chips

[alan_m]

Much the same with a "chinese" run chippy around my way where the batter on the fish is never cooked properly and a sticky uncooked paste surrounds the fish.

[spuorgelgoog]

I got that at Wetherspoon's a few weeks ago.

So far, for consistent value for money and quality, Morrison's Cafe seems to be about the best.

Owain

[T i m]

Are you confusing 'chips' with 'crisps' or even 'French Fries'? ;-)

I wouldn't expect a 'British / classic' chip to be crisp as such, except the burnt / ends maybe?

Not the same thing as tired chips that have 'become' more soggy than those straight out of the fryer.

Cheers, T i m

[tabbypurr]

I call those slugs. Revolting.

NT

[Steve Walker]

I think there is a combination of lowering costs by not using a lower temperature (and often not for long enough either) and a government campaign for chippies to cook them less - so as to reduce the carcinogens produced when frying.

SteveW

[FMurtz]

But they are orrible :)

[Harry Bloomfield]

I never buy fish and chips from any establishment where they just call it 'fish', as so many do these days. Is it cod, haddock or something else?

[Brian Gaff]

I often think you can find the same shop one day will have good chips, the next soggy or worse, rock hard singed ones. I can only deduce that nobody has applied AI to chip cooking yet...grin. Brian

[Andrew]

And the fish may stink of bleach if it is getting a bit pongy, and has been washed in bleach to disguise that fact.

[Andrew]

Chippies always have problem when potatoes change from 'old' to 'new' spuds, and remember last year was awful for potato growers. They don't like very hot and dry weather.

[AnthonyL]

Over the years I occasionally pass a chippie on the edge of Derby and their chips are excellent, year in year out. A few months ago I spoke to the owner and he explained that he would go out and test spuds from a field and if they were good he'd buy the whole field of spuds. He no doubt had a good cooking technique and also prepared to chuck away chips that had been hanging about too long but he said it all started with the right spud.

[ARW]

Does a chip shop have a chef?

[TMH]

Me too!

Weird!

>

[Andrew Mawson]

Chips should be:

a/ CHUNKY ie at least 12 mm square if not 15 mm b/ Slightly fluffy on the outside (achieved by light par boiling) c/ Crispy on the outside without being burnt, and soft on the inside (achieved by very hot oil, and not too many put in at once)

A pub local to us was taken over by a Greek family, who do an excellent 'steak on a stone' but the advertised chunky chips proved to be French Fries. It took some forceful discussion to convince their chef that a 6 mm square bit of deep fried potato was NOT a chunky chip.

. . . not that I'm fussy about my chips you understand :)

Andrew

[Tim Streater]

French fries are much better than the soggy mess we get in this country.

[Clive Arthur]

Often called Elvis.

Cheers

[Andrew Mawson]

French Fries can contain as much as 8 times as much fat as chunky chips due to the surface area to volume ratio being so low - not good for your heart !

Andrew

[The Natural Philosopher]

dont go to Belgium thenm as they serve them with mayonnaise

[spuorgelgoog]

I like them with tartar sauce.

Owain

[whisky-dave]

and cook them in horse or ox fat in the mix with vegetable oil or so I'm told.

My closest chippie uses ground nut oil perhaps that's why I don't like their chips, even though they are the right sort of shape. Thier fish doesn;t look or taste right either.