There’s a lot happening in September.
The schools are back (thank heavens we hear you all say), people are returning to their offices, albeit it slowly, after spending the last five months working from a bedroom, kitchen, attic or as far as they could get from their home-schooled children, and the football season is about to get underway.
The furlough scheme is being further wound down, the good films are finally coming back to cinemas (how excited are we for Bill and Ted Face the Music!) and we are in the last few weeks of summer (although if you live in the north like us autumn started in August).
So, there is some good news and still quite a lot of bad news, but at least it brings us closer to seeing the back of 2020, which is no bad thing we think you will all agree.
But September definitely has one defining positive feature and that’s British food.
This month, there’s lots of great events celebrating the wonderful food we produce on these shores, whether it’s fish and chips (more to follow on this shortly), British Food Fortnight, Scottish Food Fortnight and British Sandwich Week, to name just a few.
So, I bet you can guess what out theme is going to be this month? Yep, you guessed it, Indian food.
We are of course, joking. That will be our focus in October but until then we will be focusing on the Food of Britain and we hope you enjoy the journey with us.
We’re starting with National Fish and Chips Day.
Postponed from earlier in the year due to you know what, it’s a chance to celebrate everything which is great about this iconic British dish.
It was one of the first things people turned to when pubs and restaurants closed and we had to rely on takeaways for ‘eating out’, and that’s not a real surprise, given it’s always been one of life’s simple pleasures.
Battered fish, deep fried chips and accompaniments such as gravy, mushy peas and curry (always the latter for us) and even perhaps some buttered bread on the side.
How’s that for a slice of fried gold!
Recipe – Beer battered codling with triple cooked chips and homemade ketchup
Homemade ketchup:
- 1 large white onion finely diced
- 100g olive oil
- 500g Passata
- 150g caster sugar
- 115g red wine vinegar
- 15g salt
In a large sauce pan heat up the oil on a medium, fry the onion until golden brown and soft, then add the all the rest of the ingredients, reduce until starting to thicken.
Allow to cool slightly and then blitz until smooth then allow to cool completely.
Mushy peas:
- 500g ready cooked mushy peas
- 20g white wine vinegar
- 35g salted butter
- 10g salt
In a medium sauce pan start heating up your mushy peas as they get hotter add the vinegar and butter, once hot season with salt and serve.
Triple cooked chips:
- 6-8 large maris pipers depending on size
- 15g table salt
Preheat a deep fat fryer to 150oc. Slice your potato’s into chip form- they need to be quite chunky to withstand the 3 cooking processes. Place in a large sauce pan with cold water and the salt. Bring to the boil, but take off the heat and drain as soon as they do. Allow to cool slightly, then blanche fry for the second cooking at 150oc for about 5 minutes they need to be cooked through but very little colour, then turn your fryer up to 180oc. This is the final cook before serving, but make sure your fish is cooked first. Once the oil is at temperature cook them until golden brown and crispy season with salt.
Beer battered codling:
- 120g cornflour
- 120g plain flour (plus extra to coat the fish)
- 10g baking powder
- 75g beer
- 75g soda water
- 4 skinless boned codling fillets
Set your deep fat fryer to 180oc. Put all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl apart from fish and whisk to form a batter.
Dip the fish in some flour then into the batter and deep fry your fish until its golden brown and cooked all the way through. Place on a tray lined with kitchen paper and keep warm in your oven while you give your chips the final cook. Place everything in the middle of the table and serve the fish.
About Chris Brown
Sous Chef of SK Foods.
Your food. Our Passion.
