Tomorrows Fish-N-Chips Wrapper

I’ve decided it’s high time for some serious R&R. It’s not just a luxury, I consider it an investment in overall physical, emotional, and creative health! It’s been too long since I flopped on a beach, unwound with a little yoga and some medication, swam until my hearts content, and fallen asleep to the sound of the surf. Like anything else I do, I throw myself into it completely – I’m obsessed with finding the perfect locale for my sojourn (so much so, I’m surfing the net into the wee hours doing my research). While I continue my quest – here’s a fun blog post from a trip to London 5 years ago…

When my ex was a little boy you were literally served fish ‘n’ chips wrapped in old newspapers. So, whenever something unflattering would appear in the press, Nick would shrug it of with “today’s news is tomorrow’s fish and chips wrapper.”

However, in the late 1980’s newspapers were deemed too unsanitary, so fish-n- chips are more boringly served in ordinary paper today.

Costa’s Fish Restaurant & Take Away

What trip to England would have been complete without fish-n- chips? So off I went to Costa’s Fish Restaurant in Notting Hill. Considered one of England’s top 10 fish-n-chips places, there are many top notch reviews mounted proudly on the wall less you forget. One article boasted:

Costa’s reviews wall

“…But there is one simple way for Londoners to make it to the 1950’s, and that’s by visiting Costa’s Fish and Chip Restaurant in Notting Hill. This is a place of unusual appeal, in what might claim to be the fish and chip capital of London. The marvelous Geasles is a minute’s walk away, and locals will argue fiercely over which is better. It is a very close call, but I think it wins….”

The menu

After I settled on the cod with chips, Mr. Costa gave me special permission to come behind the counter to photograph my dinner being made (although I’m not so sure the chef was thrilled about the attention).

The camera shy chef

He seemed reluctant to have his photo taken, but he did shyly oblige in the end. Mr. Costa himself dealt with the final touches.

Finishing touch by Mr. Costa himself

You can’t have fish and chips without malt vinegar -it just wouldn’t taste right! The lack of using a newspaper wrapper does lose some of the charm, but it still tastes delicious.

Julie Anne and Tatjana Rhodes lightening up

I don’t eat fried foods very often, so here’s a lighter, heart healthier version you can try at home. Please don’t forget to check out the Personal Chef Approach for over 300 more healthy, delicious recipes, menu plans to streamline your cook dates, and save hours every week when you’re no longer having to worry about cooking every night. Watch the video for more about how the PCA works.

Oven Fried Cod

The secret to making oven fried food taste as good, if not better than deep fried food is to add lots of flavor in other ways. Here…the use of Parmesan cheese, herbs, and spices compensates for the lack of flavor from the fat from deep frying.

Servings: 4

Ingredients

1 cup panko 5 tablespoons Parmesan cheese 2 teaspoons baking powder 2 teaspoon thyme 1/2 teaspoon red pepper 1/2 teaspoon salt 4 cod fillets 1/2 cup flour 1/2 cup buttermilk

Directions

1). Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Spray a sheet pan with olive oil spray.

2). Combine panko, Parmesan, baking powder, thyme, red pepper, and salt in a medium bowl. Pour buttermilk into a shallow bowl, and flour onto a plate.

3). Coat fish with flour, then dip into buttermilk, and then into panko mixture (in that order); place on prepared sheet pan in a single layer. Spray top of fish with olive oil spray.

4). Bake in preheated oven for 10-12 minutes, or until fish is golden on the outside and just gone opaque on the inside.

Serving Suggestions: Peas and oven fries.