Just asking a quick question - are chips (i.e. fish and chips) made fresh in the shop in England! Most NZ Fish and Chip shops use pre frozen/cooked chips, one of my good friends is English and has said that pretty much all chip shops over there peel/cut/cook all their potatoes in the shop - is this still so! (He has been here in NZ for 20 odd years) TIA
beaker59,
Jan 9, 12:54am
No same as here, 20yrs ago many F & C shops did the same here too.
shop-a-holic,
Jan 9, 12:58am
I have found a fish and chip shop in Wellington, which displays a sign, they hand create their own chips. Very groovy to see. A couple months of the year, they apologise for using alternatives because they can't source fresh potatoes. So cool!
pecka,
Jan 9, 1:01am
@beaker59 - yep both hubby and I remember several chip shops around Upper Hutt making their own chips when we growing up - sadly none do now. @shop-a-holic - wow! what chip shop is that!
petal1955,
Jan 9, 1:07am
Fish & Chip shop in Alicetown (Lower Hutt) advertise they do hand made chips.taste divine !
shop-a-holic,
Jan 9, 1:08am
Wadestown Fish Supply.
beaker59,
Jan 9, 1:08am
Seriously I used to work in a shop and I don't think the hand made ones are neccesarily any better the frozen ones are more likely to be a better potato and have been properly treated. Sure a chef could do a better chip if he really put his/her mind to it but it would take some effort. The issue most shops have is they don't change or look after thier oil enough and don't cook at the correct temps. good shops have several cookers and start at a lower temp then finish them in the really hot oil then the hold time and tap make a difference too.
pecka,
Jan 9, 1:15am
I have to agree with that beaker - we have a small chip fryer and have tried on several occasions to make chips and my results have been sadly lacking. I think some potatoes must be really high in sugar, so it burns before it's cooked inside.
sarahb5,
Jan 9, 1:22am
I worked in a fish and chip shop about 35 years ago - it was my first part-time job.When I first started we used fresh potatoes but then the chain of shops got sold and taken over by someone else and we changed to frozen chips.But the trick to cooking good chips from fresh potato is to fry them twice in very, very hot oil.First time you cook them until they are sealed, drain them really well so there's no fat whatsoever left on them (kitchen paper is good for this) and then you fry them again until they are golden brown.Unfortunately the "healthy" oils most chip shops use these days don't cook such a good chip because they can't be heated to such high temperatures as good old-fashioned lard.
iman007,
Jan 9, 1:24am
double fryis the key, i cut mine and leave in water for a wee while, dry and then fry to seal, take out leave to cool and refry just as you ready for them.I use agria potatoes
richard198,
Jan 9, 5:43pm
Double fry with beef dripping!
fiona26,
Jan 9, 5:50pm
Agria Potatoes are the best I have found, and I peel chunky cut and then microwave them first for 3 mins or so ,so that they dont always need to be fried twice not everyones cup of tea this way,but ive always found them to be nice.
pickles7,
Jan 9, 6:00pm
We used to make our own, beef dripping bad stuff these days. Then Someone would come in and ask for "$20.00 of Mr Chips, chips please" and walk out when told you made your own. It would be an hour or two later when you would get dropped off a sample bag of, Mr Chips chips. lol.and soa Company was born.
richard198,
Jan 9, 6:06pm
Has beef dripping changed!
turtlet,
Jan 9, 6:19pm
I don't think so.Have used it recently for chips and they have been pretty good.
richard198,
Jan 9, 6:21pm
"beef dripping bad stuff these days"!
It's the tastiest way to fry chips (many chippie shops in UK do so) and my son loves them. Not sure what the above quote relates to!
cloudberry,
Jan 9, 7:34pm
The best chips are done in lard or beef dripping. Seriously good! Oil doesn't even begin to match the taste.
snowf,
Jan 26, 6:35pm
good afternoon everyone would any one have a recipe for good old fish batter like you get in the fish shops cheers snowf
beaker59,
Jan 26, 6:57pm
Most F&C shops just use flour water salt maybe a little baking powder. The trick is to mix to the right consistency.
snowf,
Jan 26, 7:21pm
thanks beaker59 will give it a go tonight snowf
susieq9,
Jan 26, 7:41pm
I don't use oil. Chefade has been my favorite for years and better tasting than the oil ones. I also cook mine twice.
ants9,
Jan 26, 10:04pm
Hi we used the samish recipe but added malt vinegar to the water.
elliehen,
Jan 26, 11:32pm
I tried out a hint from here: Mix 1 teaspoon of baking soda in half a cup of milk.Dip the fillets in this and then flour and fry quickly (oil and butter mix).The coating is bubbly and crisp and not full of gluggy flour like shop batter.
figjamto,
Jan 27, 2:57pm
OK.at the risk of sounding like the old fashioned expression of a "whinging pom" I have to say that the things that are still better and I miss from England are . definitely the Fish and Chips, its going back a bit but always wrapped in newspaper and loads of salt and vinager.yummm, also bacon and sausages.have never had any in NZ that compares.and I have been here for 40 years
kuaka,
Jan 27, 11:12pm
They sure are different.Last time I was there, the chips were greasy (almost to the point of being slimey) and definitely were not crispy, nor as good as I remember them on previous visits or when I lived there.
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