Fish & Chips

Fish & Chips

“Fish and chips” - this is how the name of a popular English dish, known since the XIX century, sounds in Russian transcription. Dish, by and large, refers to fast food, and they have long been traded for export. However, there are restaurants in London that also include Fish and Chips. What is this dish and why is it so popular?

A little about the dish and its history

People who know a little English will translate the name of the dish easily - “fish with chips”. And it fully corresponds to its name, representing itself in deep fried fish in batter and sticks of potatoes.

For the dish use fish with white meat. Most often, cod is taken as a basis, but haddock, flounder, pollock are suitable. The batter is prepared on the basis of dark English ale. Pieces of fish in batter fried in deep fat. Potatoes are preferred with low starch content. It is cut into bars with a width of about 1, 5 cm, a length of about 8 cm and is also fried in deep fat, and twice: the first time within 4-6 minutes, the second - two times less.

Fish and Chips are served most often with a side dish, served with mashed peas and pickled onions. Sometimes the side dish is complemented with pickled cucumbers and other vegetables.

Who first came up with this dish, nobody knows. It is only known that in the XIX century it went on sale in poor neighborhoods and looked a little different: fish was served with pieces of toasted bread. In this case, the dish was wrapped in a bag of fresh or yesterday's London newspaper. However, bread cost more than potatoes, it was not enough, and soon the croutons were replaced with potato chips. It was in this form that the dish began to be served in the “Fish & Chips” snack bars, opened in 1860 in London. Since 1935, fish with chips began to deliver on the order of motorcycles. By this time in England there were already about 30 thousand eateries, including this dish in the menu. During World War II, fish with chips was included in the diet of British soldiers. She was transported to villages where city dwellers were evacuated to feed them with cheap and nourishing food. Fish and Chips was one of the few dishes for which cards were not introduced during these years; it remained available even in these difficult times.

In the preparation of fish with chips in England annually use 60 thousand tons of fish and 500 thousand tons of potatoes. Snack bars “Fish & Chips” can be found in Ireland, the USA, Canada, Australia, China and many other countries. Simple, but tasty and nutritious dish is becoming more popular and successfully competes with other fast food. His recipe in the UK can be found in almost any cookbook.

Fish and Chips English Recipe

Composition:

  • potatoes - 0.5 kg;
  • cod steak - 0, 6 kg;
  • water - 80 ml;
  • flour - how much will leave;
  • corn starch - 40 g;
  • ground paprika - a pinch;
  • onion powder - pinch;
  • baking powder for dough - according to the package instructions;
  • Dark English Ale - 80 ml;
  • salt to taste;
  • vegetable oil - how much will leave.

Method of preparation:

  • Peel the potatoes, cut them into bars or slices of medium size. Blot with a napkin and leave for half an hour to dry. If this is not done, the chips will not be covered with a crisp.
  • Dip the potatoes in boiling oil and fry for 4-5 minutes at a temperature of about 190 degrees.
  • Remove with a skimmer and leave for a while so that excess oil can drain.
  • Mix the flour in the amount of two tablespoons with starch, paprika and onion powder.
  • Separate the fillets from the steaks to make portioned pieces (most likely, you will get 6-8 pieces).
  • Dip the fillet pieces in a dry mixture, put on a separate dish.
  • In the remaining dry mixture, add water mixed with ale, whisk. If necessary, add flour, so that the batter on the consistency resembled liquid sour cream.
  • Dip each piece of fish in batter and place it in a frying pan with hot oil. When the golden crust appears, turn the pieces with forceps and fry until golden brown on the other side.
  • Put the fish on the rack and wait until it gets rid of excess oil.
  • Heat the oil again.
  • Salt potatoes and fish to taste. Fry a second time at a high temperature in boiling oil for 2-3 minutes. Fry fish and potatoes separately.
  • Put the ingredients back on the rack so that excess oil can drain.

Serve hot with vinegar or lemon juice. If desired, the dish can be supplemented with pea puree, pickled vegetables. Another option is to roll a fresh newspaper into a bag, fill it with potatoes and pieces of fried fish, sprinkle with vinegar or lemon juice.

Fish & chips in beer batter

Composition:

  • fish fillet with white meat (cod or other) - 0.5 kg;
  • potatoes - 0.5 kg;
  • dark beer - 0, 2 l;
  • flour - 150 g;
  • vegetable oil - 0, 25 l;
  • soda - 2 g;
  • salt, black pepper - to taste.

Method of preparation:

  • Sift flour. Mix it with soda, salt and pepper. Leave some flour for breading.
  • Cool beer.
  • In small portions, enter the beer in the flour, constantly whisking the mixture with a whisk.
  • Cover the resulting batter with a lid and leave for half an hour, then stir again.
  • Peel the potatoes and cut into long, but not too thin straws. Dry it with paper napkins.
  • Dip the potatoes in boiling oil and fry them until you get a delicious hue.
  • Preheat oven to 130-150 degrees.
  • When excess oil is drained from the potatoes, add some salt and place it on a baking tray. Send for 2-3 minutes in the oven.
  • Cut the fish fillets into portions. Dip each in flour, then dip in batter.
  • Put the pieces of fish in the pan with boiling oil. Fry until the pieces from all sides are covered with a ruddy crust.
  • Put the fried fish on a kitchen towel. When it absorbs the excess oil, put the fish on a plate.
  • Add potatoes to the fish and serve.

When serving, it is recommended to sprinkle with lemon juice. Serve the dish can be fresh or pickled vegetables, herbs.

Fish & chips with mayonnaise sauce and pea puree

Composition:

  • cod fillets - 0, 4 kg;
  • parsley - 2 sprigs;
  • green onions - 2 feathers;
  • lemon - 1 pc .;
  • mustard - 10 ml;
  • chicken egg - 2 pcs .;
  • potatoes - 0, 4 kg;
  • flour - 40 g;
  • light beer - 100 ml;
  • gherkins - 100 g;
  • tomato paste - 5 ml;
  • cilantro (optional) - to taste;
  • salt, pepper - to taste;
  • vegetable oil - how much will leave;
  • green peas, fresh or canned, - 0, 4 kg;
  • cream - 50 ml;
  • butter (optional) - 20 g.

Method of preparation:

  • Peel the potatoes. Cut it into oblong bars or medium-sized slices. Pat dry with a napkin. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with oil. Fry in the oven in the "grill" until cooked. If you wish, you can fry the potatoes in a fryer - it will be even better. In this case, roast potatoes should be put on the rack and wait for excess oil to drain from it.
  • In a separate container, squeeze the juice from half a lemon. In the same bowl, place the finely chopped green onions. Add a teaspoon of mustard, mix thoroughly.
  • Cut the fish fillets into portions, place in a bowl with marinade, mix with your hands and leave for 20 minutes.
  • In another bowl, beat an egg, mix it with flour. Pour in an ice cold beer, mix. Season with salt and pepper, whisk together.
  • Remove the fish from the marinade.
  • Heat the oil. Check its temperature by throwing a small slice of raw potatoes in the pan - if the oil starts to sizzle and start shooting, it is ready to take the fish.
  • After dipping each piece of fish in a batter, put them in a pan with hot oil. Fry on all sides until golden brown - it will take no more than 5 minutes.
  • Put the fish pieces on a napkin so that it absorbs excess oil.
  • Boil the peas until tender or heat the canned peas in the microwave.
  • Smash the peas with a blender, add cream to it. If desired, smooth the pea puree with a slice of butter.
  • Mix tomato paste with spices and chopped greens, heat in a frying pan or microwave.
  • Separate the yolk from the protein. Mix the yolk with mustard and salt. Beating with a whisk, pour a thin stream of 50 ml of vegetable oil. Without stopping the beating, enter the juice of half a lemon.
  • Finely chop the gherkins, add to the sauce, whisk all together.
  • Combine the sauce with the tomato paste, whisk again.

Arrange the pea puree in 4 plates. Beside the beautiful place the pieces of fish. Complete the composition with french fries. Serve cooked sauce separately. The sauce, if desired, can be replaced by a simpler one made from ketchup and store mayonnaise. To do this, these products should be mixed, taking equally, then add to the resulting mixture of finely chopped pickled cucumbers. Also, instead of sauce, you can serve pickled onions - it will also be delicious. As a result, you get the original dish, fully capable of replacing lunch or dinner. Moreover, on the holiday table, it will also be appropriate, giving the dinner party an unusual flavor. Fish & chips - an original dish of white fish in beer batter and fried potatoes. It refers to the national English cuisine. Despite the fact that many consider fish and chips to be fast food, the dish can be found in the menu of fashionable restaurants in London - among the British it is especially respected. Fish and chips quite realistic to cook at home. This dish will surely suit you and your household. Do not be ashamed to offer it to guests at home.

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