Fish and Chips
MartinWhen I was last in Leyland a few weeks ago, I couldn't help noticing that the fish you get in fish and chip shops up there are so small. Down here we usually get something that hangs off your plate at both ends. Up there the fish are not much bigger than a fish finger. Is this common up north?
Hayleypinkwe had chips and cheese in weston on saturday that was nice
ThornleyHayley, I had cheesey chips for the first time this weekend, they were delicious. I have never heard of them before, but I will try again. Martin, as for fish and chips I don't have them very often but when I do we get them from Godwins in Penwortham. The fish there is a good size. Where did you buy yours from, just so I know to avoid there [;)] Vanessa
noel
quote:
Originally posted by Martin
When I was last in Leyland a few weeks ago, I couldn't help noticing that the fish you get in fish and chip shops up there are so small. Down here we usually get something that hangs off your plate at both ends. Up there the fish are not much bigger than a fish finger. Is this common up north?
As a world expert in fish and chips portions, I can safely say you were diddled Martin. The fish are generally about 10" long. The worst fish I ever had was in Kent where I had something called Rock Salmon, which had a massive round bone in the middle. I think it was really Dog Fish. Yuk!!!
Martin10 inches isn't really that big for a fish Noel. I still say they are bigger around where I live in Somerset.
noel
quote:
Originally posted by Martin
10 inches isn't really that big for a fish Noel. I still say they are bigger around where I live in Somerset.
It's big for a fish finger Martin. Don't try and cod me your fish are bigger than ours.[:)] Have mushy peas been allowed in the chip shops yet Martin? Couldn't get them when I lived down there.
MartinActually, darn sarf, they don't quite have the good selection that you get oop t'north. Gravy is rare and I can't say that I have seen any mushy peas, or steak puddings!
LDunlop76Gaskell's chip shop, Orrell - the fish is around 10 inches - anything more would be greedy ;-) Can you not get curry sauce with your chips darn sarf either, Martin? (Actually I very rarely have fish & chips these days - must be getting on a bit as they give me indigestion nowadays!)
MartinCurry sauce isn't quite the same as gravy Linda. Are you trying to tell us something about your age? It seems to be a hot topic around here. I doubt you've aged much since we last met. About the same as I have [;)]
Hayleypinkthey do mushy peas and pies at my local chippies.
SpitfireI`ve never been able to complain about the size of the fish (or the mountain of chips) you get from Grundy`s mobile chippy - Moss Side Way, Mondays and Thursdays.
Martin
quote:
Originally posted by Hayleypink
they do mushy peas and pies at my local chippies.
I'll have to move there then![;)]
William RMy local chippy is called Darns, and darned good value too. You can get fich, chips, pies, peas, sausages, and chicken. One portion will feed two comfortably. Cross the road and you can have a variety of curries, step to the right and you have as many Chinese dishes as you want. thats in the evening. Daytime, there are four sandwich shops, but try the butcher, he gives more than enough on his ham sandwiches.So all round one street corner we can eat for ever, but walk down the road for five minutes and we have the Kentucky, always busy. Walk another five minutes to the town centre and you are surrounded by cafes, pubs with food, sandwich shops, a MacDonalds. This must be why there are so many obese folk here, too much choice to eat. From over the Pennines and hungry, Cheerio, William R.
MartinBill that sounds like Chapel Brow, you can have any variety of food down that one stretch of road, including, junk food!
noelWe've gone metric today up north Martin. The fish are now 254 millimetres long.
William RHey Noel, is that a lot in old money? Bill.
LDunlop76
quote:
Originally posted by Martin
Curry sauce isn't quite the same as gravy Linda. Are you trying to tell us something about your age? It seems to be a hot topic around here. I doubt you've aged much since we last met. About the same as I have [;)]
I can't abide gravy on chips, but someone at work got me into curry sauce with chips years ago. (Only works with chip shop chips though) Now, as you know, Martin, I am extremely youthful [;)], but my digestive systmem is a bit like the portait in Dorian Grey's attic - it acts its age and its age is middle aged! [xx(] Chip shop chips are too greasy for me now - have to stick to 5% fat oven chips!
LDunlop76
quote:
Originally posted by William R
Hey Noel, is that a lot in old money? Bill.
I think fish and chips are a lot in any money these days. It's not a cheap supper any more!
William RMy grandson age 16 came for his dinner on his way home, so having the usual empty cupboard, I gave him a ten pound note and told him to go to the local chippie for fish, chips and peas twice. They were good and ample, but as for change from my tenner - I`m glad I didn`t order for three. How can the ordinary worker afford to get them on his lunch break??? William R.
MartinYou should ask for a reciept next time Bill [;)]
noel£2.20 for fish chips and peas on a Friday at the local chippie in Farington Bill.
William R
quote:
Originally posted by noel
£2.20 for fish chips and peas on a Friday at the local chippie in Farington Bill.
Noel, I`m gren with envy, for good fish and chips. Bill.
noel
quote:
Originally posted by William R
quote:
Originally posted by noel
£2.20 for fish chips and peas on a Friday at the local chippie in Farington Bill.
Noel, I`m gren with envy, for good fish and chips. Bill.
I'll swap Chippies if you'll swap Council Tax Bill.
CarolineWell, I can't join in on this, can I , and I'm sick! anyone care to discuss the varying size of Breton sausage -ooh-er!- on a sausage galette, which is the local fast-food equivalent??? There IS a chippy at St.Malo, thirty miles away, I've yet to sample it, it WAS run by English, but passed on to French . I'll take my tape-measure......
skitzyWe have a local fish & chip shop, which is run by a chinese man, he actually cuts the fish in half lengthwise before cooking them, they are such measly little things, we stopped going, his chips are okay though. I heard the shop is nicknamed Scrooges. Eileen
dampsladWE certainly have mushy peas in Plymouth. But I do miss a nice steak pudding!
William RBill makes lovely Mushy Peas!!!!!! Lady G.
SpitfireGoing off at a slight tangent, did anybody que-up at Guy`s Row on Saturday nights for Russells pies? As a devout follower of Lancashires meat and potatoe pie culture, I cannot remember ANY pies that bettered these.
SpitfireAs a mobile service engineer, I always associated towns with A1 pie shops. I may not have been able to direct you to any particular area, but I knew who sold the best pies.!
Flagmarket
quote:
Originally posted by Martin
Actually, darn sarf, they don't quite have the good selection that you get oop t'north. Gravy is rare and I can't say that I have seen any mushy peas, or steak puddings!
So why are you living down there in Near France [?][}:)]
noelHad a fish and chip lunch in a pub restaurant yesterday, the fish must have been 18 inches long with a crispy batter and 1" thick . £7.95 a bargain I thought.
MartinI have to make some sacrifices living down here. Not having gravy on my fish and chips is on of them! It's a nice part of the world to be in though, lots of greenery on the way to work each day.
noelI enjoyed living down there Martin, but had to travel for miles to get to work. The village Dilton Marsh was a lovely quiet village but looked a lot busier last time I visited. Do the make pea fritters down there rather than mushy peas? I vaguely remember them being sold .
Alan MarsdenRussells pies in guys row were epicurian ! mind you 5 years ago the pies at the little shop at the corner of Liverpool Rd and Hall lane were pretty good, and F&C and hotpot at the Dolphin(local name flying fish)at the bottom of marsh lane just prior to the riverbank, were good, a pint here too! . The F&C shop at Croston was good ( I believe ownership has now changed),the Cottage entering Blackpool at Marton was excellent too. I've not tried Harry Ramsdens, their prices seemed out line for F&C ! If you are ever near Niagara Falls Canada and fancy a good pie, try 'Preston Pies'in St. Catherines, the owner previously had a shop in Ashton St. Preston and trade is brisk!!! Alan M.
CarolineThat's really bizarre! Crostons 'other' chippy ,(on The Green) once had an owner who was a very heavy drinker . Legend has it that, one evening, serving a queue of customers after a heavy 'session', he turned round suddenly from the counter and was sick in the fryer!! Sorry about that, folks, but these historic and colourful local incidents should be kept alive !!
LDunlop76Eeeugh!
MartinIs that how they discovered fried pizzas?
Alan MarsdenIn Febuary this year we took lunch at the worlds most southerly Fish and Chip shop in Port Stanley, Faulkland Islands. The fish was Grenadier, very good, the chips too, no mushy peas though ! The shop is just a house extension, small and spotlessly clean, run by a pleasant lady. Stanley is a very nice place, fortunately the weather was perfect, sunny and warm no humidity, many British forces were about the streets and several policemen/women, Land Rover appears to be the vehicle of choice. I also saw a couple of Leyland National busses.
MartinYou seem to get about a bit Alan. I've travelled around England a fair bit but only been outside of the UK once. It would be nice to have the experience of travelling around different parts of the world and to sample some of the food on offer. Maybe we should produce a Michael Palin type of programme in which we sample fish and chips in different countries.
Hayleypinkummm ok!!! yummy! i love greasy chips!
Alan MarsdenInternational Fish and Chips sounds good to me, it should be tied somehow to the original Fish & Chips topic. Chips in the Greek isles tend to be rather good being cooked in Olive oil, but watch out for their prices ! Two years ago we took lunch at a small quayside restraunt in southern Santorini. Red Snapper was displayed outside ,prices were not shown, red snapper is a relative tastless fish,it was presented on the bone.We were charged $35 US just for the fish. At the supermarket, snapper is probably the cheapest fish you can buy ! So check prices ! Likewise in Rhodes, on a very hot afternoon in the town square, we were encouraged to sit in a shaded area and order drinks . We ordered fresh orange juice, oranges were in abundance .When it came,we were also given the bill,fortunately we had not tasted the drink prior to glooking at the bill, they wanted $24US for two orange juices ! We didn't participate !
LDunlop76In France it's compulsory for restaurants to display their prices outside, so you don't get stung like that. However it is the custom over there to charge more for drinks consumed at outside table cafes than for ones taken at the bar - you have to pay to watch the world go by! Hayley - greasy chips? Ugh! Wait to you get to my age and the indigestion hits you just by looking at greasy chips! LOL!
William RGee and we were about to put an order in for fish,chips and scraps at the local chippy with a tub of mushy peas. Ahhhhhhhhhh! William R and Lady G
MartinYou also pay more over here for eating and drinking inside at these fancy coffee shops. I've never understood the popularity of scraps, what is it about them that people like?
Alan MarsdenScraps, would that be the cooked bits of batter that don't adhere to the fish ? Chippies used to give those away, no charge. Martin,If you do get around to listing comparative qualities of Fish and Chips, you could classify types of fish by size, freshness, batter quality,colour and thickness, and crispness,aroma , and price,potato variety too ! Animal and vegetable cooking fats impart differing qualities,so,an assessment of cooking oils should probably be included,and of course general shop cleanliness There is a UK Fish and Chip friers federation site,perhaps that could be of use . What would be the standard for comparison, fish and chips can vary enormously yet still be very good,must admit though that standards have declined for most shops ,(in my opinion), but quality F&C can be found offering one of the tastiest meals arounnd ! Perhaps it could be simplified., good size fish,greasy/non greasy , crisp/ not crisp etc. Alan M.
Lady GriffinIn my opinion one reason for the decline in the quality of fish and chips in general is that folk are not prepared to wait patiently for them to be cooked and instead expect an almost instant response to their order. Now during the war and after one of the main delights in Bamber Bridge was waiting in a long queue at Battersby's Fish and Chip shop in all weathers-a queue often extending way down Station Rd. The sheer joy in the sounds of the crackling as a fresh batch of chips was lowered and the aroma wafting from other people's packages as they emerged was out of this world and worth any wait. The chip shop was an oasis of light and warmth(feeling poetical now) The skill with which Mrs Battersby dipped the fish in batter was very memorable.Great fun on the way home poking your finger through the paper to extract a chip! Ask for scraps and you got a lovely pile of batter bits as a bonus. Lady G
noelI think it's more to do with tastes changing. Not ours but the younger generations. Curries KFC and Big Macs not to mention Pizza Hut and Chinese/Indian/Turkish. When I were a lad living in me parents' shoe box on in the gutter all there were wer' Fission Chips. Believe it or not passing through Malia in Crete, there were fish and chip signs galore. Mercifully we did pass through it rather quickly to get to Sisi.
Sandieh[:)]Hope you had a great time in Crete Noel. I had to smile when I saw what you said about all the fish and chip signs there, when I was in Thailand a few years ago we found a cafe run by an ex-Liverpudlian called Mac, who specialized in pie and chips, sausage and chips, pie and mash, sausage and mash, and believe me the place was packed with American, English, and Aussies, theres nowt like pie and mash wi some good gravy, eh lad?[:D][:D][:D]
noelThanks Sandieh, wifeYhad a plate of "mixed fish" in Crete, I'm never sure what you get there as they eat squid, which looked like a white rubber tube, fried in batter, and octopus which has all the little suction pads still on. One thing on the plate looked just like a baby octopus whole, with it's limbs still attached, covered in crspy batter. The only good thing about it was the crispy batter. Poor little thing, I wish they'd left it alone. Even the prowling cat wouldn't touch it.
LDunlop76I like squid and octopus, but they shouldn't catch the little ones - how are they going to get to breeding size to replenish the stocks if fishermen keep netting the babies? Sorry, Bill H and Lady G - I rarely have chip shop chips these days. They smell lovely, but I pay for it later with indigestion. Middle age, eh? LOL!
SandiehWe have the baby octopus over here a lot of people love them, they are usually found in seafood buffets or smorgasboards as we call them, someone once slipped one onto my plate for fun [:0](I needed a fresh plate and a large Gin and tonic YUK)[8D] and they are`nt in batter, I`ll never get used to "Shark and Chips" sold in the chippys here, I stick to "Hake" havent seen "Cod" and they dont have mushy pea`s either Bah !!!![:D]
noelSo it was octopus was it, that little shrivelled thing? I somehow thought they would try to disguise it's shape . Poor little creature. Live and let live I say ( apart from a nice crunchy battered cod.)
LDunlop76Shark & chips? That sounds like the sort of fast food that would bite back! LOL!
noelWhilst Margaret had her mixed fish dish, it was suggested as a dessert she could try "jelly" fish.
KarenNoel #1 As one of the comedy actresses used to say ..... "Ooo you are aweful"!!!!! Ciao Karen.
noel
quote:
Originally posted by Karen
Noel #1 As one of the comedy actresses used to say ..... "Ooo you are aweful"!!!!! Ciao Karen.
Think it was Cupid Stunt aka Kenny Everett.
magicmanwasn't it Dick Emery when 'doing' his female characters? 'Ooh, you are awful, but I like you!'
KarenOh 'eck Noel and Noel, ...I don't know ... maybe I should have stayed with 'Fish and Chips' eh?!! K.
noel
quote:
Originally posted by magicman
wasn't it Dick Emery when 'doing' his female characters? 'Ooh, you are awful, but I like you!'
You're right Noel it was , Cupid Stunt used to say "it's all done in the best possible taste" before pulling her legs high in the air and crossing them. Don't worry Karen, us Noel's have to stick together.[:)]
Lady GriffinRemember 'She knows you know' lg
CarolineYep, Hilda Baker, talking about 'Cynthia', "She went out with a boy last night, y'know, didn't you? Didn't you go out with a boy last night, Cynthia?!!!?" All hilarious stuff, eh ??
noel"What did I say to you, Be soooon I said."
MartinHilda Baker was in a comedy set in Nelson or there abouts about a pickle factory, I think it was called Nearest and Dearest
magicmanMartin - yes it was. Them were days. Noel #1 -= by gum we do have to stick together - lolol
rocketmanjohnIt was Hilda who I first heard saying " Oo, you big girls blouse' and " what time is it? I'll have to get a little finger on this watch. john
rocketmanjohnSorry, I forgot, I think the 'Pickle Factory' also starred Jimmy Jewel from the 'Jewel and Wariss' comedy act. Jimmy was in quite a few films including 'The Krays', and was a good actor. Does anyone remember the Kray twins terrorizing London in the 50's? John
LDunlop76How did we get to the Kray twins form fish and chips? And don't anyone mention Kray fish, OK? LOL!
noel
quote:
Originally posted by rocketmanjohn
Sorry, I forgot, I think the 'Pickle Factory' also starred Jimmy Jewel from the 'Jewel and Wariss' comedy act. Jimmy was in quite a few films including 'The Krays', and was a good actor. Does anyone remember the Kray twins terrorizing London in the 50's? John
I remember as a kid watching Jimmy Jewel and Ben Warris in a show at Blackpool, just before they split up. They were my favourite comedy act at the time, though I liked Jimmy James??? and that goofy chop who stammered and claimed to have an elephant in his matchbox. A neighbour of mine claimed to have lived round the corner from the Krays when he lived in the East End. Linda , Kray Fish? groan....[:)]
SandiehMy cousin was a clergyman in the East end of London about the time of the Kray twins, he never mentioned them. I remember my aunt being very worried about him as he was still young and it was his first post, but he enjoyed his time there.
Lady GriffinI agree about Jimmy Jewel being a good actor.Was lucky enough to see many comedy actors and other more serious theatre performances of all kinds at Blackpool.Jewel and Warriss were amomg my favourites. In later years I saw a TV performance by Jimmy Jewel as an aging pantomime artist renewing his part as the pantomime goose.It was so full of pathos and feeling and superb acting on his part it brought a tear to my eye.In fact I wrote to him about it and got a courteous reply. LG
noelThis is completely off subject ( no change there then) but another favourite of mine in the fifties was Charlie Carroli at Blackpool Circus. He had a clown partner called Paul. Charle dressed almost Charlie Chaplin type "you little tramp" whereas Paul was immaculately but strangely dressed in a tight sequined bluey silver one piece suit with a white conical hat and a white face. I never liked Paul he was too neat , but have modelled my dress sense on Charlie.
LDunlop76I used to like Charlie Caroli too :-)
KarenI liked 'em too ... and I also liked the finale water tableau. Karen.
noelYes the water ending was brilliant. I think the circus has come in for a bit of a battering by the animal protection brigade but apart from that the artistes skills in entertaining are sorely undervalued.
Leyland Lancashire UK