Fish and Chips

I hated eating fish. There is always that taste straight from the sea or probably it is just my imagination running wild. But since, one brilliant chef coated fish with flour, eggs or even beer, combined with crunchy fries, I can't get enough of it.

I tried making it on my own several times. I said, how hard could it be? It is just fish, filleted and dipped in a batter of what-ever and what-nots. But failures came after another. It tasted funny most days. I can smell the sea everytime I take a bite, while others simply lack the crunch of the crust I was looking for. Soggy, in fact. Neither a good texture nor an appetizing sight. I had given up on fish and chips, deciding to order it whenever I get the chance.

I love Gumbo's fish and chips. Should I start with the fries? No other restaurant has such tasty fries. Is it cayenne powder? Is it garlic salt/ powder? I can hardly tell. But their fries are huge yet crunchy to the core. Quite rare for that size. The taste is undeniably addictive. You try to limit yourself to 5 pieces and the next thing you know, you have eaten the entire plate.

The fish is quite humongous. Intimidating at first sight owing to its sheer size. You slice it with a knife always thinking you are going to take home the rest. But wow! The crust is just perfect. Crunchy but not hard to the bite. I remember the crusts that are just too crunchy for my mouth. Painful to eat. This one isn't. Biting its crust is how I imagined biting a cloud would feel like. But the most important thing is the coated fillet. Juicy.. perfect...succulent. I can eat it with rice but when eaten on its own, it is even more satisfying. Suffice it to say that they paired the perfect fries with the perfect fish fillet. Hence the perfect fish and chips.

Then there is superbowl's cheesy concoction - cheesy fish fillet. Forget the fruit salad that comes with it (with all due respect, other salads could have worked but that!). Focus on the fish, with its light and fluffy coating. A bite so good you feel the essence of fish less the sea flavor in your mouth...with an added twist. The cheese just flows out of the fillet giving it a flavor reminiscent of a children's party. Combine that with a juicy fillet reminiscent of an expensive dinner by the harbor. You don't need much and the serving size is just perfect. The cheese will always remind you to stop eating soon. But the again, a few minutes of rest and its very sight, makes you crave for more.

Yes, I had given up on making my own fish and chips. But thanks to the lifestyle channel, I made myself try one more time. I used beer instead of water. I used simple salt and pepper. I did not fillet my own fish and got it out of the grocery, frozen. I said one more try won't hurt though it would cost me a few bucks. And so I did. To my surprise, it actually worked. I am not sure if it is because of the beer or the filleted fish out of the grocery but it was really good. Fried to perfection - crunchy on the outside, flaky and juicy inside. Yummmm. Suffice it to say that I had it for lunch the next few days since the filleted fish came in four pieces to say the least.

Then again, I still prefer Gumbo's. I can never copy it - not that I tried. As for Superbowl's cheesy fish fillet, it is a welcome variation...well...everyday. :)