- Bottoms Up (RSS)English Fish & Chips Recipe from the Star Tavern, London
By William Brand
Wednesday, October 1st, 2008 at 12:17 pm in Uncategorized.
NOTE: Ever wonder how to make authentic English fish & chips? Back in 2003, I was in London and attended a beer dinner, sponsored by Fuller’s, at the Star Tavern, a very famous Fuller’s pub in a now-tony part of London. We did a tasting of the Fuller’s real ales , all served on handpump upstairs at the Star. (There’s also a bar downstairs.) The Star by the way was the Campaign for Real Ale’s West London Pub of the Year 2005/06.
When it was over, I got the recipe below from the landlord and landlady at the Star.
Note 2: One change. Young’s has moved out of London. So Fuller’s remains the only large brewer in the city.
By William Brand
We were sitting at a long table at the Star Tavern, a pub in London that was old when America was young. A pint of Fuller’s London Pride drawn moments before from a handpump in front of me, I checked the dinner menu.
For a pub, it was an impressive menu and most of my companions _ on this tour sponsored by Fuller’s _ asked for steak, seafood or exotic pastas. But I ignored the fancy dishes and ordered “fish and chips.”
And why not? This was England, wasn’t it – the home of this much-maligned dish. Wasn’t I sitting in a pub famous for its food as well as its beer.
I did not go wrong. The fish came coated in a thick, light golden crust. Inside, the fish was moist and tender. The chips (French fries to us) were perfect. Crisp, tasty _ not a trace of oil. (American fast food franchisees take note.) READ THE REST OF THE POST AND GET THE RECIPE…
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October 1st, 2008 at 2:21 pm
Thanks for the recipe. It’s a bit confusing, though. In step 3 we add beer to the flour to make the batter. Then in step 4 we dip in the flour and then the batter. So do we keep some flour aside for step 4? Also, where do the eggs get used?
October 1st, 2008 at 6:35 pm
Ahhh… the Star Tavern. One of my favorite pubs when I was in London about 10 years ago. Those Fullers real ales were amazing.
October 1st, 2008 at 9:57 pm
OIops Brian I posted the copy of the recipe I had in my files. However, when I checked the version published in the paper, I realized my editor had caught my accidental omission.
Step 2 should read:
Mix salt and pepper with the flour. Whisk in the eggs, then add enough beer to make a thick batter. Let stand 10 to 20 minutes. I’m going to change the recipe above, inserting the version edited by our Food Editor.
Good catch.
October 2nd, 2008 at 10:09 am
Hello Mr. Brand,
Thanks for sharing and allowing me to spend a few minutes in London. Fuller’s is my desert island brewery…if I had to choose just one.
October 2nd, 2008 at 10:14 am
Couldn’t argue with you there. Wish there was a Fuller’s pub on my corner. (Sadly, but fortunately, there isn’t.)
November 15th, 2008 at 11:49 am
Just look for the best fish and chip batter, English style