Fish & Chips

I've always been a sucker for a good fish and chip dinner.  Maybe it's a memory hidden deep within my psyche carried over from when I was a little girl growing up in Scotland.  I don't remember eating fish and chips that young, I was only 5 when we came to America.  My first real memory of fish and chips was when I went back to visit Scotland when I was 21.  I went with my Aunt and we stayed in her childhood flat that she had recently purchased.  The sweet story behind that flat was that it was the place she grew up in as a young girl.  When we got there she told me the story of the bomb blowing up in the street right outside the window and laughed as she told the story.  My Grandmother was bathing my father in a tub by the fire and when the bomb exploded they all got blown from the flat out into the street and she said they all laughed when they found my Grandmother and father covered in soot from the fire.  Luckily no one was hurt but I always found it amazing that the memory of that day turned out to be a funny memory for my Aunt and my elderly relatives.  What a beautiful place Edinburgh is and I can't even imagine bombs blowing up in the town. 

But getting back to my fish and chips story.  While in Scotland my Aunt Joyce sent me out to the fish and chips shop around the corner.  All the little shops are down the street or around the corner in Edinburgh and you can't really get lost but I went with my cousin because I can get lost quite easily.  We picked up a few orders of the freshly fried fish and chips and they wrapped them in newspaper and then in brown paper.  It was amazing.  The breading was light and salty and lightly greasy and the fish was tender and light.  The chips (French fries) were perfectly fried to crispy on the outside but soft and fluffy on the inside.  I sprinkled some malt vinegar and it gave it a salty tangy taste.  Unforgettable.  I fell in love with fish and chips that day. 

It's hard to find a good fish and chip dinner in our area.  We have a little Irish restaurant that we go to occasionally that serves a good one but it's only on a Friday and is usually very crowded. 

But the other day I found this! 

 

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We picked up some fresh cod and I mixed this with some pale Belgian ale beer called Matilda to make the beer batter.  The fish came out wonderful and fluffy and perfect.  I also made some of my homemade "tattie" soup and it was a wonderful Sunday dinner.  Soup is so perfect right now to get us through these cold days. 

 

 

And then that wonderful pale ale which was a perfect accompaniment to the fish and chips. It's so special they even bottle it in a fancy bottle.  I drank it in a wine glass.    They describe the color on the website as Golden Sunset. 

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This meal isn't the healthiest and by no means was low calorie but I held myself in check and ate a small portion.  The best part is I have leftover soup for a week of lunches. It earned me a few extra trips to the health club this week but it was worth it!

 

Until next time

Debbie