartar and a 1/2 slice of cheese, to an excess of sauce and 2 whole slices of cheese. I've also found that if you order the double, it's a good thing to check and make sure that's what ends up in your bag. On a couple of occasions I'd left and was on my way before discovering I got a single. And yes, I will agree, they're better wrapped in paper than boxed. By far my favorite, and pretty much only, fast food item!

[MoGa]

The filet-o-fish was the item I most like as a child, and the only item from the menu I still occasionally order.

The original post is a wonderful account of its inception, the part about the sauce having to be mixed daily is fascinating even if that is no longer the case.

The sad part about this product is that it varies wildly around the world. It isn't particularly nice in Tokyo (the prawn burgers there are much better), nor in Spain and I didn't care for it at all in New York.

Strangely, it's consistently best in England, and from what I can tell (as a 4 minute wait is almost standard for me) it's made to order outside the peak periods.

I'd like to give up MacDonalds entirely but the craving I have is specifically for the tartare sauce (which I am sure is premixed and has been since the 80s in England). A couple of times a year I'm drawn back, I put napkins around the bun (because the tartare sauce inevitably drips off onto my clothes or shoes) and eat one. One is never enough, but eating two makes me feel queasy, so I stop after the first.

I don't know what it is about the tartare sauce that has me hooked. I never put tartare sauce on anything I make, and I don't like any commercially available brand. Perhaps it's just as well I probably never tried the original multi-component version, I'd probably have loved it.

Strange how the strongest cravings we get are often for foods that we acknowledge as not being particularly good or delicious.

[brokentelephone]

I can answer the 2nd part: Fish is not considered "meat" for Kosher meals, since it is not a mammel (and doesn't feed it's young with it's own milk).

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So is a fillet-o-fish kosher then, or does the other non kosher food "prepared" there negate that?

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FoF is not kosher. For the food to be kosher, it must be prepared in a kosher kitchen, and all ingredients must be certified kosher as well (bun, fish breading, etc.), though less observant jews might order the FoF over a beef burger. Beef must be ritually slaughtered, etc., but all permitted fish is intrinsically kosher.

[prasantrin]

In Japan, the filet-o-fish is now priced at just Y100!!!

Even if it's not as good as it used to be, for Y100, I might be eating them more often than before (plus the fried apple pie is only Y100, too!).

[elfin]

We caught the 100 Yen FOF in July! We thought it was some kind of special. Our two girls (5 and6) love FOF but still want the Unhappy Meal toy. So they end up eating both their nuggets and my FOF! Arby's (AKA Arf'ees) had a great Lenten Cajun Fish sandwich with spicey tatar sauce. Can't wait for next year to see if it is on offer again.

[pauladsous]

I join those now suddenly craving deep fat fried fish.

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To quote docsconz, "Who doesn't?"

I personally prefer the Burger King "Big Fish" f/k/a "The Whaler" to the Filet-o-Fish (at least the regular Filet-o-Fish, the Deluxe Filet-o-Fish - with lettuce and a better bun - wasn't bad).

Interesting factoid, according to Wikipedia, is that in non-English speaking countries, the Filet-o-Fish is called FishMac, McFish or Fish Filet. I am skeptical, however, of the Wikipedia claim that a Filet-o-Fish or McFish or whatever has only 400 calories. Every one that I've ever been served always had at least 400 calories of "tartar sauce" on board.

FWIW, the Wikipedia site states that "The Filet-O-Fish contains a breaded fish patty made mostly from pollock and/or hoki[citation needed], half a slice of processed cheese and tartar sauce, on a steamed bun."

I think another name for "Hoki" is whiting, if so, I'm not surprised that it has replaced cod in the Filet-o-fish.

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Well actually here in Switzerland, we have both the FoF AND the McFish, which is different: simply bun, fried fish and catsup.

The Swiss love their chicken too with the Mc chicken & Chicken Mythic and the aviary flu thing certainly didn't cause a drop in sales...brave Swiss people

[Toliver]

The Swiss love their chicken too with the Mc chicken & Chicken Mythic....

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OK, spill...what's a Chicken Mythic?

[gingerbeer]

I too was a FoF child. In my case, it was because I read that McDonalds was destroying the Amazon, and I figured that the FoFs weren't contributing to that so it was a safe choice. Also, they were just yummier.

Interestingly, as an adult, I've never ordered a FoF. I grew up in Australia, though, and am now in the UK. For some reason McDonalds is better tasting in Australia, as are KFC and Nandos (I think McDonalds still fry their fries in tallow, for one thing?), so now I'm afraid to eat one here in case my memories are ruined.

[ChristinaM]

FoF in the UK are delicious, always made to order as far as I can tell - which drives the rest of my family mad! I love them and I'm sitting here drooling but the nearest MacDs is 16 miles away...

[Domestic Goddess]

Unfortunately, here in Korea, they have taken FoF off the menu since last year. Now I don't have anything to order from McDonald's except their fries.

Edited March 7, 2009 by Domestic Goddess (log)

[prasantrin]

I had a Canadian FoF today, and it was horrible! The bun was really sweet, and there wasn't enough tartar sauce to compensate. The bun wasn't steamed, either, but was dry. Plus the cheese was oddly strong--it tasted almost like a slice of cheddar. The actual fish tasted very strongly of old fish, too. Not a good thing.

I don't know who they're getting their supplies from now, but it ain't good!

The only positive was that the fish was relatively freshly fried, so it was still crispy. Even then, I'll stick to FoFs in Japan, and will probably never be able to eat at McD's in Canada again. (not necessarily a bad thing)

ETA: And it cost me a whopping $3.46 including taxes!!! What's up with that?

Edited August 17, 2009 by prasantrin (log)

[Chris Hennes]

It's that time of year again: many McDs are offering FoF specials right now, when the price actually seems reasonable for what you get (not that I'm bitter about plopping down $4 the last time the craving hit or anything...). Anyone else getting their fix while the getting is good cheap?

[PopsicleToze]

They're on special for $1 here.

Had one last week and was looking forward to it from past memories.

But it was awful.

Might just be that one location, so I might have to try one more.

Rhonda

[Lilija]

We took advantage, two for 3$, and we split a large fry. They were actually damn good. Better than last year's soggy example. Could be the location, this McD's has always been notoriously good, we drive past 3 closer establishments, for the better quality a few towns over. It was a good fix. I'll be good till next year, heh.

[Scallop]

Filet-O-Fish = awful. Actually, I kind of want one now..

[huiray]

No F-o-F love since March of 2010? Shame.

I like it. Quite a bit. Even nowadays, after the descent from the zenith of its earlier days. There's nothing *quite* like it, really, IMO and that of some others I dare say, in its weirdly satisfying combination of stuff.

Usually I get it with "extra Tartar sauce" which usually forces them to make it "to order" even if the fish may not be specifically cooked for me. I like the extra sauce, anyway. That piece of vivid orange American cheese? Heh. Nothing else will do, and it also serves to hold the thing together. Folks who say they would substitute it with other gourmet fancy cheeses are missing the point of the F-o-F in my view. I've never tried the relatively new double stacker, though.

As far as fast food fish sandwiches go, my preferences (for what I get in my area) would be McD's F-o-F > Wendy's (during lent) > Burger King > Arby's ~ Rally's > Long John Silver.