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When I was growing up if you mentioned take away food there were really only two options that counted – Fish and Chips, or Chinese. Â My family didn’t like Indian food that much, and it wasn’t until I was about 8 or 9 that my home town got a McDonalds, let alone a pizza restaurant, so the Chippy or the Chinky it was (apologies if anyone finds that last term offensive – that was what everyone called the chinese take away back when I were a lad).
So, my post earlier this week about Fish and Chips being wrapped in newspaper led me to wonder what everybodies favourite Fish and Chip shop food is.  And if you’re wondering what scrags are, its the little bits of crispy batter from the bottom of the deep fat fryer which you can sometimes buy.  I can feel my arteries hardening  just thinking about them and their oily goodness…
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Personally my faves aren’t on the list.
I liked Dabs and John Bulls on a T-Cake – Yummy).
Another thing….did anybody ever get the chicken from the chippy?
They always had it on the board, but I never knew anybody who tried it! lol
Yeah, I sometimes had the chicken when I didn’t feel like fish, basically just roast chicken really.
But Mark, you’ll have to explain – what exactly is Dabs and John Bulls on a T-Cake? I’m guessing it’s what I know as Scrags on a bread roll – Am I even close?
Dabs is Swindon slang for plimsoles/pumps
Well I sure hope it’s not deep fried plimsoles. Urgh!
BigBoo, I’m guessing it might be a northern thing. lol
A dab is a large slice of potato done in batter.
A John Bull is similar, except it has mince in it as well.
T-Cake up here is a bread roll, elsewhere a T-Cake is a current bun….
I didn’t come across scrags until a few years ago whilst working in Yorkshire….they asked me if I wanted scrags with my fish and chips and I didn’t have a clue! lol
Thanks for clearing that up Mark. John Bulls sound awesome!
Funny, I think I first came across Scrags when we went on holiday in the Yorkshire area too. It wasn’t something I had come across before, though my Dad remembered getting them when he was a kid.
Northern England has such wonderful foods. I live down south and I’m quite jealous. My sister-in-law lives in the Newcastle area, and when we visit we get treated to such wonders as kebab and chip butties and deep fried Mars bars (though I always associate that particular one with Glasgow for some reason). Maybe I’ll be able to get a John Bull next time we visit…
I’m actually in Lancashire, so not as far up as Newcastle and I agree with the deep fried Mars, something i’ve always linked with Scotland, although I was never tempted to try one.
Saying that, I can’t see it being too different than the deep fried ice-cream dessert you can get at the chinese restaurants. There’s just something that says no!
You should try a dab or a john bull if you get up this way….nice on a bread roll, or with chips, or on their own (eaten out of the paper of course) 😉
Where’s Cod Roe in the list?
I’ve only ever known one person who bought Cod Roe which was a friend at college. It was annoying because we’d all go to the chippy and place our orders and he’d always have to wait for his to be done specially…
No faggots! C’mon! Mind you, they had to be the real deal, not that Brains stuff.
And as for the chicken – disgusting. It was always dry and flaky. Blecccch.
East yorkshire Patties and chips with curry SCRAPS and tomato sauce.
I have never heard of scrags ??? I lived from scarborough down to Yarmouth and they have always been scraps. The Patty alas is only available in east yorkshire which is a genuine shame as its the most delicious thing that can be deep fried in Batter :
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patties this is the closest link i have found to them although all the ones i have ever eaten had fish in the mix too.
and to your Original post mate , i totally agree …Bring back news paper!!! Me and my kids bring our chippy home and eat it on our own news paper …its not exactly the same as the sweated flavour of our youth but still better than the cardboard tasting rubbish the wrap it in now.
ps … Has anyone also noticed that fish and chip shop prices which were once the affordable poorer families choice have risen to an extent that in Skeggy and other commercial costal places it is now actually a cheaper to sit in a pub and have a 2-4-1 nutricious and filling bar meal.
pps …. My Fish used to be huge and why now are they fillets that have been divided so many times they could be on countdown. lol
I was up in Scarborough the other weekend. Pleased to see they still have donkeys on the beach. My little one enjoyed it so much she had to go on twice!
Anyway, never come across the Pattie before Chris, but it sounds great. I’ll keep my eyes peeled next time I’m in the area.
Glad to hear you’re keeping the newspaper tradition alive and well, and your right, Fish and Chips is expensive now. Still more tasty and, more importantly, filling though than a McDonalds.
A dab is NOT from yorkshire, its a scallop butty. its a tod thing cos’ we are wierd people.
Can anyone explain the contents of Crispy Dabs a favorite in a Newcastle famil,y please