BATTER MATTERS

The best thing about being in semi-lockdown is going Into a pub and getting table service.  

It’s so damn civilized.  None of that standing at the bar trying to attract the attention of 

some sullen youth or youthette.  It’ll soon be gone and I’m feeling nostalgic for it already.

 

And you know now that the restaurants are open I can’t say I’m getting all that excited at the prospect of going to some fancy joint for lobster tails and the short ribs and wild garlic flavoured aioli or whatever, though there is a modest elegantly Japanese place I’m eager to get back too.

 

On the few occasions when I’ve gone out since lockdown (more or less ended), I’ve been eating fish and chips. These are at the Royal Albion in Walton-on-the-Naze.  

 

In fact those fishy things are officially ‘goujons’ according to the menu. Apparently goujon comes from the French for gudgeon which is a small freshwater fish, pretty close to being a minnow. and that’s why it comes in small pieces, though I’m pretty sure these were cod, or codling, or reconstituted cod-like substance.  But the chips were great.  And you know, we were eating out again, after a long time.

 

Then there was the Flora Tea Room in Dunwich where the price was a couple of quid higher than in Walton, but the fish was a nice battered chunk of cod.  

 

The Flora is handy if you want to walk off your lunch with a visit to the former leper hospital.

 

And then most recently the Mistley Thorn in Mistley (Matthew Hopkins, Witchfinder General, used to live in the building next door – there isn’t a blue plaque).

 

This was another three quid more again, but the Mistley Thorn is a proper restaurant.  The fish was haddock and you can argue whether or not haddock is better than cod.  I’m pretty agnostic.  The received wisdom is that haddock is ‘tastier’ but I’m sure much depends on the piece of fish and the batter etc..  This batter was fabulous, and the peas were fancy – not mushy but crushed and minty. And the beer was so cheap that we wondered if they’d made a mistake.  But we didn’t correct them. 

 

Want to see a picture of a couple of royals eating, or at least fondling, fish and chips?  Well of course you do.