The scientists were so preoccupied with whether they could
they didn't stop to think if they should.
Scotland is brimming with valuable cultural exports. Among them, whacking wee baws doon a field, offal stuffed in offal, men's skirts, and deep-frying things that have no business being deep-fried. On the latter point, one enterprising food delivery outfit with its finger on the pulse of very important current affairs asked a …
I've never seen the strange creations in Scotland, but its Northamptonshire offshoot, Corby, that has Chippies which are very happy to fry anything. Deep fried and battered Pizza anyone?
Corby has other claims to fame:
* The huge Stewarts and Lloyds Steel Works imported most of the original workforce from Scotland
* Biggest Highland Games, outside of Scotland
* Highest number of black cabs, outside of London
* Strangest frying habits, probably
* Persistently reappearing at the top of the "deaths by Covid" charts in the UK
* Highest death rate from preventable disease in the UK
I could go on, but it's probably a little unfair as I know quite a few nice people from there.
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Appropriately enough at the other end of the (dis)United Kingdom. Plymouth to be precise. The chippie in question was on the Barbican and we were in Sutton Harbour and didn't fancy cooking so ordered Cadiz style fish with Belgian style potatoes when we saw that they also offered deep fried confectionery. The lady in the shop had never had an order for one so was quite amused to try it. Needless to say it was disgusting and we did a naughty and fed the seagulls.
Because you need one to wash the taste away -->
I was going to say something bad about encouraging the rats on wings but perhaps you were just doing a Tom Lehrer.
I've had more than a few deep fried mars-bars, there's a chippy near the old office that serves them.
Much further back in life, though, I worked in an off-license next to a chippy. The woman who ran it came in one-day asking for ideas of things to deep-fry and wanting my to be the guinea pig, so I've had
- Deep fried pizza (one of those little personal ones that tesco/coop etc do)
- Deep fried creme egg (delicious, but the centre is molten fire)
- Deep fried maltesers (don't really work)
- Deep fried curly-wurly (gooey)
- Deep fried icecream (meh)
The chippy near my school used to deep fry various other things to, Mars, snickers, bounties and a "jam fritter" (deep fried jam sandwich with golden syrup drizzeled).
I fear those years of questionable snacks will catch up with me soon though
Im a rather happy scot today. My favourite news site has mentioned my very favourite chippy from my home town. Memories of a mis-spent youth, and I do live round the corner (when I am home). The pizza crunch is excellent as is the battered sausage; one cut in half on a buttered roll please with broon sauce thank you very much!
Thanks el reg!
Well, if you're in Beaverton, Oregon (just outside of Portland) and you have a hunger for fish and chips and a deep fried Mars bar and Irn-Bru... you're in luck!
https://www.oregonlive.com/dining/2018/09/some_of_portlands_best_fish_an.html
"The Frying Scotsman, a Portland fish and chip cart from Scotland native James King, will pack up its fryers and move to Beaverton after nearly a decade downtown.
Alongside thick-cut fries and golden cod or haddock -- considered by some to be Portland's best fish and chips -- King offers Scottish staples such as deep-fried Mars bars and the bright orange soda Irn Bru (Scotland's other national drink)."
Then again, Scotland has nothing on American State Fairs when it comes to deep-frying... anything. Bubblegum, beer, butter... just a sample of the, um, goodness on offer.
https://www.delish.com/food/news/a38681/fried-bubble-gum-and-other-big-tex-choice-awards-finalists/
Yes, fried beer... fried Pepsi... fried cheesecake...
[Beer to wash it all down because there isn't an icon of arteries seizing up.]
I remember a trip to the french countryside, and one of my party ordered "pied de porc" from a Very French restaurant under the assumption that it must be a regional delicacy. It turned out exactly what you asked for, a pig's foot, all bone with very few edible and fewer digestible parts. We asked the waiter about it in our best broken french, and his response was, "only tourists order that!"
So leave your deep-fried chocolate bars on the menu, it's what the tourists think is essentially scottish!
'My food is your food...' Jabbar went on. 'Vimes stared down at the dish by the fire. It looked like a sheep or a goat had been the main course. And the man bent down, picked up a morsel and handed it to him. Sam Vimes looked at the mouthful. And it looked back. 'The best part,' said Jabbar, and made appreciative suckling noises. He added something in Klatchian. There was some muffled laughter from the other men around the fire. 'This looks like a sheep's eyeball,' said Vimes, doubtfully. 'Yes, sir,' said Carrot. 'But it is unwise to–'
'You know what?' Vimes went on. 'I think this is a little game called “Let's see what offendi will swallow”. And I'm not swallowing this, my friend.' Jabbar gave him an appraising look. The sniggering stopped. 'Then it is true that you can see further than most,' he said. 'So can this food,' said Vimes. 'My father told me never to eat anything that can wink back.' There was one of those little hanging-by-a-thread moments, which might suddenly rock one way or the other into a gale of laughter or sudden death. Then Jabbar slapped Vimes on the back. The eyeball shot off his palm and into the shadows, 'Well done! Extremely good! First time it have not worked in twenty year! Now sit down and have proper rice and sheep just like mother!'
- Jingo, Terry Pratchett
Sir Pterry icon, El Reg?
The reason your Aberdeenshire correspondent was unaware of deep fried Mars bars is that the heathens that eat it are all west of Stirling. We righteous east coast chaps have a sophisticated cuisine such as onion bridies and mutton pies (pehs in my home town). None of us from anywhere ever go to Edinburgh so who knows what they consume there; probably babies and pet kittens.