Fresh Herb Mayonnaise

When I was writing about my oven fries, I got the idea for this mayonnaise to go with the fish, instead of tartar sauce. I had seen mention of something kinda sorta similar on the internet while doing my research, and I couldn’t help thinking how this might be a better option than the tartar sauce, which is really more of an American tradition anyways. As in my oven roasted potato wedges, the thyme has kind of a light lemony flavor and the parsley gives it a brighter and fresher flavor which complements the fish nicely. Again, because I used it in the coleslaw, I thought a touch of malt vinegar would be a nice addition, thereby making it unnecessary to add more again later on top of the fish, unless you really want to.
To be fair, I had been on the tartar sauce train from the start, but a simple mayonnaise seemed so much better in a sandwich that already has so many other flavors and textures going on. Especially with the bread I chose, which is covered in sesame seeds, I didn’t feel it necessary to add a lot more texture and flavor in a sauce. I also didn’t want a bunch of conflicting flavors going on throughout the entire dish, so it was important to me that I incorporate the same seasonings and flavors throughout. As it turns out, when everything is mixed together, this mayonnaise looks an awful lot like tartar sauce… It turned out to be a wonderful combination and complemented the fish nicely!

Printable Recipe

1 c. mayonnaise
1 Tbsp. fresh thyme
3 Tbsp. fresh parsley, snipped
1 Tbsp. malt vinegar

Whisk mayonnaise, thyme, parsley, and vinegar in small bowl to blend. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Makes approximately 1 cup

Creamy Broccoli Slaw

Since I’m making Fish ‘N Chips, I think it’s only proper that I also make a coleslaw to go with it. While I was at the grocery store, I happened across a mix for Broccoli Coleslaw and I couldn’t pass it up as an alternative to the cabbage variety. While I actually like cabbage coleslaw, I thought the broccoli might be a nice change, in addition to being milder than cabbage. I’ve heard people say over and over again how they like to serve the coleslaw on top of the fish inside the sandwich and I thought I might like to try it, but I also didn’t want it to overpower the flavors in the battered fish - in this respect, I thought the broccoli would be a nice change from the norm.
Being that I’m trying to stay fairly authentic to the fish ‘n chips tradition, I thought it only logical that I try to replicate the coleslaw as closely as possible. I came across a recipe for coleslaw dressing on the Food Network UK website, and figured it couldn’t get much more authentic than that! Although I did change a few things, I liked the base of the recipe very much and so kept it mostly the same. One of the changes I did make was to the pineapple juice part of the recipe, because I had another idea in mind. A popular tradition is to eat this dish with malt vinegar sprinkled over the top, and I couldn’t help but think to incorporate it into the coleslaw, as I’ve seen several other coleslaw recipes call for some type of vinegar. I didn’t want anything too overpowering, though, so didn’t want to add all that much of it to the mix when I thought about how much I like lemon juice sprinkled over my fish and other seafood. How could one go wrong with a little bit of that thrown in too?! So, instead of the pineapple juice, I opted for a mixture of both the malt vinegar and the lemon juice. I also omitted the celery seed, because I’m not entirely fond of it – to me, it has a very overpowering, and not altogether pleasant, flavor. I did, however, sprinkle some sesame seeds over the top of my coleslaw before eating it, which I enjoyed very much. I will definitely be making this coleslaw again!

Printable Recipe

12 oz. packaged broccoli slaw mix (or make your own)
¼ oz. (5g) minced flat leaf parsley leaves
4¼ oz. (120g) prepared mayonnaise
3¼ oz. (95g) sour cream
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 Tbsp. malt vinegar
½ oz. (15g) sugar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 Tbsp. sesame seeds, optional

In a large bowl, toss together the broccoli slaw mix and parsley. In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, lemon juice, malt vinegar, and sugar. Toss the vegetables with the dressing and season with salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving. If desired, sprinkle with sesame seeds before serving.