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Thread: Beer battered fish - can anyone tell?

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    Default Beer battered fish - can anyone tell?

    This only springs to mind because I spotted yesterday, wait for it, Peroni battered fish. Lots of pubs make a thing of this, in Marstons pubs it is inevitably, allegedly, Pedigree battered in the the factory where it's prepared, and so on.

    Is it really beer battered? Can anyone tell? And anyway fish from a decent chippy with no chance of any beer involvement (in preparation, not in the consumer) is always miles better than anything a pub can serve up.

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    Official JDW Tester hopwas's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by NickDavies View Post
    This only springs to mind because I spotted yesterday, wait for it, Peroni battered fish. Lots of pubs make a thing of this, in Marstons pubs it is inevitably, allegedly, Pedigree battered in the the factory where it's prepared, and so on.

    Is it really beer battered? Can anyone tell? And anyway fish from a decent chippy with no chance of any beer involvement (in preparation, not in the consumer) is always miles better than anything a pub can serve up.
    Good question.. Being ex-cook in pub, there is 3 ways to tell if it is beer battered..

    1) Beer Battered fish.. tends to be slightly darker batter colour than normal cod (without beer)

    2) It is much crunchier than ordinary ones.

    3) Sometimes you get hint of "bitterness" taste in beer battered fish.
    J.D Wetherspoon = Home of Hoppy: The Silk Kite, Tamworth.. http://www.tamworthblog.co.uk/2009/0...-blogs-review/

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    I'll stay on me own Alesonly's Avatar
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    Ive never noticed any difference in Pubs Ive tried. But lucky where I live theres two award winning Chip shops that are very good and I would sooner get my Fish & Chips in them as I think its much better quality and value for money. Most Pubs Ive tried serve a small bit of Frozen Fish and just a couple of Oven Chips so I don't bother now I go too the chippy on the way home.
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    I can recall a few occasions when the cook has come into the bar and pulled off the ale for the batter. At one pub in Tenby we were given a choice of ales. There is a difference but I am blowed if I can put it into words.
    I have had extremes of both good and bad battered fish and chips in pubs , restaurants, cafes and chip shops, so I could not recommend the best ever. Often you return to a place only to be disappointed by their latest efforts. The thin fillets are often over done and the batter like shrapnel. Batter can be thick and undercooked leaving that slime coating on the contents.
    Very good Fish and Chips , preferably Cod or Haddock, are so very difficult to find.

    P.S. The best drink with fish and chips is a mug of tea.

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    Get some gravy on it. Maldenman's Avatar
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    I'm pretty fortunate in having a very good chippy nearby that does an excellent piece of fish. The beer batter thing in pubs I regard as a bit of a gimmick, and I agree not many pubs can oust the chippy when it comes to proper fish and chips. The only problem for me down south is that you can't get a decent pie anywhere, certainly not a proper Northern meat and potato.

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    We're not really 'ere! trainman's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Maldenman View Post
    The only problem for me down south is that you can't get a decent pie...
    ...or gravy! Only just starting to notice the occasional (southern) presence of mushy peas.

    On the beer batter thing, isn't a gassy beer supposed to lighten the batter in the same way that carbonated water is recommended for tempura batter?

    Agree that very good chippies are few & far between, it's still usually the sustenance of choice (& pocket) if bothering with solids on an away-day.

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    Get some gravy on it. Maldenman's Avatar
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    They do mushy peas in my local chippy but as yet I haven't persuaded them to start doing gravy. Oh for a Hollands M&P pie, or even one of their steak puddings, with chips, mushies and loads of gravy. Salt and vinegar on the gravy compulsory.

    On the note of the beer lightening the batter, when I've eaten fish in a pub I generally have found the batter to be overly crispy and darker, but this of course could be due to portions being pre-cooked and kept warm in a low oven. Either that or frozen junk.

    As good chippies are sadly a rarity, perhaps Conrad you might want to think about......well maybe not!

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    Fully paid up beer belly Farway's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Maldenman View Post
    I'm pretty fortunate in having a very good chippy nearby that does an excellent piece of fish. The beer batter thing in pubs I regard as a bit of a gimmick, and I agree not many pubs can oust the chippy when it comes to proper fish and chips. The only problem for me down south is that you can't get a decent pie anywhere, certainly not a proper Northern meat and potato.
    I found oop north I had trouble getting a filled baguette & rocket salad with a fresh Italian dressing , only seemed to serve lard pie & greasy chips

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    Real Ale Drinker Crossste's Avatar
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    Biggest disappointment of our recent Scarborough trip was coming out of the excellent North Riding pub after 4 Sunday dinner time pints of Rudgate Dark Ruby and going into the cafe over the road to order fish, chips & peas for the 4 of us only to be served with one of Iceland (the shop not the country) finest fish, frozen chips and canned mushy peas.

    We could have had better/fresher fish had we stayed back in Littleborough, perhaps 80 miles from the North Sea not 500yds.

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