Mushy Peas

[Phil Pascoe]

You know when you have reached the furthest north of Britain when fish and chips is called a fish supper, regardless of the time of day.

A relative had a F&C shop, and was regularly asked for fish suppers - the shop was in Falmouth.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

I once, thirty years ago, saw the word "pasty" on a chipshop menu in Manchester, and being a Cornish boy far from home, took the plunge. You have no idea how disappointed I was. A deep-fried pastry packet of thin, watery mincemeat is not a pasty. Probably things have changed, now Ginster's have taken over the universe - it will be even worse now.

Ginsters are vile. Vile. There is no other word for them.
I had a "Cornish" pasty at the Kauri Museum in Matakohe (NZ) that had both peas and carrots in it. Edible wasn't the first word to spring to mind. As children we ate bacon and egg, sausage and egg, liver and leek, cheese and onion, pork and apple, lamb and mint sauce ...... all manner of mixtures, but never, ever do Cornish pasties have carrot in them. If you want a particularly awful one go to the biggest or most expensive tourist resorts.

 

[Chris152]

Is 'Once please' generally a complete order for a 'fish supper' up north? I went into a chippy in essex with a mate from way north, years back and that's all he said to the fella behind the counter, who had to make further enquiries to what he wanted. Still makes me laugh to think about it, none of your this that or the other with something else on the side.

 

[sunnybob]

I'm partially embarrassed to say I have never heard of fasolada :roll: .

Cyprus is so "englishised" that the little old ladies are only to be seen in mountain villages in the tourist season. I worked with Cypriots for 6 years before retiring, and never had to learn any greek. The only "Cypriot" person living within a half mile of me is a "BBC" (British Born Cypriot)

I do partake heavily of the local halloumi though. There is one restaurant that serves warm steamed halloumi , and that is so good that I have it as the main course, with local tear off bread a bottle of wine. I am waiting for that place to reopen with eagerness 8) 8) 8)

 

[woodhutt]

Ginsters are vile. Vile. There is no other word for them.
I had a "Cornish" pasty at the Kauri Museum in Matakohe (NZ) that had both peas and carrots in it. Edible wasn't the first word to spring to mind. As children we ate bacon and egg, sausage and egg, liver and leek, cheese and onion, pork and apple, lamb and mint sauce ...... all manner of mixtures, but never, ever do Cornish pasties have carrot in them. If you want a particularly awful one go to the biggest or most expensive tourist resorts.

Worse than carrots in pasties is the 'traditional' Kiwi beefburger which has a thick slice of beetroot in it. Maccas haven't taken this up yet but give us time...
Pete

 

[Terry - Somerset]

Very much a traditionalist (I call it traditional) - salt and vinegar are the only acceptable decoration for chips.

Many years ago a neighbour who hailed from somewhere north of Birmingham came across the road and asked my father if he could borrow a tack hammer.

Always please to oblige my father sent me back with a foot of thin ash handle topped with a couple of ounces of steel head.

I now realise that in the dark, dark north a tack hammer is 10lbs of head atop a good size chunk of branch. My fathers tack hammer would have struggled to break up paving slabs.

Comes of being a namby pamby southerner I assume!!

 

[dangles]

Is 'Once please' generally a complete order for a 'fish supper' up north? I went into a chippy in essex with a mate from way north, years back and that's all he said to the fella behind the counter, who had to make further enquiries to what he wanted. Still makes me laugh to think about it, none of your this that or the other with something else on the side.

When we went in our fish & chip shop we asked for fish and six(pennyworth) twice and Fat Rolly used to say "I heard you the first time".

 

[Nigel Burden]

When we were in the Netherlands years ago they put mayonnaise on their chips. It was quite nice. but gravy, No (hammer) . Mushy peas, ok. And all this talk of Cornish pasties with carrots and peas, my mother will be turning in her grave.

Nigel.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Curiously enough, beetroot didn't annoy me. I remember magical burgers in North Shore rugby club.

I went to see Simom & Garfunkel in Feeyenord in the early '80s - the kids working the chip vans shouted the orders as English? - meaning no mayonnaise

 

[woodhutt]

In Belgium our favourite take-out dish was brochettes and frites with a ladle of gravy. Delicious! And the best chips I ever tasted were in Zandvoort and had been twice cooked in horse fat.
I'm not so sure that the 'fritesaus' on chips in Belgium and the Netherlands is actually mayonnaise. There is a subtle difference (I believe fritesaus has a lower fat content and is slightly sweeter) as our local supermarket sold both fritesaus and mayonnaise as quite distinct products.
Pete

 

[Vann]

Worse than carrots in pasties is the 'traditional' Kiwi beefburger which has a thick slice of beetroot in it. Maccas haven't taken this up yet but give us time...
Pete

Maccas have taken it up (probably for a limited time only). They call it their Kiwiburger. One of my favorites. But then we're a family of beetroot lovers :wink:

Cheers, Vann.

 

[sunnybob]

It does annoy me when people much around with food.
If its a beef burger, guess what it should be?
Cheeseburger? uh huh.
I could actually understand a kiwi burger containing a slice of kiwi fruit, not that I would order or eat such an abomination.
Where is it listed as a beet burger?

I was in a Chinese restaurant in Belgium many years ago. I ordered chicken soup. When the bowl arrived the soup was not visible due to the mound of sliced mushrooms floating on top. I dont eat mushrooms, I didnt ask for mushrooms, it wasnt on the menu as chicken AND mushroom.
The bloke just could not understand why I wanted my money back.
(hammer) (hammer) (hammer) (hammer)

 

[Vann]

...I could actually understand a kiwi burger containing a slice of kiwi fruit...

Phew, I thought you were going to suggest a slice of kiwi (the endangered bird).

Cheers, Vann.

 

[marcros]

Is 'Once please' generally a complete order for a 'fish supper' up north? I went into a chippy in essex with a mate from way north, years back and that's all he said to the fella behind the counter, who had to make further enquiries to what he wanted. Still makes me laugh to think about it, none of your this that or the other with something else on the side.

it is in Yorkshire. I am told that in Lancashire by a ex-colleague that pie and chips is equally as popular as fish and chips, so it would cause confusion. I am sure that she said you would hear "one of each" meaning a fish and chips and a pie and chips.

"once" in yorkshire isnt so risky, but if you didn't say "twice" and said "2 fish and chips please", you risk either getting 2 pieces of fish with one portion of chips, or having to further explain!

 

[treeturner123]

Hi

Time to turn to the REALLY important point about Fish & Chips - What are they cooked in!!

Years ago, we wnr to the Original Harry Ramsdens before sell out, and the chips were supurb - cooked properly in dripping.

Our local chippy (closed at the moment) does use oil but I can forgive as they are cooked twice so do remain qhite chrispy.

Phil

 

[marcros]

very few around here using dripping, but I believe that there are still the odd one or two.

 

[sunnybob]

Well at least a Kiwi is meat. :roll: :shock:

As to Harry Ramsdens, I can offer an insight there as I used to install and service their ranges. The Cardiff bay,Bristol, Bournemouth, and Exeter services shops were all my customers .

They always used dripping. It was what gave them their trademark taste, until Environmental Health shut down all the dripping producing factories in the UK and europe because of the manufacturing processes. Up till 2008 when I stopped working in the UK, there were only a couple of specialist abbattoirs in Germany that were allowed to produce it under strict licensing and inspection rules. The consequent rise in cost of the product and shipping, and fall in supply made it impossible for Ramsdens to continue using it.
Believe me, the marketing people were not happy about it all. (hammer)

 

[woodhutt]

Well at least a Kiwi is meat. :roll: :shock:

Up till 2008 when I stopped working in the UK, there were only a couple of specialist abbattoirs in Germany that were allowed to produce it under strict licensing and inspection rules. The consequent rise in cost of the product and shipping, and fall in supply made it impossible for Ramsdens to continue using it.
Believe me, the marketing people were not happy about it all. (hammer)

The best bar snack I ever had was in a bar in Goslar in Germany back in '85. It was described on the blackboard as 'brot mit schmaltz'. I didn't have a clue what schmaltz was but thought I'd give it a go.
What came up was a plate of delicious crusty bread and a pot of beef dripping.
Delicious! The perfect accompaniment to beer. You can keep your crisps and peanuts.
Pete

 

[Nigel Burden]

Bread and dripping, especially with the jelly from the bottom of the pot, with salt and pepper, delicious. Enough to give a cardiologist a heart attack though.

Nigel.

 

[AES]

As soon as allowed (border open again - Covid) I shall be nipping over the border into Germany to buy schmaltz - available from both beef and pork, and both absolutely delicious - NEVER seen it in Switzerland though.