"FishAndChips" news and stories

Caramel Potatoes. Photo: Sarah LeTrent

Few of us want to make a complicated lasagna for solo dining -- by day six, you'll never want to see lasagna again! In this series, AOL Food staffer Sarah LeTrent taste-tests simple recipes suitable for a "table for one."

Most home kitchens are lacking in the deep-fryer department for authentic fish-and-chips, plus the process tends to leave quite a mess. And the thought of yet another lone baked potato seems painfully boring. Behold, a new combination of fish-plus-potato: oven-fried cod and caramel potatoes.

Caramel potatoes are, as the name suggests, boiled potatoes coated in a sugar and butter caramel. A traditional Scandinavian holiday dish, why save it for special meals, when potatoes, sugar and butter are common pantry staples. Yes, it may seem like a bizarre way of cooking potatoes but no, they're not sweet.

Robin, the thorn in Top Chefs' sides. Photo: Bravo.

Toby Young really missed his potatoes last night. In his return to the "Top Chef" judges' table, the snarky British author and all-purpose pundit was presented with a couple of deconstructed dishes that, at their best, would've celebrated his homeland.

At their worst, however -- and as prepared by Ash and Laurine, respectively, they were at their worst -- the two concoctions were an outright affront to the dear old Blighty: fish 'n' chips and shepherd's pie. Even guest judges Penn and Teller, chosen for their skill at deconstructing magic tricks, couldn't contain their disgust.

Credit Laurine for at least trying: Her cube of halibut, pile of zucchini relish and smear of tomato confit was what an eager community college-student might think deconstructed cuisine should look like. But the all-important tuber was merely represented by a tiny communion wafer of chewy, parsley-infused potato. Missing "what you call fries, what I call chips," Young and company summoned her to the loser's circle.

Ash's, meanwhile, was a mess of elements on a plate, ranging from inconsistently cooked lamb chops to pea puree, glopped on in a desperate attempt to make up for a potato-parsnip side dish that was "too gluey" to serve. As if that admonition wasn't enough, the young cook went so far as to confess that the only shepherd's pie he had ever tasted was his own, which brought to mind nothing so much as Jodie Foster in "Nell," living by her own special language that no one else could understand.

Ranking alongside Robin Hood, the Archers, Magna Carta and Dover's White Cliffs the humble Fish and Chips was voted as one of England's national icons. But it has always had a down-market image - fine for the hoi polloi, but not really for the likes of us.

But no longer, as this Times piece explains. Fish and Chip restaurants have gone up-market led by the growing chain of Sea Cow fish restaurants. A new takeaway fish and chip shop is to open next Friday at the mecca to London's foodies - Borough Market. The paper lists six of the best chippies across the country -

1. Hodgson's Chippie, 96 Prospect Street, Lancaster
2. Fecci's Restaurant, Lower Frog Street, Tenby, Pembrokeshire [details]
3. fish!Kitchen, 58 Coombe Road, Kingston upon Thames [website]
4. Magpie Cafe, 14 Pier Road, Whitby, North Yorkshire [website]
5. Pittenweem Fish Bar, 5 High Street, Pittenweem, Fife
6. Loch Bay Seafood Restaurant, Stein, Isle of Skye [website]

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A New Zealand company has declared that the ever increasing interest in running cars on 'biodiesel' fuel has created a huge demand for supplies of waste cooking oil. The company is importing vegetable oil from the India and Africa and is researching the viability of growing plants for fuel oil in New Zealand.

For those interested in converting their cars to a more environmentally caring type the company manufactures a conversion kit that allows vehicles to run on vegetable oil. This costs NZ£4000 enabling the car to run on diesel, recycled or new vegetable oil, biodesal or a combination of the fuels. 

At the moment the company collects most of its oil from restaurants and fast food outlets and recycles for use as a fuel.

'There is outstanding potential in the renewable energy sector to augment or replace diesel fuel with vegetable oil' said the company.

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These are from today's Telegraph: the three very best fish and chip restaurants in the UK -

Maggies Above the Fish Market, Rock-a-Nore Road, Hastings "no better location for a fish and chip restaurant than a former fisherman's hut boasting the address 'above the market'." [details]

Magpie Café, 14 Pier Road, Whitby "such is the popularity of the Magpie Café that it has recently run into difficulties with the local authorities because its queues are just too long" [website]

Fish Club, 189 St. John's Hill, London SW11 "The menu changes daily depending on the catch off the Essex Coast, so prices vary. No wonder it won a Time Out Best Cheap Eats award last year" [details]

 

[image from Visit Britain]