 |
| Bob Carver's minus an apostrophe and an ampersand |
Condemned prisoners are sometimes asked to select the final meal of their lives before execution takes place. What would you pick if you were in that position?
For me there's no question about it. It would be cod, chips and mushy peas with a slice of bread and butter and a pot of tea. Manna from heaven. Ambrosia of the gods.
Yesterday, before watching ten man Hull City beat Watford by two goals to nil. I went into the centre of Hull to visit The Ferens Art Gallery. Hull is currently Britain's "City of Culture" and The Ferens has some excellent work on show.
Afterwards, I wandered down Whitefriargate towards the fruit market and upon a whim I decided to have an early lunch in Hull's most famous fish and chip restaurant - the legendary Bob Carver's. And this was the beautiful scene that greeted my eyes before I picked up my knife and fork:-
I'll ask for a big bottle of vinegar....to preserve myself. That should do it!
ReplyDeleteThe fish and chips (minus the mushy peas) would be a good choice, too. I love mushy peas, but not with fish and chips. A good, hearty meat pie with mushy peas is my preference.
Just the battered fish and chips sprinkled with vinegar (I love vinegar) would suit me just fine. :)
An afterthought....with a name like "Carver" one would think/expect the establishment prepared a variety of roast meats, not fish and chips.
DeleteI bet this is not the first time anyone has made mention of the anomaly! :)
Carver's? Because old Bob would carve up picky customers who said stuff like, "I only like mushy peas with meat pies".
DeleteI think I'd be too nervous to be able to eat a last meal :)
ReplyDeleteMushy peas sounded intriguing (I figured it wasn't just peas that were overcooked) and when I checked on the internet it seems there are two ways to make them, one with mature dried peas (what we call split peas here) and one with fresh peas. Which do you make/prefer?
A true connoisseur picks the dried peas - soaked overnight - every time... but in England tins of mushy peas are available in all supermarkets.
DeleteLooks like good stuff for any day .
ReplyDeleteYou wouldn't want that every day or your would soon look like Marshmallow Man in "Ghostbusters"!
DeleteMmmm...that looks delicious although to be honest "mushy peas" doesn't sound very appealing. But they probably taste good. I wish you could sample the fried flounder at my favorite local restaurant, Tubbs. I was never a fan of fried fish until I had their flounder. With good fries (pardon me, "chips") and coleslaw and sweet iced tea, it's a meal fit for a king. Or a queen. :)
ReplyDeleteAs you know Tubbs is the top restaurant in Florence - according to Trip Advisor reviewers. Could you mail me a fried flounder?
DeleteIt has to be a cup of tea with fish and chips. Wine doesn't work.
ReplyDeleteWine before and afterwards perhaps but not during - as the actress said to the bishop.
DeleteNot keen on the mushy peas ......they give me wind.....but the fish looks lovely.
ReplyDeleteAn old wine cork might help Frances.
DeleteI can always go for fish & chips, but I usually pull off the breading and discard it, which is probably heresy to an Englishman. I heard that mushy peas were created so they could be served to workmen on a paper fish & chips wrapper without rolling away! Any truth to that?
ReplyDeleteIt's a good theory. Ordinary garden peas can be devilish - evading forks like prison escapees.
DeleteWhat's "breading"? Did you mean batter? Christ Almighty Steve! You can't have cod without batter! That would be heresy.
DeleteQuality. We spend summer in Italy, guess what our first meal is when we get home. Here's a clue, it's not pasta.
ReplyDeleteErr.. A traditional chicken bhuna with rice and nan bread?
DeleteActually that is the second meal
DeleteI love mushy peas but I wouldn't have thought to put them with fish & chips.
ReplyDeleteOur fish & chip shop does a family pack deal including a bottle of soft drink so we have Coke. It's the only time we do!
Coke!!!!! Coke with fish and chips!!!! I knew you Aussies were crazy people!!!
DeleteWhen I was a bery young boy in New England (Rhode Island), "fish and chips with vinegar" was a favorite dish but when we moved to Texas the people there thought we meant potato chips (crisps to you) and everyone put catsup/ketchup on their fish. Arthur Treacher's shops introduced vinegar with fish to most Americans, which option is still carried on today by Captain D's. My last meal, though, would have to be Greek; avgolemono, spanakopita, dolmathes, galactabourikos -- the whole gamut of Greek deliciousness. Unless it was Southern fried chicken, fried green tomatoes, and a big glass of sweet iced tea. I can't decide.
ReplyDeletevery
DeleteI prefer the idea of your second option and I think the chefs at your prison would agree as the Greek option seems to require a busload of Greek chefs and Greek ingredients.
DeleteFish and chips would be my choice too – without the pumpy peas (much as I love’m), for one would need to go with dignity…
ReplyDeleteThis fare would be from my (near) local fish’n’chippy for they do indeed produce manna from heaven. Worth dying for – well, maybe not…
Anna :o]
It would be a good way of saying farewell to the world - an almighty trumpet blast powered by mushy peas.
DeleteThe fish looks like a flap of the tail and it will take off. lol
ReplyDeleteBriony
x
Yeah, take off right into my big gob Briony!
DeleteI shall ignore that yummy, calorific lunch photo!
ReplyDeleteAs to your wicked first installment of the story - we all know what happens next thank you.
I have heard that even Yellowbellies like fish and chip lunches so you can't fool me Mrs W.
DeleteAs soon as I'm off the train in Paragon, its straight to Carvers! They are the best.
ReplyDeleteYou are clearly a woman with exquisite and sophisticated taste Caz.
DeleteYorkie...in answer to your question of Steve above..."breading" means crumbing...breadcrumbs.
ReplyDeleteYeuk! Breadcrumbs on fish? Disgusting! It has to be batter.
DeleteI agree...I much prefer battered fish!
DeleteOh dear, impossible to decide on a "last meal"! I'm actually glad I do not know which one will be my last meal - could be any, really, couldn't it!
ReplyDeleteIf last night's dinner with O.K. were to have been my last meal, it would not have been the worst choice: Green asparagus, roast spuds and ham, not all drowned in Sauce Hollandaise but instead generously dabbed with herb-spiced butter, and a glass of chilled cider. Dessert was caramel ice cream with macadamia nuts and chocolate.
The main course was cooked by yours truly.
I'll have fish & chips in July, when my sister and I will be staying in Ripon again.
The meal you prepared for your master was too sophisticated for a prison kitchen. How about bratwurst and sauerkraut instead?
Delete