Fish and chips at the seaside!

Disclaimer: This entry shouldn't be in a blog about cuppas and cakes but it was such an outstanding meal, it deserves coverage on the WWW.

Location: The Pearson's Arms, Whitstable, Kent
Date: 12 April 2009
Details: Battered pollock with double-fried chips, mushy peas and salad.

Notes: It's true, fish and chips tastes better at the seaside.

Duska and I decided to take the bus from Canterbury to Whitstable. Felipe and Guiliano fancied a spontaneous roadtrip so they accompanied us. We did attempt a walk along the beach but the prospect of fish and chips was too alluring. We had just missed the end of lunch service at this pub and the evening menu did not include fish and chips. What?? Duska explained our disappointment to the waitress who pleaded our case to the chef... and in the end, all four of us had fish and chips, hooray!

The fish was pollock instead of the traditional cod - isn't cod a protected species now? Whatever it was, it was fried in a thick fluffy batter. The chips were twice-fried - once in a medium-temp oil to cook them through, and then again in very hot oil to crisp up the outsides. We tucked into our eco-friendly white-fish + chips with gusto. The photo makes it look quite small but I had to donate one chunk of my fish to Felipe and half the chips to a salivating chap on the next table. And we couldn't even contemplate a pudding (which might have justified the entry on this blog). It was all washed down with Guiliano's excellent choice of white wine.

Whitstable is famous for oysters but try the traditional fish and chips instead - much more delicious!