Today, fish and chips no longer comes wrapped in yesterday's newspapers.
Updated March 20, 2014
IN THE HOME OFFICE guide for aspiring U.K. citizens, English cuisine is boiled down to two dishes, one of which is fish and chips (the other is roast beef). The classic combo, hailed by Winston Churchill as "good companions," was spared wartime rationing and helped to keep the nation nourished. It also became fashionable at society balls as dawn sustenance for dance-weary debutantes.
Today, fish and chips no longer comes wrapped in yesterday's newspapers—for hygiene reasons—and upscale outlets offer everything from gluten-free batter to Dom Pérignon to quaff with it. However, Arthur Parrington of the National Federation of Fish Friers (NFFF) training school in Leeds, England, says: "The essence of fish and chips is no different than 100 years ago."
The brain wave of pairing fried fish with fried potatoes dates back to about 1860. But to credit the Malin family of London, or John Lees of Manchester, as the first to have done it would be to put fat in the fire of a long-running north-south dispute.
Thanks to the Victorians' fast-developing rail network, fish landed in North Sea ports such as Whitby and Grimsby could be shuttled swiftly inland to make a meal for factory workers. In industrial towns there was once a fish-and-chip shop on almost every terraced street, and there are still more than 10,500 specialist takeaways and restaurants in the U.K. Cod, followed by haddock, is the favorite order, and for aficionados it has to be battered.
"Fish and chips are advertised all over the tourist areas in London but unfortunately it is usually breaded fish, from frozen, and soggy chips," says Mark Sargeant, Michelin-starred chef and co-owner of The Smokehouse in Folkestone.
The ideal dish, says the NFFF's Mr. Parrington, presents "nice crispy batter, juicy fish with plenty of moisture, crispy chips which are fluffy inside. If you do it well, the average fat content is 8% but some businesses get it lower than that."
As closely guarded as the Crown Jewels, a batter recipe may include vinegar, lemon juice or ale, as well as flour and water. "It is all about how the batter retains the steam inside, sealing in all the moisture of the fish," says Mr. Sargeant.
My quest to find the best of my deep-fried heritage took me from the white cliffs of the Channel to the landlocked Midlands. Each of the establishments here offers finger-licking fare, in a very different setting.
Photos: Finding the Best Fish and Chips
John Molnar, Owner of The Cod Jason Alden for The Wall Street Journal
HARBORSIDE
The Smokehouse Restaurant : 1-3 Back Street, Folkestone, Kent CT19 6NN;thesmokehousefolkestone.co.uk (reopens April 1)
Folkestone faces France, but this airy glass-fronted restaurant and takeaway has a Scandinavian vibe: pale wood, metallic fish sculpture glinting in designer lighting. Some of the array of fish and seafood on the menu comes from the boats bobbing at the quay side.
My succulent cod is precision-cooked in vegetable oil, inside a dark golden batter, basking on a bed of moreish Maris Piper chips, fried in smokeless beef dripping. They're served with minty mushy peas and lemon wrapped in gauze.
Michelin-starred chef Mark Sargeant, co-owner with Josh De Haan, says: "There's nothing better than fish and chips done properly—a beautiful thick cut of cod with pearlescent flakes, crispy chips. They bring back memories of childhood and holidays."
TRADITIONAL
V.C. Jones Fish and Chip Restaurant: 25 Harbour Street, Whitstable, Kent CT5 1AH;vcjones.co.uk
On a sunny Saturday the authentic 1950s dining room, with open frying range and whirring ceiling fans, is filling up fast, and the takeaway line stretches down the street.
"We're serving the great-grandchildren of our first customers," says 59-year-old Viv Jones, pointing to a family photo from 1962, when his parents took over the shop.
He's just spent three hours filleting sustainable Icelandic fish, but his twin sons, Dan and Matt, and daughter, Sam, are now in charge.
They chip Maris Pipers from a local farmer and fry fish and chips in beef dripping, in separate fryers. The chips are pale—and hot—the batter is wafer-thin, crispy and bubbly, the fish tender.
Their newest devotees are DFLs—"down from London" weekenders.
PRIZEWINNING
Merchants : 117b Worcester Street, Stourbridge DY8 2AD; merchantsfishandchips.co.uk
Suppertime in the heart of England and behind the redbrick frontage of this bustling takeaway the tidily hatted woman at the chrome counter asks: "Lemon slice? Salt and vinegar?"
This spick and span family-run shop has just scooped the Midlands regional prize in the National Fish and Chip Awards. I tuck into moist flakes of cod inside a light crispy batter, served with fluffy golden pillows of chips, all fried in rapeseed oil. The mushy peas are thick and whole with a nice sweetness.
The fish here is Icelandic, frozen at sea; the potatoes are the best variety of the season from Lincolnshire or Cambridgeshire. Owner Antony Akathiotis says: "There's so much competition round here, you've got to go the extra mile to keep customers happy."
UPSCALE
The Fish & Chip Shop : 189 Upper St, Islington, London N1 1RQ;thefishandchipshop.uk.com
There aren't many chippies where a smiling manager takes your coat and proffers a cocktail menu. Even fewer with an oyster bar. But the owner of this restaurant and takeaway is Des McDonald, former head chef at the Ivy.
Now, his habitués in trendy Islington, in north London, encompass football fans heading for the Arsenal ground and theatergoers from the Almeida.
My Norwegian haddock arrives in solitary splendor, on a china plate, the double-fried chips and marrowfat peas—priced as extras—in separate tin dishes. Everything is fried in refined rapeseed oil, the crunchy batter boosted with Camden Hells beer.
"We are putting our twist on a classic and bringing great British food back to the London dining scene," says Mr. McDonald, who plans to open a second restaurant in the City, the financial district of London, in May.
HOTTEST NEWCOMER
The Cod's Scallops : 170 Bramcote Lane, Wollaton, Nottingham NG8 2QP;codsscallops.com
More than 50 miles from the sea, what slaps you in the eye is the shimmering array of seafood on sale at a vast wet fish counter.
Owner John Molnar explains: "The usual suspects are cod, haddock and plaice. But there are tons of underused species and I want to showcase them."
He offers 15 to 20 types daily, such as pollock, hake and gurnard—battered and fried in traditional beef dripping or baked with garlic, lemon and herbs—with potato salad or chips. His fresh approach has just scooped him Best Newcomer in the National Fish and Chip Awards.
My line-caught cod glistens inside golden brown batter and tastes seafront-fresh; the chips are chompingly good.
DEEP-FRIED, FAR AND WIDE
Fish and chips is hooking new fans throughout the world. Here are three far-flung restaurants worth their salt.
PARIS
The Sunken Chip: 39 Rue des Vinaigriers, 75010 Paris, France; thesunkenchip.com
This bijou white-tiled chippy is packing in local hipsters to sample what the blackboard bills as "Jolly good fish'n'chips." Fresh fish caught off Finistère is presented on a pile of chips with lemon and a dollop of what locals insist on calling "purée de petits pois." Opened last summer, this chippy is run by four 30-somethings. The two Brits in the team insist on authenticity, from Sarson's malt vinegar to jars of pickled onions.
HONG KONG
Jimmy's Kitchen: G/F South China Building, 1-3 Wyndham Street, Central, Hong Kong;jimmys.com
Cooking comfort cuisine for expats since 1928, Jimmy's dishes up coq au vin and Hungarian veal goulash as well as Brit staples such as roast beef and Yorkshire pud. Although Her Majesty's former colony now boasts several fish and chip joints, Jimmy's remains the recommendation among local Anglophones. The fish is garoupa fillet in a light crispy batter, the chips on the side have a real bite to them. Served with lemon, tartare sauce and lashings of nostalgia.
QUEENSLAND
Chumley Warner's : 8/190 Birkdale Road, Birkdale,Qld 4159, Australia;chumleywarners.com.au
This shipshape outfit, part of a growing chain, prides itself on bringing a taste of the northern hemisphere to a Brisbane suburb. The frying range and potato chippers came from Blighty, the cod and haddock from the North Atlantic, filleted and frozen within five hours. The fish comes in a glossy batter on a generous pile of chips. Other delicacies include faggots (seasoned meatballs), haggis and deep-fried Mars bars!
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