Proper Fish & Chips
Few things in the culinary world are without controversy. Whether it’s who invented a dish, where it originated, or how it should be prepared, food history is a study of its own. Therefore, one would expect that any dish with the word “proper” in its name would have a controversy all its own.
As to who concocted “proper” fish and chips and where it was first served, there’s a debate in England. Was it sold out of a wooden hut by John Lees at a market in Mossley, a small town in present-day greater Manchester around 1860? Or was the first chippie (fish and chips shop) opened by Jewish immigrant Joseph Malin in East London around 1863?
No one seems to know.
What’s for certain is that fish and chips didn’t originate in the United Kingdom, though it is one of the most popular dishes prepared and served in the country.
First and foremost, we can thank Jews seeking refuge in Portugal during the 16th century for inventing fried fish. And we can also thank resourceful Belgian women for frying potatoes to feed their families when fish was scarce in the late 1600s. When the cheap staple made its way to England by the time of the Industrial Revolution, the combination of fish and potatoes became increasingly popular.
Winston Churchill, former British prime minister, famously called fish and chips “the good companions,” and a 2010 celebration of the iconic dish by The Independent revealed the dish to be more iconic to England than the Queen or The Beatles. On top of that, George Orwell in The Road to Wigan Pier put fish and chips first among home comforts that helped keep the masses happy and "averted revolution.”
According to an article from the BBC, “To dig into fish and chips is much more than ticking off a list of things one must do in London; it is to engage in a national treasure.”
More than 229 million portions of white fish fillets are sold every year in England, each one coated in a light batter, deep-fried, and served alongside fat fried slices of potatoes.
These days, you can find upscale restaurants that specialize in various varieties of fish and preparations, but traditionalists enjoy buying them wrapped in newspaper from curbside vendors.
