FISHER’S: FULHAM’S FINEST
I’ve not been able to post much recently as I’ve been feeling a bit poorly. My head exploded (yes, really) after eating so much shit food and drinking a surfeit of bad ale. Luckily I’ve now got my shit together, wiped the slate clean, drawn a line in the sand etc. and (hurrah and huzzah) just had the my best plate of Fish and Chips of 2009 in, of all places, Fulham.
Fisher’s is a small unassuming joint on an unremarkable stretch of Fulham Palace Road that for some strange reason is called the High Street although I’ve yet to come across a stretch of road that was less like a High Street than this one. It’s compact and bijou: a small takeaway counter and kitchen abuts a functional but teeny tiny dining area built, not for lumps like yours truly, but for teeny tiny people. Kylie would find it comfortable and spacious.
There was nothing teeny tiny about my plate of Haddock and Chips though. A big, firm, slipper-sized fillet of excellent Haddock had been cooked perfectly, coming as it did in a light, crisp batter. If I had to be picky I would say that the batter to fish ratio was skewed a bit towards the former but since it was grease-free there wasn’t a problem. Chips were golden and had a satisfying crunch. The Mushy Peas were pretty good too.
Speaking of which, I’ve been making my own recently and apart from the difficulty in finding dried Marrowfat Peas – I had to go to South Yorkshire to get mine - they’re easy er, peasy to make (a few hours soaking with bicarb, a few hours slow cooking with a dash more bicarb) and the results are splendid. Indeed they’ve been so good I’m considering bringing a small Tupperware container of them along with me on my next F&C outing.
Making decent Fish and Chips isn’t some mysterious alchemical process. Fresh fish, good batter, oil at the right temperature and the right length of cooking time is all that’s required. I would say on this showing Fisher’s have got it down pat.
Other things to like: well, there’s no irony here (although others might eye that After Eight with suspicion, they’d be wrong), there’s no music blaring out and, most refreshingly, there’s no tedious mission statement or ‘concept’ that they want to share with you – just decent grub. Of course this means that Fisher’s is probably not that popular with the jeunesse dorée of SW6. But for that reason alone I would say it was worth a visit and a whispered thanks to one’s own particular deity.
Labels: Fish and Chips, Fisher's, Fulham, LONDON
8 Comments:
We often drive past here but have never been in, it's good to hear that it's worth a trip.
I love the After Eight too!
The only bit you missed about the secret to good fish and chips is something we Aussies do by default.
Cook to order.
For Australians, fish and chips is something it takes 10-15 minutes of waiting to get as a takeaway. Living in London is murder, the chips are slightly better but the fish is mostly very average because it has sat around for ages waiting for a customer who generally won't be prepared to wait.
Faulkners in Hackney was OK and would cook to order on request but since changing hands it has gone way down hill and we are lucky to go there more than a few times a year.
just had faulkners thursday night, haven't been that many times and now i know why. NEVER AGAIN!. rubbish chips, incredibely expensive and no flavour.
On the mushy pea front, I make my own too but my Mum always told me to leave off the Bicarb because it destroys all the goodness/vitamins etc. What do you think?
I tend to eat things because I like the taste rather than any concern re nutrional value. That said, Mums are usually right about these things.
HP
After Eights I love it. Have recently taken to bringing them to dinner parties - always a hit.
Glad to see you back.Nasty rumours were circulating about you getting too close to pigs.
Unfortunately, I'm old enough to remember DPs where when the hostess brought out the After Eights you really did think now this is classy.
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