Olley's Fish Experience, 65 - 69 Norwood Road, Herne Hill, SE24 9AA

Considering England is the "Home of Fish & Chips" I have had some of the worst mutations of this dish here on Her Majesty's very own shores.

Having read great reviews of Olley's I decided to check it out.  It's located near Brockwell park, which serves as a great spot to eat your battered sea creature and chips on a nice day.

They do a lunch deal from 1PM to 3PM, £6.50 for Fish of your choice, chips and mushy peas.  I ordered the Haddock.  The Haddock was great, covered in a very nice batter that wasn't feral or out of control with oil and other anomalies.  Tasty chips to accompany.  I'm generally not a fan of mushy peas, but these had a very gentle home-made taste to them, if a bit bland.  A splash of vinegar spruced them up.  They are ultimately better than the offensive processed varieties.

Olley's do their fish grilled too if you're not into batter, however why is it that you can't find any breaded fish in most Fish & Chip joints in this country?

A good cheap eat at £6.50.  

Olley's Website

Quick & Easy Recipe: Muttabal aka Baba Ganoush

Having spent a large part of my life in the Middle East I occasionally  get flashes of flavours that I can't shake off, one of these being Muttabal which is a smoked aubergine dip.  It's really simple to make, cheap and tasty!  It's one of those simple dishes that always surprises you and your guests with it's distinct bold flavour.

Muttabal

Ingredients:

• 3 Cloves of Garlic
• 1/2 Cup of Tahina (A sesame paste available in all Arabic Supermarkets)
• 1 T/S Salt
• 1 Large Aubergine
• Lemon 
• Parsely to Garnish
• Paprika powder to Garnish

Directions:

The best way to smoke the Aubergine is to literally roast it on the hob, this sounds dangerous but works great.  Turn the flame up up high, slap the Aubergine down onto it and roast, turning occasionally till you can feel it has softened inside and the skin is burnt.

Put aubergine aside to cool, and peel off and discard skin.  At this point, chop it up into four or five pieces and put into a large mixing bowl.

Chop garlic cloves till fine and throw them onto the aubergine.  Add the teaspoon of salt, lemon juice and 1/2 cup of the tahina.  Mix thoroughly and set aside to cool.

Spread the Muttabal on a plate and garnish with small sprinklings of Paprika Powder, a bit of Parsley and Olive oil if you like. 

Serve with warm Pitta bread and enjoy the garlicky smokey goodness!