When it comes to British gastronomy, many people smile indulgently because they find the island nation's food boring and tasteless. That there is something to this is due in no small part to both world wars and the austerity and rationing systems that accompanied them. I'll tell you more about that another day, but for now I'll tell you which British classic was available even in the bloodiest of times, because the British government itself was personally responsible for supplying it. This is the famous fish and chips, or in English, the fried fish and chips combo.
The funny thing is that this British classic is anything but British. The genre of fish dipped in pancake batter and fried in hot oil was brought over from Spain by Sephardic Jewish immigrants around the 16th century. It quickly became a popular delicacy, mentioned by Charles Dickens in 1838 in Oliver Twist.
We know that the chips where did it come from? Peru, of course. They started selling together in the 1850s, when the pair began a career together, and the English working class played an active role in its meteoric rise.
For those who feel like making it at home, it's not a devil's errand. The potatoes, pardon me, chips thickness varies from country to country, the classic British version is a little thicker than the American crisps we crisp from a bag, more like steak and potatoes.
Pancake batter is another area where there is a lot of room for creativity, with the British and Irish using plain flour and water, and others substituting milk or beer for water, which gives the fish a beautiful golden brown colour.
And what kind of fish is it made from? The British prefer to eat cod of different types, but can be baked hekkfrom, flounderand about twenty other fish, to suit everyone's budget. The Australians have a shark version... just saying. We have the tooth is an excellent choice for this, especially as this fish also has a nice skin, no need to skin it, no hassle, just dip a nice slice of fillet in the batter and bake. Oh, and a little tip: the only way to be authentic is to serve it in newspaper or plain paper...
