Ploughman's Platter & Salad:
The ploughman's platter is a genius idea for an appetizer because you don't have to cook anything, just assemble. The most important thing is the quality of the ingredients. I used the following link as a very loose guide in creating my ploughman's platter (note, I did not attempt to make my own pickles): http://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipes/11532
I used rustic brown bread and some beautiful English cheddar and Stilton. To be traditional, I threw in some cornichons on the side along with a pat of good quality butter. I also included some sliced sopressata, just because I like it.
In addition to the ploughman's platter, I had plenty of nuts, chips and other munchies on hand. I also made a salad with mixed baby greens, sliced grape tomatoes, Parmesan cheese and balsamic vinaigrette.
The Main Event:
First, the ingredients: the vast majority, about 65% of English fish 'n' chips, is made with cod, so the choice of fish was easy. For the chips you need to use a floury potato, with plenty of starch. I used russet potatoes.
Next, I needed a really good traditional beer batter:
http://www.food.com/recipe/real-english-fish-and-chips-with-yorkshire-beer-batter-183399
I added a little old bay to the batter for extra flavor. I was afraid the beer I used made it too bitter, so I added just a touch of sugar, as well as a splash of malt vinegar and fresh lemon juice.
For the frying process itself, I considered purchasing a deep fryer but decided against it because of the expense and the space needed to store an extra appliance. Instead I opted to use my le creuset dutch oven and a deep fat thermometer. My makeshift fry station looked a bit like a science experiment gone wrong but it actually worked out nicely. My friends were standing by with a fire extinguisher just in case!
Good fish n' chips is all about the frying technique. I followed the instructions in the beer batter recipe (link above) with great success. Some extra tips: sprinkle salt on the food as soon as you take it out of the oil and keep it warm in a 200 degree oven.
Sauces and Condiments:
I made sure to have plenty of traditional condiments on hand: malt vinegar, tartar sauce, curry sauce, HP brown sauce, and, of course, ketchup.
The tartar sauce recipe could not have been easier and got rave reviews:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/tartar-sauce-recipe/index.html
The curry sauce took a little more love but was well worth the trouble:
http://norecipes.com/blog/fish-n-chips-with-curry-sauce/
Dessert:
My friend Fleur volunteered to make desserts, which was a huge help. She brought traditional English shortbread cookies (dipped in chocolate, no less), some cookies with caramel and chocolate, and carrot cake. Delicious!
And here's an extra pic of me enjoying the fruits of my labors:
Mushy Peas - An Epilogue:
Although I didn't have time to make it for the party, I really did want to try this modern version of English mushy peas: http://britishfood.about.com/od/psrecipes/r/peapuree.htm
I had some leftover fish n' chips ingredients and leftover sauces so I decided to try it on my own. The addition of fresh mint makes the pea puree special. It really adds a beautiful color to the plate of fish 'n' chips.
