Fish and chips

Fish and chips

Fish and chips in Norfolk, England
Alternative names	Fish supper
Course	Main dish
Place of origin	England
Serving temperature	Hot
Main ingredients	Battered and fried fish with deep-fried chips
Cookbook: Fish and chips  Media: Fish and chips

Fish and chips is a hot dish of English origin and an early example of culinary fusion,^[1][2] consisting of fried battered fish and hot chips. It is a common take-away food.

History

Fish and chips became a stock meal among the working classes in England as a consequence of the rapid development of trawl fishing in the North Sea,^[3] and the development of railways which connected the ports to major industrial cities during the second half of the 19th century, so that fresh fish could be rapidly transported to the heavily populated areas.^[4] Fried fish was first brought to England by Spanish Jews,^[2] and is considered the model for the fish element of the dish.^[5] Originally, Spanish Jews settling in England in the 17th century would have prepared fried fish in a manner similar to Pescado frito, which is coated in a flour.^[6] Battered fish is first coated in flour then dipped into a batter consisting of flour mixed with liquid, usually water but sometimes beer. Some newer modifications to the recipe may have cornflour added, and instead of beer sometimes soda water is added.^[7] In 1860, the first fish and chip shop was opened in London by Joseph Malin.^[8]

Fish and chips in Brighton, England

Deep-fried chips (slices or pieces of potato) as a dish may have first appeared in England in about the same period: the Oxford English Dictionary notes as its earliest usage of "chips" in this sense the mention in Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities (published in 1859): "Husky chips of potatoes, fried with some reluctant drops of oil".

The modern fish-and-chip shop ("chippy" or "chipper" in modern English slang^[9][10]) originated in the United Kingdom, although outlets selling fried food occurred commonly throughout Europe. Early fish-and-chip shops had only very basic facilities. Usually these consisted principally of a large cauldron of cooking fat, heated by a coal fire. The fish-and-chip shop later evolved into a fairly standard format, with the food served, in paper wrappings, to queuing customers, over a counter behind which the fryers were located. During World War II fish and chips remained one of the few foods in the United Kingdom not subject to rationing.^[11]

British fish and chips were originally served in a wrapping of old newspapers, but this practice largely ceased as a result of European Union directives,^[12][13] with plain paper, cardboard or plastic being used instead.

In the United Kingdom the Fish Labelling Regulations 2003^[14] and in Ireland the European Communities (Labelling of Fishery and Aquaculture Products) Regulations 2003 ^[15] respectively enact directive 2065/2001/EC, and generally mean that "fish" must be sold with the particular commercial name or species named; so, for example, "cod and chips" now appears on menus rather than the more vague "fish and chips". In the United Kingdom the Food Standards Agency guidance excludes caterers from this;^[16] but several local Trading Standards authorities and others do say it cannot be sold merely as "fish and chips".^[17][18][19]

United Kingdom

A blue plaque marking the first chip shop in England, in Oldham

The dish became popular in wider circles in London and South East England in the middle of the 19th century: Charles Dickens mentions a "fried fish warehouse" in Oliver Twist, first published in 1838, while in the north of England a trade in deep-fried chipped potatoes developed. The first chip shop stood on the present site of Oldham's Tommyfield Market.^[20] It remains unclear exactly when and where these two trades combined to become the fish-and-chip shop industry we know. A Jewish immigrant, Joseph Malin, opened the first recorded combined fish-and-chip shop in London in 1860 or in 1865; a Mr Lees pioneered the concept in the North of England, in Mossley, in 1863.^[21]

The concept of a fish restaurant, as opposed to take-away, was introduced by Samuel Isaacs (born 1856 in Whitechapel, London; died 1939 in Brighton, Sussex) who ran a thriving wholesale and retail fish business throughout London and the South of England in the latter part of the 19th century. Isaacs' first restaurant opened in London in 1896 serving fish and chips, bread and butter, and tea for nine pence,^[22] and its popularity ensured a rapid expansion of the chain.

The restaurants were carpeted, had waited service, tablecloths, flowers, china and cutlery, and made the trappings of upmarket dining affordable to the working classes for the first time. They were located in Tottenham Court Road, St Pancras, The Strand, Hoxton, Shoreditch, Brixton and other London districts, as well as Clacton, Brighton, Ramsgate, Margate and other seaside resorts in southern England. Menus were expanded in the early 20th century to include meat dishes and other variations as their popularity grew to a total of thirty restaurants. Sam Isaacs' trademark was the phrase "This is the Plaice", combined with a picture of the punned-upon fish in question. A glimpse of the old Brighton restaurant at No.1 Marine Parade can be seen in the background of Norman Wisdom's 1955 film One Good Turn just as Norman/Pitkin runs onto the seafront; this is now the site of a Harry Ramsden's fish and chips restaurant. A blue plaque at Oldham's Tommyfield Market marks the first chips fried in England in 1860, and the origin of the fish and chip shop and fast food industries in England.^[23]

Fish and chips traditionally wrapped in white paper and newspaper, Stromness, Orkney, 2008

Fish and Chips, Edinburgh, Scotland

Dundee City Council claims that "… in the 1870s, that glory of English gastronomy—the chip—was first sold by Belgian immigrant Edward De Gernier in the city's Greenmarket."^[24]

In Edinburgh, a combination of Gold Star brown sauce and water or malt vinegar, known as "sauce", or more specifically as "chippy sauce", has great popularity.^[25]

Ireland

In Ireland, the first fish and chips were sold by an Italian immigrant, Giuseppe Cervi, who mistakenly stepped off an America-bound ship at Cobh (then called Queenstown) in County Cork in the 1880s and walked all the way to Dublin.^[26] He started by selling fish and chips outside Dublin pubs from a handcart. He then found a permanent spot in Great Brunswick Street (now Pearse Street). His wife Palma would ask customers "Uno di questa, uno di quella?" This phrase (meaning "one of this, one of the other") entered the vernacular in Dublin as "one and one", which is still a way of referring to fish and chips in the city.^[10]

India

In India, the dish is usually based on Pomfret fish, and uses more chili paste and pepper than would be used in the UK. The dish is more of a niche market delicacy in India than a mass market dish.^[27]

United States

In the United States, the dish is most commonly sold as "fish and chips", except in Upstate New York and Wisconsin and other parts of the Northeast and Upper Midwest, where this dish would be called a fish fry. Despite the name "fish and chips", and the US meaning of "chips", the dish is served with French fries. In the southeastern United States, a common form of cuisine is fried catfish with French fries, accompanied by coleslaw, pickles, raw onion slices and lemon slices.

Denmark

Typical Danish fish and chips are plaice fillets, breaded and fried, and served alongside a remoulade, a slice of lemon, and chips ("pommes frites") on the side. It is normally served in restaurants, not as fast food. Other light-coloured fish may be used, such as other flatfish, cod or saithe.

Composition

Cooking

Frying range

Traditional frying uses beef dripping or lard; however, vegetable oils, such as peanut oil (used because of its relatively high smoke point) now predominate. A minority of vendors in the north of England and Scotland and the majority of vendors in Northern Ireland still use dripping or lard, as it imparts a different flavour to the dish, but this makes the fried chips unsuitable for vegetarians and for adherents of certain faiths. Lard is used in some living industrial history museums, such as the Black Country Living Museum.

Thickness

Fish and sliced chips served with coleslaw in the United States

Fish and chips at a Hesburger fast food restaurant in Finland, advertised as particularly English

English chips are usually thicker than American-style French fries sold by major multinational fast food chains, resulting in a lower fat content per portion. In their homes or in some restaurants, people in or from the United States may eat a thick type of chip, more similar to the English variant, sometimes referred to as steak fries.^[28][29]

Batter

In Britain and Ireland, fish and chip shops traditionally use a simple water and flour batter, adding a little sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) and a little vinegar to create lightness, as they create bubbles in the batter. Other recipes may use beer or milk batter, where these liquids are often substitutes for water. The carbon dioxide in the beer lends a lighter texture to the batter. Beer also results in an orange-brown colour. A simple beer batter might consist of a 2:3 ratio of flour to beer by volume. The type of beer makes the batter taste different: some prefer lager^[30][31] whereas others use stout or bitter.

Choice of fish

Fish and chips, photographed in New South Wales, Australia

In Britain and Ireland, cod and haddock appear most commonly as the fish used for fish and chips,^[32] but vendors also sell many other kinds of fish, especially other white fish, such as pollock or coley, plaice, skate, and ray (particularly popular in Ireland); and huss or rock salmon (a term covering several species of dogfish and similar fish). In Northern Ireland, cod, plaice or whiting appear most commonly in 'fish suppers'—'supper' being Scottish and Northern Irish chip-shop slang for a food item accompanied by chips. Suppliers in Devon and Cornwall often offer pollock and coley as cheap alternatives to haddock, due to their regular availability in a common catch.

In Australia, reef cod and rock cod (a different variety from that used in the United Kingdom), barramundi (an expensive option) or flake (a type of shark meat), or snapper—both cheaper options—are commonly used. From the early 21st century, farmed basa imported from Vietnam and hoki have become common in Australian fish and chip shops. Other types of fish are also used based on regional availability.

In New Zealand, snapper or gurnard was originally the preferred species for battered fillets in the North Island. As catches of this fish declined, it was replaced by hoki, shark (particularly rig) – marketed as lemon fish – and tarakihi. Bluefin gurnard and blue cod predominate in South Island fish and chips.

In the United States, the type of fish used depends on availability in a given region. Some common types are cod, halibut, flounder, tilapia or, in New England, Atlantic cod or haddock. Salmon is growing common on the West Coast, while freshwater catfish is most frequently used in the Southeast. In Canada, pollock, haddock, and halibut are popular choices, alongside cod.

Accompaniments

Cod and chips in Horseshoe Bay, Canada, served with a lemon wedge and tartar sauce

In chip shops in the United Kingdom and Ireland, salt and vinegar are traditionally sprinkled over fish and chips at the time it is served.^[32] Suppliers use malt vinegar, onion vinegar (used for pickling onions), or the cheaper non-brewed condiment. In England a portion of mushy peas is a popular side dish,^[33] as are a range of pickles that typically include gherkins, onions and eggs.^[34] In table-service restaurants and pubs, the dish is usually served with a slice of lemon for squeezing over the fish and without any sauces or condiments, with salt, vinegar and sauces available at the customer's leisure.^[35]

In Ireland, Wales and England, most takeaways serve warm side portions of sauces such as curry sauce, gravy or mushy peas. The sauces are usually poured over the chips. In some areas, this dish without fish is referred to as 'wet chips'. In the Midlands especially, chips with mushy peas or baked beans is known as a "pea mix" or a "bean mix". Other fried products include 'scraps' (also known as 'bits' in Southern England and "scrumps" in South Wales), originally a by-product of fish frying. Still popular in Northern England, they were given as treats to the children of customers. Portions prepared and sold today consist of loose blobs of batter, deep fried to a crunchy golden crisp in the cooking-fat. The very popular potato scallop or potato cake consists of slices of potato dipped in fish batter and deep fried until golden brown. These are often accompanied for dipping by the warm sauces listed above.^[36]

Vendors

Fish and chip stalls in West Bay, Dorset, England

A mobile Fish and chip vendor in Bathgate, Scotland

In the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and South Africa, fish and chips are usually sold by independent restaurants and take-aways known as fish and chip shops. Outlets range from small affairs to chain restaurants. Locally owned seafood restaurants are also popular in many places, as are mobile "chip vans".^[37] In Canada, the outlets may be referred to as "chip wagons". In the United Kingdom some shops have amusing names, such as "A Salt and Battery", "The Codfather","The Frying Scotsman", "Oh My Cod", and "Frying Nemo"^[38] In New Zealand and Australia, fish-and-chip vendors are a popular business and source of income among the Asian community, particularly Chinese migrants.^[39]

In Ireland, the majority of traditional vendors are migrants or the descendants of migrants from southern Italy. A trade organisation exists to represent this tradition.^[40]

Fish and chips is a popular lunch meal eaten by families travelling to seaside resorts for day trips who do not bring their own picnic meals.

Fish-and-chip outlets sell roughly 25% of all the white fish consumed in the United Kingdom, and 10% of all potatoes.^[41]

The numerous competitions and awards for "best fish-and-chip shop"^[42] testify to the recognised status of this type of outlet in popular culture.^[43]

Fish-and-chip shops traditionally wrapped their product in newspaper, or with an inner layer of white paper (for hygiene) and an outer layer of newspaper or blank newsprint (for insulation and to absorb grease), though the use of newspaper for wrapping has almost ceased on grounds of hygiene. Nowadays, establishments usually use food-quality wrapping paper, occasionally printed on the outside to imitate newspaper.

The British National Federation of Fish Friers was founded in 1913. It promotes fish and chips and offers training courses.

A previous world record for the "largest serving of fish and chips" was held by Gadaleto's Seafood Market in New Paltz, New York.^[44][45] This 2004 record was broken by Yorkshire pub Wensleydale Heifer in July 2011.^[46] An attempt to break this record was made by Doncaster fish and chip shop Scawsby Fisheries in August 2012, which served 33 pounds (15 kg) of battered cod alongside 64 pounds (29 kg) of chips.^[47]

Cultural impact

A neon sign for Fish and Chips in London

The long-standing Roman Catholic tradition of not eating meat on Fridays, especially during Lent, and of substituting fish for meat on that day continues to influence habits even in predominantly Protestant, Anglican, semi-secular and secular societies. Friday night remains a traditional occasion for eating fish-and-chips; and many cafeterias and similar establishments, while varying their menus on other days of the week, habitually offer fish and chips every Friday.^[48]

In Australia and New Zealand, the words "fish and chips" are often used to highlight the difference in each country's short-i vowel sound [ɪ]. Australian English has a higher forward sound [i], close to the y in happy and city, while New Zealand English has a lower backward sound [ɘ], a slightly higher version of the a in about and comma. Thus, New Zealanders hear Australians say "feesh and cheeps," while Australians hear New Zealanders say "fush and chups."

Environment

In the UK, waste oil from fish and chip shops has become a useful source of biodiesel.^[49] German biodiesel company Petrotec have outlined plans to produce biodiesel in the UK from waste oil from the British fish-and-chip industry.^[49]

See also

• Chicken and chips - another take-away dish often sold in the same establishments.
• Fried potatoes
• Fish fry
• Fried fish
• List of deep fried foods
• List of fish and chip restaurants
• List of fish dishes
• Pescado frito

References

1. Black, Les (1996). New Ethnicites And Urban Cult. Oxford: Routledge. p. 15. ISBN 1-85728-251-5.
2. Alexander, James (18 December 2009). "The unlikely origin of fish and chips". BBC News. Retrieved 16 July 2013.
3. http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p039pr7c?intc_type=promo&intc_location=sport&intc_campaign=fishandchips&intc_linkname=radio4_fac_audioclip1
4. "Fish and chips - A great English tradition". Archived from the original on 16 January 2008. Retrieved 22 June 2009.
5. Hosking, Richard (2007). Eggs in Cookery:Proceedings of the Oxford Symposium of Food and Cookery 2006. United Kingdom: Prospect Books. p. 183. ISBN 978-1-903018-54-5.
6. Marks, Gil (1999). The world of Jewish cooking: more than 500 traditional recipes from Alsace to Yemen. Simon & Schuster. ISBN 0-684-83559-2.
7. http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/chips-in-north-are-the-best-909994
8. Rayner, Jay (3 November 2005). "Enduring Love". The Guardian (London). Retrieved 19 January 2003. In 1860 a Jewish immigrant from Eastern Europe called Joseph Malin opened the first business in London's East End selling fried fish alongside chipped potatoes which, until then, had been found only in the Irish potato shops.
9. "Chippy smells of chips complaint". BBC News. 7 November 2006. Retrieved 22 June 2009.
10. Hegarty, Shane (3 November 2009). "How fish and chips enriched a nation". The Irish Times (Dublin, Ireland). p. 17.
11. "Resources for Learning, Scotland: Rationing". Rls.org.uk. 5 January 1998. Retrieved 22 June 2009.
12. Do chip shops still wrap in newspaper
13. FSA: Materials and Articles in Contact with Food
14. "Fish Labelling Regulations (England) 2003". The Stationery Office. 2003. Retrieved 4 April 2009 (equivalent similarly-named legislation applies in other countries of the UK)
15. "European Communities (Fish Labelling) Regulations, 2003" (PDF). Retrieved 16 October 2012.
16. "Guidance Notes for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland" (PDF). Office of Public Sector Information. 2003. Retrieved 4 April 2009 (Section A.2)
17. "Food Labelling For Catering Establishments" (PDF). Blackpool Council. Retrieved 4 April 2009
18. "Business Advice Fact Sheet" (PDF). Norfolk County Council. Retrieved 4 April 2009
19. "Labelling & Pricing". Nationwide Caterers Association. Retrieved 4 April 2009
20. Chaloner, W. H.; Henderson, W. O. (1990). Industry and Innovation: Selected Essays. Taylor & Francis. ISBN 0-7146-3335-6.
21. Historic uk - the heritage accommodation guide. "Tradition Historic UK, Fish and Chips". Historic-uk.com. Retrieved 22 June 2009.
22. England Eats Out by John Burnett - Published by Pearson Education, 2004 ISBN 0-582-47266-0
23. The Portuguese gave us fried fish, the Belgians invented chips but 150 years ago an East End boy united them to create The World's Greatest Double Act Daily Mail (London). Retrieved 21 September 2011
24. "Dundee Fact File". Dundee City Council. Retrieved 20 March 2007.
25. SiteWise - Content Management System - www.pureenergymultimedia.com/sitewise/. "Did You Know?". Federation of Fish Friers. Retrieved 22 June 2009.
26. "National Fish and Chips Day: Thank cod for Giuseppe". Irish Independent.
27. "Fish n' chips, a great Indian delicacy". Times of India. 9 February 2012.
28. "Online recipes". Foodnetwork.com. Retrieved 22 June 2009.
29. "More online recipes". Foodnetwork.com. Retrieved 22 June 2009.
30. "Deep fried fish in beer". Retrieved 23 March 2009.
31. Hix, Mark (26 January 2008). "Gurnard in beer batter". The Independent (London). Retrieved 23 March 2009.
32. Alan Masterson, tictoc design. ""Seafish. On Plate. Fish & chips" (UK Sea Fish Industry Authority website)". Seafish.org. Archived from the original on 11 October 2008. Retrieved 22 June 2009.
33. "Crispy fish & chips with mushy peas recipe". BBC. Retrieved 7 March 2010.
34. "British Food: A History". Britishfoodhistory.wordpress.com. 23 September 2012. Retrieved 16 July 2013.
35. "How to Eat Fish and Chips like the British". voices.yahoo.com. 16 July 2008. Retrieved 16 July 2013.
36. "Do you know what scraps are? And why they should be free". The Guardian (London). 13 July 2007. Retrieved 24 November 2010.
37. "Starting a Mobile Catering Business in UK". Mobilecateringuk.co.uk. Retrieved 16 October 2012.
38. "Chip shops: oh my cod, the plaices I've seen". The Guardian (London). 15 January 2012. Retrieved 2 June 2013.
39. Swillingham, Guy (2005). Shop Horror. London: Fourth Estate. ISBN 0-00-719813-2.
40. "ITICA - Irish Traditional Italian Chipper Association, chippers in Ireland, Irish chippers, Fish and Chip Day — ITICA". Itica.ie. Retrieved 2 June 2013.
41. "Fish and Chip Facts". Barton's Fish and Chips. Archived from the original on 30 January 2012. Retrieved 30 January 2012.
42. "The National Fish and Chip Awards".
43. "Couple scoop best chip shop award". BBC News. 1 February 2006. Retrieved 4 January 2007.
44. Guinnes World Record Claim ID# 45775
45. "Hudson Valleys Freshest Seafood and Lobster, retail market, restaurant". Gadaletos.com. 16 April 2013. Retrieved 2 June 2013.
46. "Giant fish and chip supper breaks world record". BBC News. 2 July 2011. Retrieved 16 July 2013.
47. "Cod and chips world record battered in Doncaster". BBC News. 29 August 2012. Retrieved 29 August 2012.
48. Gerald Priestland (1972). Frying tonight: the saga of fish & chips. Gentry Books. p. 28. ISBN 0-85614-014-7.
49. Michael Hogan (19 March 2008). "German Biodiesel Firm To Use Chip Fat In UK, US". planetark.com. Retrieved 1 October 2010.

Bibliography

• Walton, John K (2000) Fish & Chips & the British Working Class, 1870-1940 Continuum International Publishing Group. ISBN 9780718521202.

External links

• "Top UK dish 'hooked French first'": BBC News: Fish and chips invented in France? Retrieved 2008-05-27
• "My plaice or yours?" - article from The Guardian detailing some chippy terminology. Retrieved 2008-05-27
• Far Flung Fish and Chips - historical article
• "Fish and chips": the (UK) Sea Fish Industry Authority's views. Retrieved 2008-05-27
• BBC TWO Ching He Huang-style fish and chips
• National Federation of Fish Friers, the UK industry body for fish and chip shops.