Fictional Foods

By Andrew Quigley

Jan 12, 2022

Fictional Foods

Your fictional foods unlocked so many memories for me...

 

I've had the best week reading about foods I had completely forgotten about - thanks everyone! Here's the top 5 fictional foods suggested by Nibble readers. 

 

  1. Frobscottle, The BFG

Who could forget delumptious fizzy frobscottle, where the bubbles go down instead of up! I remember trying to make this as a child...Fairy liquid and fizzy water was not as tasty as it looked.

  1. Lickable Wallpaper, Charlie & the Chocolate Factory

Which kid didn't speculatively lick patterned wallpaper just to see if it hadn't been blessed with Willy Wonka's confectionary cunning?

  1. Butterbeer, Harry Potter

Buttery and warming, this legendary bev gets a mention. But if you've ever tried the stuff at Harry Potter World, you've had your dreams crushed. Welcome to adulthood, it's downhill from here...

  1. Reptar bar, Rugrats

Shout out to the ultimate 90s candy - the choco bar that turned your tongue green. Tommy and the gang went nuts for these...they've got to be a level up from Snickers.

  1. Milk of the Poppy, Song of Ice and Fire

Ummm, guys...this isn't actually fictional. It's called opium, and you probably shouldn't eat it. Made me laugh though.

This week's tip: SubLIME!

from Paul Foster, chef owner of Michelin Starred Salt

 

I've featured a few times in this section! I've clearly got a few tricks up my sleeve - either that or I'm a really lazy chef...

Juice your lemons and limes using a grater as a sieve to catch the pips. This tactic is especially clever if you've just used the grater for the zest. The juice washes all the zest oils off the grater meaning maximum flavour.



This week's recipe: Beer-battered halibut

by Tom Kerridge, multi-Michelin Starred legend and champion of classic British grub.

 

Since football's coming home, we thought there's no better way to celebrate than beer-battered halibut. Come on England!



​Serves 4

  • 4 halibut fillets, about 180g each
  • 1l veg oil for frying
  • 2 egg whites
  • 240ml pale-coloured beer (lager, IPA, pale ale)
  • 350g self-raising white flour
  • large pinch of bicarbonate of soda
  • Sea salt & lemon wedge for garnish.

  1. To make the batter, mix the egg whites and beer together until fluffy. Mix the flour and bicarbonate of soda together in a large bowl and add the egg-white mix.
  2. Heat the oil to 180°C. If you don't have a thermometer, drop a little bit of bread in. It should fizz to the surface immediately, and brown within 10-20 secs.
  3. Dip the fish into the batter, letting any excess drip back into the bowl, then add to the oil and fry for 3–5 minutes until crispy and golden brown. Drain on kitchen paper. Keep the fried fillets warm in the low oven until they are all fried, but do not cover them with kitchen paper.
  4. Sprinkle with sea salt flakes and serve immediately with chips and pea mash, with lemon wedges for squeezing over.


Your questions answered

by Clare Heanan, part owner of HG Walter, supplier of the best Michelin Star meats

"Any tips on how to buy good meat?" from Sophie

Fundamentally, when it comes to buying meat, the most important thing is knowing where it comes from. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Knowing your butcher and having that traceability is becoming more and more important to consumers, as they’re ditching cheap price tags in favour of a fresh cuts and provenance. People are eating less meat, but better-quality meat. 

Generally, what you’re looking for is a good colour, nice marbling and a fresh smell, so slimy looking, greying meat is obviously something to avoid. But when you’re buying quality meat from a supplier you can trust, you’re always going to get great texture and exceptional flavour.

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