Fish And Chips The Perfect Friday Meal.

One of the benefits of a Lenten diet Is eating more fish.Mostly many go for the safe and sensible kinds of grilled salmon and seared scallops. However – there is one dish that defines a fish dinner – fish and chips. That East End favorite is a great Friday night meal.

Mention fish and chips and images of London come to mind. Many ,including us Yanks, think it’s the quintessential British food. It actually isn’t, first arriving in Britain with the Sephardic Jews around the 1600’s. The influence was the Portuguese pescado frito, deep batter fried fillets which the Jews cooked on Friday night to eat on their Sabbath – Saturday. Potatoes didn’t come into the mix until the Columbian Exchange of 1492. Fish  - mostly cod and sliced spuds were the food of the working classes throughout coastal Britain. Charles Dickens was the firs t to mention chips in his 1859 masterpiece A Tale Of Two Cities. A year later the first fish and chips eatery or chippy opened in London.They were first sold and still are sold in old newspapers with a good dousing of malt vinegar. The Americans discovered it thanks to the seafood companies of Mrs Paul’s and Gorton’s, however their offerings are a pale imitation of the real thing.They have what’s known as fish fingers  - which are fish sticks while the real deal is huge triangular pieces of plaice a type of North Atlantic fish.

Fish and chips is a relatively easy dish to make. You do need a  fryer however a regular skillet will work just fine.  Use the oven for a healthier version.Start off with the potatoes. They need to be fried first. Russet potatoes are the bet choice for the chips. Peel them and cut them into fries the size of your index finger. First fry them for only two or three minutes then remove from the hot oil. Let them drain thoroughly. Now it’s time for the fish, Combine flour and baking powder along with salt and pepper. One cup of milk and one egg are also added to create a batter. Let the mixture stand for a good twenty minutes. Dredge the fillets in  this until they are thoroughly coated and fry in preheated oil. (you can use the oil from the potatoes) When the fish is frying, add the chips for the last five minutes  until all are golden and crispy. Malt vinegar is the condiment of choice however it is a bit eye opening if you haven't had it before.Ketchup and tartar sauce are your best bet. For a true English experience serve it with mushy peas  - mashed peas with butter and cream.

Get your Brit on with homemade fish and chips. It's a tasty and fun meal for a Lenten Friday night supper. Make it and enjoy a taste of the United Kingdom.