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Fish from a chippers

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    #32
    Honey-ec
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,844 ✭✭✭Honey-ec


    Alun wrote: »
    That's not really the point though. They're describing it as cod, charging cod prices but buying it in on the cheap and pocketing the extra profit. That's fraud in my book, and lot's of takeaways in the UK have been prosecuted for it by Trading Standards.

    Not only that, by calling it cod they're creating the impression that cod is still plentiful and easily available, when this simply isn't the case; it's nearly extinct in Irish waters. It absolutely galls me that BIM and Bord Bia (not to mention the ASAI) don't do more about the blatant mislabelling of fish in Ireland.
    niallam wrote: »
    Mercury is possibly present in predatory fish like tuna, that's why it's not recommended for pregnant women.

    Pregnant women can eat up to three portions of tuna a week.


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    #33
    hobochris
    Registered Users Posts: 2,164 ✭✭✭hobochris


    Op if your looking for freshly cooked fish in Dublin try "Macari 66" one of my local chippers, they do nice freshly cooked fish(getting hungry thinking about it :D).


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    #34
    AlanD5734
    Registered Users Posts: 11 ✭AlanD5734


    olaola wrote: »
    Takes too long to cook it from fresh. During peak times, the chips are also precooked and then recooked before serving.

    too long!!!! Firstly it depends on type of fish, usually chipers don't use cod, they use something like hake, which would be simular. Then there is the batter, and how generous they are with it... Most chip shop use too much flour and apply way too much batter so you end up with a doughy, oily mess!
    What you've also most likely witnessed it the dreaded frozen sh1te! Or else blanched fish. Which depending on how long the fish has been left standing does not mean that it will cook fast as you still gotta get it hot to the core. They "blanche" it in order to make it horribly crispy, and also to add extra goldenness to it... So we end up paying good money for fake, over crispy or doughy, oily cod! :D


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    #35
    rubadub
    Registered Users Posts: 32,382 ✭✭✭✭rubadub


    AlanD5734 wrote: »
    , usually chipers don't use cod, they use something like hake, which would be simular.
    From my experience, listening to other customers order, cod is by far the most ordered fish here. And from the studies most unsmoked cod is cod. I did notice my local chipper had no cod beside some things anymore, I think it now says "fish portion", where it used to say "cod portion"
    Tazz T wrote: »
    Genetic checks by UCD back in 2010 found that 82% of all cod and haddock in chip shops in Dublin was another type of fish altogether.
    I think you got the number mixed around, I linked to the UCD site already, it was 28% mislabelled, this was not just chippers though, I see no info on just chippers. In another study it showed smoked fish is far more likely to be different.


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    #36
    vibe666
    Registered Users Posts: 13,016 ✭✭✭✭vibe666


    as for the "takes too long" to cook from fresh argument, health and safety would (you'd hope) dictate that reheated fish should be piping hot all the way through, which would take the exact amount of time to do as it would to cook it from fresh.

    how golden brown the batter is will depend on how hot the oil is when the fish goes in.


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    #37
    Mr Simpson
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,332 ✭✭✭Mr Simpson


    A large piece of cod or similar, in batter, takes about 6 minutes to cook from fresh at 190 degrees, I'd hardly call that too long.


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    #38
    AlanD5734
    Registered Users Posts: 11 ✭AlanD5734


    rubadub wrote: »
    From my experience, listening to other customers order, cod is by far the most ordered fish here. And from the studies most unsmoked cod is cod. I did notice my local chipper had no cod beside some things anymore, I think it now says "fish portion", where it used to say "cod portion"

    Hey Rubadub, what I ment was that chippers advertise that its cod (yes most are now changing to "Deepfried Fish" on their menus instead of "deepfried Cod" nowadays) but they substitute the cod for a simular fish like Hake. This also goes on in a numerous amount of restaurants and hotel across Ireland...
    I should have explained better, apoogies


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    #39
    AlanD5734
    Registered Users Posts: 11 ✭AlanD5734


    how golden brown the batter is will depend on how hot the oil is when the fish goes in.[/QUOTE]

    right and wrong... some places would add something to their batter if their cooking fresh to brown it quicker. depending on the size etc 5-6 mins is enough time to cook fresh battered fish in oil at 190. Some places may add things like a sprinkle of paprika or pepper through their batter to golden it quicker :)
    I think the biggest issue with chippers, restaurants and hotels is how they are getting away with advertising 1 fish and serve you a cheaper substitute at the same price... Trust me I know, I'm in the hotel & hospitality industry. I've seen witch sole sold as Dover sole, hake as cod even pollack and lots more!!! Its amazing that the majority of people cant tell the difference!
    And before I get slated, I do not condone it, and I do not practice in it, whats on my menu's is what goes on your plate!


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    #40
    mrsberries
    Registered Users Posts: 543 ✭✭✭mrsberries


    The Beshoffs on the Mespil Road beside Baggot St bridge batter and cook it fresh from what I can see. Its very nice. Have the same gripe, especially with one VERY famous Dublin chipper which does terrible recooked fish.


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    #41
    Mr Simpson
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,332 ✭✭✭Mr Simpson


    mrsberries wrote: »
    The Beshoffs on the Mespil Road beside Baggot St bridge batter and cook it fresh from what I can see. Its very nice. Have the same gripe, especially with one VERY famous Dublin chipper which does terrible recooked fish.

    They don't always, only when its quiet. (I worked for Beshoffs ;))


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    #42
    niallam
    Registered Users Posts: 699 ✭✭✭niallam


    Honey-ec wrote: »
    Not only that, by calling it cod they're creating the impression that cod is still plentiful and easily available, when this simply isn't the case; it's nearly extinct in Irish waters. It absolutely galls me that BIM and Bord Bia (not to mention the ASAI) don't do more about the blatant mislabelling of fish in Ireland.

    Not sure where you get your info about cod being nearly extinct in Irish waters? There's more cod caught and having to be thrown back than is landed, a fisherman cant be 100% sure whats going to end up in their net.
    If your worried about labeling issues then make sure you buy your fish from a BIM Seafood Circle Specialist, not from a man in a van, 99% of the time it's the man in the van telling everyone how the fish is straight from the harbour that's doing the most damage because boats dont sell to people like that anymore, the point of first sale from a boat has to be logged with the department of agriculture, and if they are selling to them than it's usually the unlogged illegally caught fish...
    Honey-ec wrote: »
    Pregnant women can eat up to three portions of tuna a week.

    Why bother though if there is a risk to your unborn child? Mercury won't harm you but it can harm your baby's developing nervous system. Other predatory fish like shark, swordfish and marlin contain much higher levels of mercury, definitely to be avoided you're pregnant.
    There's plenty of other fish in the sea... :D

    @ AlanD5734 - chippers don't use hake instead of cod, flesh is way to soft for that, they'd more likely use a frozen at sea Hoki and just FYI white pollock is actually dearer than cod at the moment from an Irish boat ;)


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    #43
    rubadub
    Registered Users Posts: 32,382 ✭✭✭✭rubadub


    AlanD5734 wrote: »
    they substitute the cod for a simular fish like Hake. This also goes on in a numerous amount of restaurants and hotel across Ireland...
    I should have explained better, apoogies
    I understood what you meant, but the studies I have read showed it is not as widespread as people make out, for fresh cod anyway.

    I was in that chipper near me again, they simply got a black marker and crossed out 'cod' on 'smoked cod' and 'cod portion', fresh cod is still up.

    If I had a chipper and read this thread I would consider offering it as an option. I am always amazed at the size of the fish I get in chippers, compared to a fresh fillet in the supermarkets. If they were to get fish in fresh each day and cook like this they might have to charge a few euro more to be working on the same profit margin.

    I know in Dalkey the chipper has a sign up telling you which fish was fresh that day.


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    #44
    Qualitymark
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,824 ✭✭✭Qualitymark


    niallam wrote: »
    Not sure where you get your info about cod being nearly extinct in Irish waters?

    As far as I know, cod has been on the World Wildlife Fund's endangered species list since 2000. The world's most important food fish, once caught off the coast of Maine at an average size of six feet long and five feet around, is being driven to extinction.

    Last year an EU fisheries meeting had a proposal for a total moratorium on cod fishing (supported by Ireland) defeated by British and Icelandic interests.


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    #45
    karlth
    Registered Users Posts: 119 ✭✭karlth


    Qualitymark wrote: »
    As far as I know, cod has been on the World Wildlife Fund's endangered species list since 2000. The world's most important food fish, once caught off the coast of Maine at an average size of six feet long and five feet around, is being driven to extinction.

    Last year an EU fisheries meeting had a proposal for a total moratorium on cod fishing (supported by Ireland) defeated by British and Icelandic interests.

    Icelandic? Iceland has no say in EU directives.


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    #46
    skibum
    Registered Users Posts: 2,072 ✭✭✭skibum


    Dropped into "Aldo's Diner" http://www.yelp.ie/biz/aldos-diner-dublin this afternoon for a bag of chips, while I was waiting at the counter I saw the guy battering a big tray of fresh cod. I mentioned to him that I havn't seen that for a long time, and hate the prebattered processed stuff, he was very proud of the fact that they batter their own fish, and even threw in some freshly battered cod as a freebie :D

    It was delicious, no comparison to the stodge I have been served before, and the chips were spot on too.


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    #47
    vibe666
    Registered Users Posts: 13,016 ✭✭✭✭vibe666


    maybe it's time to start a campaign. :D


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    #48
    the beer revolu
    Registered Users Posts: 17,045 ✭✭✭✭the beer revolu


    skibum wrote: »
    Dropped into "Aldo's Diner" http://www.yelp.ie/biz/aldos-diner-dublin this afternoon for a bag of chips, while I was waiting at the counter I saw the guy battering a big tray of fresh cod. I mentioned to him that I havn't seen that for a long time, and hate the prebattered processed stuff, he was very proud of the fact that they batter their own fish, and even threw in some freshly battered cod as a freebie :D

    It was delicious, no comparison to the stodge I have been served before, and the chips were spot on too.

    Yes, but he was pre-battering the fish. This is what the OP was complaining about. Maybe you got your free piece freshly battered but everyone else got reheated, battered fish later on. Better than bought in frozen fish but why not just batter it to order?


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    #49
    niallam
    Registered Users Posts: 699 ✭✭✭niallam


    skibum wrote: »
    I saw the guy battering a big tray of fresh cod. I mentioned to him that I havn't seen that for a long time, and hate the prebattered processed stuff, he was very proud of the fact that they batter their own fish, and even threw in some freshly battered cod as a freebie :D

    Probably just thawed frozen at sea cod. No chipper uses a pre-battered fish fillet as they're very noticeably different. I know a few hotels that use fresh cod for battering but no chippers do. It's also a size thing, fresh cod is usually too chunky for battering unless using a small codling where as a frozen product can be gotten at the same size every time and all year round at that size...
    As far as I know, cod has been on the World Wildlife Fund's endangered species list since 2000. The world's most important food fish, once caught off the coast of Maine at an average size of six feet long and five feet around, is being driven to extinction.

    Last year an EU fisheries meeting had a proposal for a total moratorium on cod fishing (supported by Ireland) defeated by British and Icelandic interests.

    Your talking about 100kg fish there you know, about the size of a porbeagle shark, i've seen 12-14kg cod probably at its largest. What people dont realise is boats only fish a certain distance off a coastline for obvious reasons, so probably <2% of the ocean is fished commercially on a daily basis.
    Talk to ANY fisherman and they'll tell you they've never had any problem getting cod in their nets, even when over quota and they're trying not to catch it, just hard to sort through a catch before it gets out of the water ;)


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