8b. Fish and Chips (Part the Second)
Well, we’ve sorted out the fish and the chips, now we need to decide where to eat it.
Fish and chips wrapped in paper for takeaway.
THE VENUE
Fish and chips is available all over Britain in dedicated fish and chips shops, known as “chippies” in most of Britain, but, I’m told, “chippers” in Northern Ireland. Often run by Italian families,these only sell for takeaway, your fish and chips wrapped in paper. Traditionally this was old newspapers, but this practice was outlawed long ago for health and hygiene reasons.
Also, there are dedicated sit down fish restaurant selling fish and chips and other fish dishes. Many of these sit down places also do takeaway. The dish is also available in many pubs, cafés and regular restaurants. Perhaps bizarrely, many Chinese and Indian restaurants also offer fish and chips.
Some of these venues are wonderful; some are awful.
Those on the well-travelled tourist trail in London are usually moretowards the awful end, although there are exceptions. On the interwebs there are several sites listing recommendations and sites like Tripadvisor may or may not be useful.
My suggestion for any visitor is to try one of the take away places first. They are more traditional. The sit down fish restaurants didn’t appear until 1896, almost 40 years after the takeaways. Pubs rarely served fish and chips even in the 1970s (my student days). In fact, they seldom sold food!
THE MENU
Chip shop menus are often on the wall behind the fryers. ’In Scotland they will list “suppers”. A “fish supper” is fish and chips. A “haddock supper is “haddock and chips. “Single cod” means cod without chips.
Non fish items often sold are sausages in batter, haggis in batter, pies and chips etc.
THE CONDIMENTS
Fish and chips from chippies is normally served with salt and malt or spirit vinegar. In Edinburgh, Scotland, brown sauce (referred to just as “sauce”) is favoured. Curry sauce or gravy is popular in some areas. In sit down restaurants and pubs, fish and chips may be served with lemon and tartar sauce. Traditionalists consider that close to blasphemous. Tomato ketchup and even mayonnaise may be served, but again are not traditional.
Restaurant fish and chips.
EXTRAS
To accompany your fish and chips, the most common choice in England is a serving of mushy peas. These are dried marrowfat peas which have been soaked overnight then boiled until soft and yes, mushy. Not my favourite.
Other accompaniments include pickled onions, pickled eggs, gherkins etc.
TWO PERSONAL RECOMMENDATIONS
My favourite place in London is the North Sea Fish Restaurant in Bloomsbury at 7/8 Leigh Street, London WC1H 9EW Tel: 0207 387 5892. My London home is just around the corner. Originally it was just a take away but in 1983 expanded to include a 60-seat restaurant. It still does takeaway or you can eat in the restaurant. Booking for the restaurant is advised. The menu is here.
Takeaway on the left; restaurant on the right.
The North Sea is one of the places every London taxi driver must know to be licensed. The Norfolk Arms pub opposite is good for a beer afterwards or before.
My favourite anywhere is in Scotland. The famous Anstruther Fish Bar and Restaurant at 42-44 Shore Street, Anstruther, Fife, Scotland, KY10 3AQ; Telephone: 01333 310518 is my must-go-to place. The restaurant overlooks the lovely small town’s harbour and the Firth of Forth as it enters the North Sea, where the fish are caught. Again it is advisable to book ahead. The restaurant and takeaway specialises in haddock. The only cod on the current menu is used to make fishcakes. They fry in the traditional method, using beef fat. Utterly delicious, especially sitting outside by the harbour. Menu here. Famous customers of the restaurant include Prince William, Tom Hanks, Tim Hinkley, Robert De Niro and me!
Please be sure not to pronounce Anstruther the way the narrator does in this video. It isn’t “Anstroother” as she says it. The ‘u’ in the name is formally pronounced like the “u” in brush. However the locals pronounce the town's name “Ainster”.
Picture Credits
1. Fish and chips wrapped in paper for takeaway. Image by Andy Mabbett; licenced under CC BY-SA 3.0
2. Restaurant fish and chips.. Image by Matthias Meckel; licenced under CC BY-SA 4.0
3. North Sea Fish Bar. Image by me.
4. North Sea Fish Bar. Image by me.
5. Anstruther Fish Bar. Image by Robert Young; licenced under CC BY 2.0
