Mysteries of our time no 1 - Chip shops

DorsetDude

DorsetDude

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In this day and age you can get instant broadband, TV on demand etc, but if you go to a chip shop you have to ask for your fish and they then cook the poxy thing while you stand round in a shop full of people waiting for their order to be cooked. Years ago they had the right idea and had a few pieces of fish, sausage and a saveloy ready to go on the hot counter, why have they stopped? Will the chips be next as well, they cook them a portion at a time? Tw@ts.
 
I always get mine done fresh, but then I do have to get it cooked in the special fryer.. which is also an excuse to get proper piece of haddock and none of this cod stuff the locals seem prepared to accept..

(gluten-free - worth trying even if you're not a coeliac as it generally has a lighter, crispier and drier batter)
 
You don't get long to hold something before it's no good and dried out/chewy. Cooked to order tastes better, saves on waste and potentially electric if you keep the heater cabinet switched off. Of course over tea time time then you'd want to have a few things ready to go.

Conversely if it's really busy, you can only cook so much stuff in one go that it will all be sold out before the next batch has cooked, still ends up as people waiting.

I used to enjoy frying fish in the chippy.
 
I'd rather hang around for a few minutes and get both fresh chips and fish in batter that will still be lovely in crispy.

I will say though, that the hunt for a chippy down here that does perfect batter continues even after 15 years :(
 
As it happens I'm just about to go out for scampi and chips :)
They always cook to order as said it's nicer than leaving it to stand and go soggy
 
DF Mars Bars have always been cooked to order.
 
DorsetDude said:
In this day and age you can get instant broadband, TV on demand etc, but if you go to a chip shop you have to ask for your fish and they then cook the poxy thing while you stand round in a shop full of people waiting for their order to be cooked. Years ago they had the right idea and had a few pieces of fish, sausage and a saveloy ready to go on the hot counter, why have they stopped? Will the chips be next as well, they cook them a portion at a time? Tw@ts.
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Have you lost the plot. Surely this is a wind up? Dried out fish and soggy chips. Yuk.

Ps. Naturally everyone is entitled to their own preference :) Mine will be a short wait and freshly cooked. I never accept what is waiting and ready.
 
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My favourite chippy is Mhor Fish in Callander.
Yes, you have to wait for both to be cooked to order- but it's worth it.
My local ones in Edinburgh tend to be to fatty/oily for my taste.
 
DorsetDude said:
In this day and age you can get instant broadband, TV on demand etc, but if you go to a chip shop you have to ask for your fish and they then cook the poxy thing while you stand round in a shop full of people waiting for their order to be cooked. Years ago they had the right idea and had a few pieces of fish, sausage and a saveloy ready to go on the hot counter, why have they stopped? Will the chips be next as well, they cook them a portion at a time? Tw@ts.
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Unless it's near closing time, I have never been in a chippy that didn't have a few done and waiting, you must live somewhere very quiet indeed! Having said that, I always ask for something I know won't be ready, as would prefer it done fresh.
 
viv1969 said:
I'd rather hang around for a few minutes and get both fresh chips and fish in batter that will still be lovely in crispy.

I will say though, that the hunt for a chippy down here that does perfect batter continues even after 15 years :(
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I have to say it's expensive fish and chips, but ricks steins chippy in padstow is brilliant. Fresh fish, beer batter, chips cooked in lard...
 
Byker28i said:
I have to say it's expensive fish and chips, but ricks steins chippy in padstow is brilliant. Fresh fish, beer batter, chips cooked in lard...
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Lard?

Proper chips need dripping.. ..
 
Byker28i said:
I have to say it's expensive fish and chips, but ricks steins chippy in padstow is brilliant. Fresh fish, beer batter, chips cooked in lard...
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Exactly.....not willing to pay the premium for his name TBH :-)
Plus...it's not exactly local :lol:
 
Alastair said:
Lard?

Proper chips need dripping.. ..
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I quite like sunflower oil or a solid vegetable based fat. But fry at least double if not tripple.

And most importantly cover it with mayonaise. Not that hellmans knockoff, but proper Remia friet saus.
 
dejongj said:
I quite like sunflower oil or a solid vegetable based fat. But fry at least double if not tripple.

And most importantly cover it with mayonaise. Not that hellmans knockoff, but proper Remia friet saus.
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Oh JP!!! No!!! :runaway:
Chips need Heinz Ketchup.
Chippy fish needs Tartare.
 
No no no. Friet saus and Satay Saus. Or the Special; Friet saus, Curried Ketchup and chopped onions. Hmm,yum,yum,yum
 
Btw agree on the tartare
 
DorsetDude said:
In this day and age you can get instant broadband, TV on demand etc, but if you go to a chip shop you have to ask for your fish and they then cook the poxy thing while you stand round in a shop full of people waiting for their order to be cooked. Years ago they had the right idea and had a few pieces of fish, sausage and a saveloy ready to go on the hot counter, why have they stopped? Will the chips be next as well, they cook them a portion at a time? Tw@ts.
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Really????

Appreciate other factors come into play but the big one near me has it all sitting there. Its ok but not great. Another local one cooks to order and it tastes far far better.
 
I 've always found freshly cooked to be better than something that's sitting around even if it's been cooked half an hour ago.
 
omens said:
I 've always found freshly cooked to be better than something that's sitting around even if it's been cooked half an hour ago.
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A chippy thats got fish on the rack cooked half an hour ago is one not worth visiting. Actually thats a paradox as clearly no-one is visiting :)
 
This thread prompted me to have a take away tonight, at least I know my chicken was cooked, I put a couple of bits by for the next time I am drawing in charcoal
 
The key with fish and chips is to get them wrapped seperately
 
Try ordering a veggie wrap meal in a Macky D's drive through, its a stone wall guarantee your going to be asked to park in the waiting bay.......drive through? my eye it is.
 
You just can't beat fish (with a beer batter) & chips cooked in dripping, with plenty of salt & proper malt vinegar. (y) Wrapped in paper too, not polystyrene/plastic crap!

Also, what's all this new fangled stuff? river catfish, mayo, scampi etc. :rolleyes:


I was once queuing so long at a local chippy, I asked if they were actually serving food...... or was it just an exhibition. :mad:

;)
 
We go to a chippie that's always really busy. When you go in you immediately order and then wait in the queue. By the time you get to the front of the queue your order has been made for you. It's a great chippie.
 
I used to enjoy making my own, back when I had a deep-fat fryer.

Heston Blumenthal has a fall-proof method for top quality chips too - takes a while but well worth it.
 
I'm lucky enough to have several F&C shops near me and only one cooks while you wait. The problem with all of them though is that the batter is lovely and crisp in the shop but by the time I get home which is less than 5 minutes by car from any of these shops the fish has gone soggy and fused to the chips so by the time it's on a plate it's pretty much mashed fish and chips. I get very annoyed by this and I don't remember it being like this years ago, maybe the batter recipe has changed?

Does anyone else have this problem?

On the positive side the servings are so large there's always too much and we usually save some for the next day... no adverse health effects yet :D
 
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woof woof said:
I'm lucky enough to have several F&C shops near me and only one cooks while you wait. The problem with all of them though is that the batter is lovely and crisp in the shop but by the time I get home which is less than 5 minutes by car from any of these shops the fish has gone soggy and fused to the chips so by the time it's on a plate it's pretty much mashed fish and chips. I get very annoyed by this and I don't remember it being like this years ago, maybe the batter recipe has changed?

Does anyone else have this problem?

On the positive side the servings are so large there's always too much and we usually save some for the next day... no adverse health effects yet :D
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That's because for the vast majority of chippies it now comes from a packet. Quite how making your own is any more effort I do not know. We always did our own beer batter and it makes a hell of a difference.
 
Alan Clogwyn said:
That's because for the vast majority of chippies it now comes from a packet. Quite how making your own is any more effort I do not know. We always did our own beer batter and it makes a hell of a difference.
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b****r. Is that it? Maybe we should complain more... I don't really enjoy take away fish and chips now and every time we have them I throw a little paddy and say it's the last time. If they'd solve the melting batter issue I'd be very happy.
 
When I was a kid, the local chippy used to give you little bags of batter scraps if you asked for them.
They were lovely. They also used to do potato ftitters...also in batter...also delicious.
 
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woof woof said:
b****r. Is that it? Maybe we should complain more... I don't really enjoy take away fish and chips now and every time we have them I throw a little paddy and say it's the last time. If they'd solve the melting batter issue I'd be very happy.
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Buy a deep fat fryer and make your own :)
 
When my wife used to live in the centre of Brighton there was a huge choice of fish shops. There was one a couple of doors down the road which was OK but nothing to write home about, so we would try others.

One time this new one opened in the North Lanes so one evening we went there. He didn't have any fish on the counter and said he cooked everything fresh to order. Ten minutes. There must have been half a dozen fish shops within ten minutes walk so we conferred as to whether to wait or to go and seek faster food elsewhere.

Trust me, he said, it will be worth the wait. And if you don't agree I'll give you your money back.

So we waited. And it was worth it.
 
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