Just like cricket, we do fish and chips better

We AUSTRALIANS have a particular sense of fish and chips, ­occupying as it does such a central place in the concept of our national cuisine.

Fish and chips has come a long way from the sorry, soggy mess wrapped in paper of years gone by.

We AUSTRALIANS have a particular sense of fish and chips, ­occupying as it does such a central place in the concept of our national cuisine.

Surrounded by endless ocean, and blessed with glorious sun, it seems only natural that we might claim as our own this summery staple.

But crispy-fried battered fish is no indigenous antipodean creation. It came to our shores from another island nation a little over 200 years back.

The world’s first fish and chip shop opened in northern England in 1860, right by the docks that housed the world’s fish trawling fleet and outside the terminal station of the newly built rail line linking London to the Atlantic coast.

Indeed, it was this pair of engineering miracles (the invention of the trawling net and the establishment of the first railway) that had finally made seafood sufficiently cheap to become an everyman food.

Traditionally only the coastal communities would eat fish, and it was always a daily ingredient. But mass catches, iceworks and rapid transportation quickly drove down the cost such that seafood became one of England’s ubiquitous meals.

The idea of battering and frying the fish came courtesy of migrants from Portugal who came to work on the ships, and their traditional “pescado frito” soon caught on.

But for all the pedigree that fish and chips might have in Old Blighty, it is an art perfected Down Under. We have the best fish, brilliant potatoes and armies of talented cooks.

PERFECTION!

To perfect your own fish and chips, remember that you need to go from very cold to very hot, very quickly. This has three critical steps.

METHOD

1. Ice down the batter.

2. Heat the oil to 190C — the extra 10C makes a huge difference.

3. Cook the fish only just as long as needed as this will stop it from feeling oily in the mouth.