On London Time: Fish and Chips with English Sparkling Wine

This past week I was in London with dear friends from college days of yore. Besides outings to the theatre, Claridge’s for tea and visits to typical tourist haunts, we had opportunities to celebrate our friendship at restaurants boasting menus that change the perception that English fare is functional at best. Just as important to me as the daily watch for the birth of Baby Sussex, was the desire to taste authentic fish and chips from a typical establishment that serves this dish (albeit practical) to locals and tourists.

I discovered several theories about the history of this marriage of seafood and potatoes. One story I heard was that fish and chips were the foods of choice by poor Jewish immigrants from Portugal and Spain who lived in the East End of London during the end of the 19^th century.  As struggling textile workers, they didn’t have a great deal of money and had to make the best of what they had. Readily available were fish and potatoes, yet purchased were those selections that most likely had passed its “best of” date and were not particularly appetizing. The fish was battered and deep fried (a technique that added more calories and substance) and the potatoes, cut up to find the areas that weren’t bruised or moldy, were added to the fryer. There are more theories, of course, but whichever you believe, fish and chips can be found at virtually every pub in London.

During the week I discovered a lovely pub, The George Inn, established in 1361 in the National Trust Village of Lacock in County Wiltshire, that satisfied my need for a bit of British history in the form of food! Lightly battered fish on my plate was a blend of the right amount of crunch and softness, the potatoes were tasty and the freshly cooked peas added color and creaminess. Simple, tasty, and yes, filling, I understand why this combination was a staple in many households.

As for the wine pairing, I knew exactly what I wanted in order to make this legendary dish Queen-worthy: an elegant English Sparkling wine. In particular, a medium bodied Brut (or dry) sparkling has the ability to cleanse the palate without compromising the gentle flavors of the fish and its bright acidity and bubbles are able to cut through the weight of the fish and fatty characteristics of the batter.

The hunt ensued! I asked Fanny Royal, the incredibly generous and accommodating manager at our elegant hotel, Firmdale Hotels – Number Sixteen in South Kensington, for recommendations. She quickly contacted Alex Cooper, Food and Beverage Manager at the Firmdale’s Haymarket Hotel, who kindly suggested two well-known choices that receive consistent accolades.

The first, Nyetimber Blanc de Blancs 2013, is of 100% Chardonnay. Alex feels that this has “great acidity that is long and complex, qualities that make it a good food wine. It has all of the autolytic characters you want and a touch of citrus that will help balance the fattiness of fish and chips.”  The second suggestion is the Gusbourne Blanc de Blancs 2014, another sparkling of 100% Chardonnay, that Alex had recently enjoyed. He explained, “This has a slightly finer mousse that the Nyetimber, but has quite concentrated toast character and green apple notes coming through really well. It’s also amazing with oily seafood!” Clearly, I must find both of these wines either in the United States or upon a return trip to London.

During a walk the following day, I happened upon an outstanding wine shop, Handford Wines, located just around the corner from our hotel. I talked to the knowledgeable Nial Leech about my quest. Among those he suggested were the aforementioned Nyetimber Blanc de Blancs as well as the bottle I purchased, the Court Garden Classic Cuvee 2014 to share with friends later that night. Award winning Court Garden is a family-run, single-estate vineyard and winery in East Sussex. I was impressed with the wine’s persistent mousse from start to finish. A blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier, I discovered delightfully refreshing notes of toast, ripe pineapple and juicy green apple on both the nose and palate as well as vibrant acidity that was predominant with each sip.

Apparently, local Londoners don’t consider a plate of fish and chips surrounded by mushy peas a go-to selection; it’s on the menu mainly for tourists (or so I was told). However, when you desire to make this dish fit for royalty, pour a glass of English sparkling wine.

Cheers! ~ Cindy

Note: A heartfelt thank you is offered to Fanny Royol of The Firmdale – Number Sixteen Hotel, Alex Cooper of The Firmdale – Haymarket Hotel and Nial Leech of Handford Wines for their contributions to this article.