Americans, like myself, I believe underestimate the power of a large plate of Fish and Chips. Personally I find it very difficult to even find on a menu, let alone on a menu of an establishment I trust not to screw it up. So I hear that England and the surrounding locale seems to be the hot-spot of the World for this Ultimate Gut Bomb. Well then, I am going to promote it some so that hopefully some day I do not have to worry about not finding it on the menu of my favorite local pub.

Fish and Chips, or if you want to use slang or crooked English you might say “Fish ‘n Chips”, either way it’s some dam good stuff. It started out as the poor mans treat in England. Traditionally you are supposed to throw it on some obscure English newspaper and serve it up. Countries from all over seem to have adapted this dish as commonplace. Scotland, New Zealand, Norway, Denmark, Ireland, Netherlands and South Africa to name a few.

So what is Fish and Chips?

Fish and Chips is almost exactly what it says. Fish served with Chips. The Fish being some kind of fried white fish like Cod or Haddock, and the Chips being French Fries (or Freedom Fries if you still hate the French). Now it seems all too simple, however there are a ton of recipes for frying both Fish and Chips. Don’t forget the tarter sauce either, you will need some more fat to get that crispy fish to slide down your throat.

Is that it?

Not quite. There is a method, there are the recipes, and there is the presentation. If you don’t get it right you will just be serving another Yuppie Americanized dish that you charge too much for and doesn’t taste like it should.

“I recommend throwing it on a copy of the Seattle Times just to show your West Coast friends how much you like to recycle. “

Starter Recipe

- The Fish -

You will need to have a firm fleshed white fish to make this. I recommend Tilapia, Cod, Haddock, or Striped Sea Bass.

Cut the fish up into strips, pat dry with a towel, season with a little salt and pepper and let it hang out for a few minutes.

- The Batter -

The batter is the fun part, you can really experiment by adding whatever ingredients you like. Here is a simple/base recipe for fish batter.

• 2 cups flour 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• Old Bay Seasoning to taste
• 1 bottle of Cold Fat Tire beer

Dust the fish with a little cornstarch, dredge in this batter and fry away.

- The Chips -

Now you could do this the convenient American way and go to the grocery store and buy some frozen fries and pop them in your oven. You could even order 14 orders of fries from the McDonalds drive through. However, it is better to do it yourself.

You can cut the fries however you like, french fry style, or actual chips, either way you need to fry some potatoes. So cut them up and let them soak in some water for about a half hour to an hour to reduce their starch content (this way they get crispier). Then toss them into a pot of hot oil. When you take them out you must season them immediately. Or else the seasonings will not stick to the potatoes. You should season with salt and pepper and if you’d like either Old Bay or cayenne pepper.

- The Sauce -

Tartar sauce that is. Here is my quick and dirty recipe. Add this all together to taste.

• Miracle Whip
• Dill Pickle Relish
• Old Bay
• Cayenne Pepper
• Lemon Juice
• Worcestershire Sauce

- The Presentation -

Let’s use some newspaper. Since it is the age old tradition to do so in Europe. I recommend throwing it on a copy of the Seattle Times just to show your West Coast friends how much you like to recycle.