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Being that this blog is a nod to the huge milestone that is the centenary of the First World War, this week it only seemed fitting that I raised a glass at the pub to my own (considerably smaller) milestone – my 10th post here. But this wasn’t just any pub…

This is the Dolphin Tavern in Holborn, central London – an ordinary pub with an extraordinary history.

Most people will associate war time German air raids on Britain with the Second World War, without knowing that our capital city was also terrorised by German bombs between 1915-17 during the First World War. These attacks were completely unprecedented and would have therefore been a terrifying experience for anyone living in London at the time.

One such attack was on this very pub on the evening of 9th September 1915, almost 100 years ago. It claimed three lives and left the pub partly destroyed. A poignant reminder of this attack can be found within the pub: a clock that had been retrieved from the wreckage with the hands stopped at 10:40pm, the time the pub was hit.

I recommend this pub for anyone like me who enjoys the (occasional) after work drink with friends in very cosy, traditional British pubs that have their own stories to tell. It’s true that London must have many of them. My sister and I enjoyed our drinks and had a catch up sitting on the two barstools under this clock.

As I sat cradling my pint reflecting on all this, I found I had in my hands just the idea for this week’s cooking attempt. It doesn’t get more British than this.

Bella’s Beer Battered Cod and Goose Fat Chips

It is particularly British to have fish and chips on a Friday and this is a tradition that spans back 100 years despite war time rationing. Of course this is something that would normally be bought in a fish and chip shop or even at your local pub but it was surprisingly easy for this beginner to make it from scratch all by herself.

This week’s ingredients are simple.

1 skinless and boneless cod fillet
8 tablespoons of plain flour
A can of beer of your choice
2 Maris Piper potatoes
A heaping of goose fat (or duck fat)

Making the beer batter couldn’t be easier. All I did was add a bit of salt before gradually adding the beer and whisking with a trusty fork. Adding a splash of vinegar to the mix after gives the batter a nice kick and extra crunch. You want a fairly thick mixture, not too runny.

Moving on to the chips. These aren’t like traditional chip shop chips, they’re even better cooked in the fat. Think roast potato style chips, the dry and thick crunch on the outside with soft potato on the inside.

After cutting the potatoes into thick wedges, some with the skin on, I boiled them before putting them into the roasting dish with the fat, liberally seasoning with salt and pepper. But, before this, I spooned a generous amount of the fat into the roasting dish and heated this in a hot oven for 10 minutes. It’s important to make sure the fat covers the wedges so I gave them a good stir around before putting them into the oven at 200 degrees for 30 minutes.

After the half hour was up, I took the potatoes out of the oven and added rosemary and 3 crushed cloves of garlic. Jamie Oliver has a great Youtube video on his roast potatoes and explains why it’s better to add herbs and seasonings half way through cooking as opposed to adding them at the start.

Back into the oven they go for another half hour or less, depending on how crunchy you want them.

During this time I started preparing the fish for frying. It’s helpful to coat the cod in flour before dipping into the batter so it sticks better.

Coat the fish well in the batter before adding very carefully to a pan with hot oil (I used olive oil).

I fried on a moderate heat for about 10 minutes each side.

And voila, the result of me successfully dodging splashes of hot oil and avoiding serious injury.