Pub Classics - No other fish to fry

To ignore the British classic - fish 'n' chips - won't go down swimmingly. And, pleads Richard Fox, don't get it wrong

The chippy is currently the number one place for non-home cooked meals in this country. At number two, is the pub. Well, I may be wildly off the mark here, but bringing the chippy to the pub would seem a logical step for any landlord/pub chef.

Not only is there the opportunity to show off the whole range of traditional chippy fare - from battered haddock to curry sauce 'n' chips (what can I say, I'm a northerner) - but scampi, prawn cocktail and breaded goujons fit into the whole theme as comfortably as Kylie in a lingerie show.

The fact is, each of these items is a standalone pub classic (that includes Kylie). I would suggest that embracing the whole lot in one magnificent "classics" menu board will have the punters diving through your door like hungry lemmings off the proverbial cliff.

The headline act here is most definitely the battered fish and chips. A perennial favourite from school kid to grandparent, it's as timeless and tasty as any nation's flagship dish - when it's done well.

There are a few key points to observe then, if you want to ensure quality and consistency - and certainly give the best chippy in town a run for its money.

Clean oil in the deep-fat fryer is essential. Try to keep one side for the non-fishy items such as chips, and regularly spoon out rogue bits of batter that will naturally separate from the fish as it's lowered into the oil.

A good slug of beer in the batter adds as much to the menu description as it does to the taste, while gastro quality "mushy peas" can be made by simply blitzing some cooked frozen peas in a food processor with a little veg stock and finely chopped and sweated shallot.

As far as the chips are concerned, reputations can be made or lost on the strength of them. There are some decent quality frozen varieties on the market, but homemade are unmistakable. Maris Pipers are as good a variety as any, but the key is in the "blanching".

Keep the raw potato in water to prevent discolouration while preparing, but dry as much as possible in a tea towel immediately before the first stage of frying. This is part of the prep stage when the fryer should be set to about 140°C, and depending on the thickness of cut, should be cooked for between five and 10 minutes.

The aim is to get the chip soft, but not breaking up, and without colour. For service, the chips should be deep fried at between 190°C and 220°C until golden brown. Then drain, season and serve.

A tasty alternative to this "full monty" is breaded goujons of lemon sole or plaice served up with chips and a home-made tartare sauce.

It's a slightly lighter version of the battered variety, and can even be served as a starter or a platter to share.

It's a great way to use up bits of bread that might otherwise be binned. Simply leave them to dry out for a few days before blitzing to breadcrumbs in the RoboChef.

Slice the fish fillets into about 1cm-wide strips, dip in seasoned flour, then egg wash and finally breadcrumb. For the tartare sauce, simply add some chopped gherkin, caper and lemon juice to a mayonnaise.

The great thing about this dish is it can be served as finger food - particularly handy if you're screening big sporting events with a high proportion of vertical drinkers.

Exactly the same principles apply to that other timeless pub classic - scampi. Strictly speaking, scampi is Dublin Bay prawn, but has gradually transformed into all manner of frozen re-formed fish products from decent quality, whole prawn varieties to the fishy version of the Turkey Twizzlers that Jamie Oliver so dislikes.

If you really want to push the boat out (pardon the pun): flour and egg wash some raw tiger prawns, and then coat in breadcrumbs with a load of chopped fresh parsley - you'll have to charge for it, but they won't have tasted better.

Fish cakes are another pub gem that can vary wildly between fish-laden, herb infused flavoursome morsels, to lumps of breaded mash potato peppered with a few flakes of fish.

Obviously, the mash content allows for a high gross-profit item, particularly taking into account that it's a great way to use up off-cuts that can't be served on their own. However, I don't believe the mash should ever make up a higher proportion of the finished cake than the fish. Add a little mayonnaise, or even tomato ketchup to the mixture for heightened flavour and moisture. You've then got a choice of shaping them into one large main-course pattie, or bite-sized versions for starters or finger food.

Finally, for a really eye-catching "novelty with quality", how about the fish finger club sandwich? Trust me, it's a winner - and one of my favourite snack dinners at home. The fish finger is itself a timeless classic, and by no stretch of the imagination falls into the junk food category.

For my club sandwich, I'll butter thickcut slices of bread; sandwich the fish fingers between two pieces and then on the top, have anything from peas with mayo right through to rocket, tomato and coriander mayo.

Fish and chips has overtaken all-comers as the nation's favourite dish. I have no doubt that the pub is our favourite "institution", and bringing the two together not only makes perfect culinary sense, it's retaining our sense of what good pub grub is all about - no-nonsense national favourites, simply prepared with great ingredients and accurately cooked. It's a marriage made in the sea - get frying!