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Scottish Sun
2 days ago
- Health
- Scottish Sun
TV's Aldo Zilli tries all the supermarket cods – the delicious, authentic winner costs just 85p a piece
THE COD-FATHER TV's Aldo Zilli tries all the supermarket cods – the delicious, authentic winner costs just 85p a piece Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) IT'S National Fish and Chip Day tomorrow – and last week the classic combo was also named our top dish to order in the pub. But while a chippy tea remains a favourite, rising costs means many of us are forced to skip it. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 9 Celebrity chef Aldo Zilli rates a selection of battered cods Credit: Darren Fletcher Luckily, there are plenty of similar fish fillets available in the supermarkets to give you all the taste without the higher cost. Celebrity chef Aldo Zilli, who is a Scottish Fish and Chip Awards judge and head chef at Elaine's Restaurant in London, tucks into a selection of battered portions. Tesco Battered Cod Fillet Portions 4 pieces, 500g, £3.39, 52% fish 9 I don't know how they make this cod so cheap Credit: Darren Fletcher THESE frozen portions are Atlantic cod, which is sustainable and a good source, so I don't know how they make it so cheap. It's an excellent price for four pieces. For those nights when you want a chippy tea, you could absolutely cook an alternative with this box on standby in the freezer. With some chunky homemade or oven chips, it's perfect for a takeaway taste. It is not quite authentic in flavour as the batter is a bit soft. But the fish tastes fresh, with a good, firm texture and it's flaking and moist. The size of each piece is generous, too. RATING: 4/5 The Sun tries Wetherspoons' new menu Sainsbury's Battered Cod Fillets 4 pieces, 500g, £3.39, 58% fish 9 When picking up this Sainsbury's fish, be prepared for something more like a canape Credit: Darren Fletcher ONE of the higher ratios of fish but they do not seem plentiful. The pieces of cod have been cut in a meagre way and look like offcuts. I suppose that's how you keep the price down, and it doesn't affect the taste. The batter is a bit uneven and thicker around the edges. It looks like it has a batter crust, which is quite strange. But the fish tastes decent, is flaking and plump and appears and smells very fresh for a frozen piece of cod. Not oily at all. It's less than a pound for a portion but size-wise, be prepared for something more like a canape. Good for small appetites. RATING: 3/5 Asda Battered Cod Fillets 4 pieces, 440g, £3.75, 55% fish 9 Asda battered cod looks more like a biscuit Credit: Darren Fletcher AFTER cooking, I already don't much like the look of it and I'm not excited to tuck in. The batter is an odd, nutty brown colour. It should be a rich golden amber. It looks more like a biscuit than a piece of fish and the coating is so crunchy you could crack your teeth. There's a huge amount of batter that is so solid it's breaking away in shards, plus the cod is chewy and tasteless. This resembles something that has been sitting under a canteen hotplate for hours drying out. Not exactly a treat to replace a takeaway. RATING: 2/5 M&S Battered Cod Fillets 2 pieces, 300g, £4.50, 58% fish 9 M&S cod fillets are a bit more expensive Credit: Darren Fletcher THE fish inside are fresh, not pre-cooked, which means the luxury level has been upped here – along with the price tag. It is very good quality. You get good chunky pieces of cod and can tell from the shape it is a proper, bouncy, fish fillet inside. On the downside, there are only two pieces for the higher price, so great for couples but not for families. And it took longer to cook than the packet said. They taste very nice but the batter- to-fish ratio is off and the coating is too thick. But it does taste like chip shop batter and the cod is moist. RATING: 3/5 Aldi Battered Cod 4 pieces, 500g, £3.39, 52% fish 9 This Aldi cod is my winner! Credit: Darren Fletcher THE ingredients are pretty minimal, which is good, and as a freezer-friendly batter goes, it's a fairly authentic recipe. I really liked the look of these. Four chunky pieces of cod that will fill you up. The fish in the batter is the right proportion to allow you to enjoy both flavours without either overwhelming the other. And they both taste delicious. Excellent flaking fish and the golden coating is crispy, tasty and exactly the right texture. Frozen batter is hard to get right because it often goes soggy when you warm it back up. RATING: 5/5 Lidl Battered White Fish Fillets 4 pieces, 500g, £2.50, 53% fish 9 Lidl offer cheaper pollock instead Credit: Darren Fletcher LABELLED as 'battered white fish', inside the batter you get pollock. Not one you'll see on the board at your local chippy but it's not a bad alternative. The firm texture is similar to a piece of cod, so it works well even if it's not as flavoursome and moist. The main difference is price. Pollock is much cheaper, which is why these portions are more budget friendly. But if you are going to add ketchup, mushy peas and all the other trimmings, you probably won't notice it's not cod. Great as a kids' meal option to save you money. The batter had a strange texture though. RATING: 3/5 Iceland Battered Skinless Cod 4 pieces, 440g, £3.50, 52% fish 9 Iceland's option has a dense coating Credit: Darren Fletcher SADLY, these were not good at all. They were a decent size and the batter looked thick. But after I heated it up I realised just how dense the coating was. In fact, there was hardly any fish inside at all. When I pulled off all the outer layer, I was left with a teeny tiny amount of white fish. That wouldn't be so bad if the golden casing was incredible, but it was not great. It's not crispy and it dried out when cooking, so it sticks in your mouth. Altogether, tasteless, watery and lacks flavour. Not like battered fish at all. RATING: 2/5 Young's Chip Shop 2 pieces, 300g, £4.50 (was £5.75) 54% fish 9 Young's Chip Shop fillets are in an exceptionally crumbly, yet still light, crispy batter Credit: Darren Fletcher PROMISES to have bubbly batter just like you'd get fresh from the fryer. In fairness, even when still frozen, this looks like a genuine chippy piece. You get two really big pieces of cod and they've used the tail cut of fish like the longer, thinner pieces you are served in takeaways. They are in an exceptionally crumbly, yet still light, crispy batter made with sodium bicarbonate for a golden chip shop texture and flavour. Moist and tasty and there's more fish and less batter, which works well. It looks, smells and tastes incredibly like a chippy offering. RATING: 4/5
The Sun
2 days ago
- Health
- The Sun
TV's Aldo Zilli tries all the supermarket cods – the delicious, authentic winner costs just 85p a piece
IT'S National Fish and Chip Day tomorrow – and last week the classic combo was also named our top dish to order in the pub. But while a chippy tea remains a favourite, rising costs means many of us are forced to skip it. 9 Luckily, there are plenty of similar fish fillets available in the supermarkets to give you all the taste without the higher cost. Celebrity chef Aldo Zilli, who is a Scottish Fish and Chip Awards judge and head chef at Elaine's Restaurant in London, tucks into a selection of battered portions. Tesco Battered Cod Fillet Portions 4 pieces, 500g, £3.39, 52% fish 9 THESE frozen portions are Atlantic cod, which is sustainable and a good source, so I don't know how they make it so cheap. It's an excellent price for four pieces. For those nights when you want a chippy tea, you could absolutely cook an alternative with this box on standby in the freezer. With some chunky homemade or oven chips, it's perfect for a takeaway taste. It is not quite authentic in flavour as the batter is a bit soft. But the fish tastes fresh, with a good, firm texture and it's flaking and moist. The size of each piece is generous, too. RATING: 4/5 The Sun tries Wetherspoons' new menu Sainsbury's Battered Cod Fillets 4 pieces, 500g, £3.39, 58% fish 9 ONE of the higher ratios of fish but they do not seem plentiful. The pieces of cod have been cut in a meagre way and look like offcuts. I suppose that's how you keep the price down, and it doesn't affect the taste. The batter is a bit uneven and thicker around the edges. It looks like it has a batter crust, which is quite strange. But the fish tastes decent, is flaking and plump and appears and smells very fresh for a frozen piece of cod. Not oily at all. It's less than a pound for a portion but size-wise, be prepared for something more like a canape. Good for small appetites. Asda Battered Cod Fillets 4 pieces, 440g, £3.75, 55% fish 9 AFTER cooking, I already don't much like the look of it and I'm not excited to tuck in. The batter is an odd, nutty brown colour. It should be a rich golden amber. It looks more like a biscuit than a piece of fish and the coating is so crunchy you could crack your teeth. There's a huge amount of batter that is so solid it's breaking away in shards, plus the cod is chewy and tasteless. This resembles something that has been sitting under a canteen hotplate for hours drying out. Not exactly a treat to replace a takeaway. M&S Battered Cod Fillets 2 pieces, 300g, £4.50, 58% fish 9 THE fish inside are fresh, not pre-cooked, which means the luxury level has been upped here – along with the price tag. It is very good quality. You get good chunky pieces of cod and can tell from the shape it is a proper, bouncy, fish fillet inside. On the downside, there are only two pieces for the higher price, so great for couples but not for families. And it took longer to cook than the packet said. They taste very nice but the batter- to-fish ratio is off and the coating is too thick. But it does taste like chip shop batter and the cod is moist. Aldi Battered Cod 4 pieces, 500g, £3.39, 52% fish 9 THE ingredients are pretty minimal, which is good, and as a freezer-friendly batter goes, it's a fairly authentic recipe. I really liked the look of these. Four chunky pieces of cod that will fill you up. The fish in the batter is the right proportion to allow you to enjoy both flavours without either overwhelming the other. And they both taste delicious. Excellent flaking fish and the golden coating is crispy, tasty and exactly the right texture. Frozen batter is hard to get right because it often goes soggy when you warm it back up. RATING: 5/5 Lidl Battered White Fish Fillets 4 pieces, 500g, £2.50, 53% fish 9 LABELLED as 'battered white fish', inside the batter you get pollock. Not one you'll see on the board at your local chippy but it's not a bad alternative. The firm texture is similar to a piece of cod, so it works well even if it's not as flavoursome and moist. The main difference is price. Pollock is much cheaper, which is why these portions are more budget friendly. But if you are going to add ketchup, mushy peas and all the other trimmings, you probably won't notice it's not cod. Great as a kids' meal option to save you money. The batter had a strange texture though. RATING: 3/5 Iceland Battered Skinless Cod 4 pieces, 440g, £3.50, 52% fish 9 SADLY, these were not good at all. They were a decent size and the batter looked thick. But after I heated it up I realised just how dense the coating was. In fact, there was hardly any fish inside at all. When I pulled off all the outer layer, I was left with a teeny tiny amount of white fish. That wouldn't be so bad if the golden casing was incredible, but it was not great. It's not crispy and it dried out when cooking, so it sticks in your mouth. Altogether, tasteless, watery and lacks flavour. Not like battered fish at all. Young's Chip Shop 2 pieces, 300g, £4.50 (was £5.75) 54% fish 9 PROMISES to have bubbly batter just like you'd get fresh from the fryer. In fairness, even when still frozen, this looks like a genuine chippy piece. You get two really big pieces of cod and they've used the tail cut of fish like the longer, thinner pieces you are served in takeaways. They are in an exceptionally crumbly, yet still light, crispy batter made with sodium bicarbonate for a golden chip shop texture and flavour. Moist and tasty and there's more fish and less batter, which works well. It looks, smells and tastes incredibly like a chippy offering.
Scottish Sun
09-05-2025
- Lifestyle
- Scottish Sun
Celeb chef Aldo Zilli tests supermarket focaccia – the winner is just £2.45 and tastes authentic
ITALIAN bread sales are on the rise as a craze for scoffing giant deli-style sandwiches sweeps the UK. Tesco has reported a 40 per cent increase in sales of olive oil-infused flatbread focaccia, inspired by customers wanting to recreate some of the tasty snacks seen online. 11 Aldo Zilli tested different focaccia bread to assess which is the best on the high street Credit: Darren Fletcher 11 England footballer Phil Foden has been sharing his love of focaccia bread on social media Credit: Instagram 11 Man City teammate Erling Haaland was also seen dropping in for a delivery Credit: Instagram Footie stars including Erling Haaland and Phil Foden have been among the fans showing off their fancy sarnies on the socials. But which supermarket version does the best Italian job? We asked celeb chef Aldo Zilli, who makes his own focaccia at Elaine's Restaurant in London, to try some. Rosemary Focaccia Rolls, 200g 4-pack, £1.35, Tesco 11 Tesco has reported soaring sales of focaccia bread in their stores Credit: Darren Fletcher DECORATED with salt and rosemary needles, these contain 4.5 per cent olive oil, which gives the tops a glossy sheen. The shape and size mean they would be ideal as a convenient at-home option for making focaccia Italian-style sandwiches, too. Unfortunately, they taste terrible. The packet says they are hand-finished – but whoever is doing this bit needs to back right off on the rosemary as that is what ruins the taste. The dried needles are too bitter. I've tried to pick them off, but I couldn't get rid of them all. This is completely ruining the bread. The dough is also too dry and slightly sweet tasting – focaccia should be soft and salty. Sadly, disgusting. Rating: 1/5 My hack makes the scrummiest air fryer crumpet garlic bread in just eight minutes and it only costs 50p Deli Kitchen 4 Sliced Focaccia, 360g, £1, Sainsbury's 11 Sainsbury's bread costs just £1 and scores highly with Aldo Zilli Credit: Darren Fletcher REALLY if you are going to make sandwiches using Italian-style bread you should use Schiacciata. This is a kind of flat focaccia which is large and thin and soft inside and it's perfect for sarnies so it's very famous in Florence as the dough for whenever you add fillings. It's what we use to make proper authentic Firenze-style sandwiches in the deli at my London restaurant, Elaine's. We make our own, of course, but this pack is a good supermarket imitation of the Schiacciata style. It's a pre-sliced flatbread so it's very convenient. It looks good with proper perforation holes and the bread is very tasty. A bit more olive oil and salt would be nice but at 25p each I can swallow that. Good for family lunches. RATING: 4/5 Olive Oil & Garlic Flatbread, 220g, £3.50 each, M&S 11 M&S' offering was more garlic bread than focaccia, Zilli reports Credit: Darren Fletcher SEVEN per cent extra virgin olive oil is generous when it's such an expensive ingredient, so I'm glad I can see and taste it in this dough. This was the most olive oil in any of the breads I tried. On the flip side, it also means it's very soggy and, because the dough is also quite thin and you have to heat it, there's a good chance it will burn if you don't watch it very carefully. Once cooked, it's really quite nice. It's a very good olive oil, the garlic on top is strong but not sour – get the mints ready afterwards – and I like the parsley. The dough is a good texture and thickness. This is for tearing and sharing bread, not for sandwiches. A very good garlic bread but it's thin and crispy, I wouldn't really call it focaccia. RATING: 3/5 Rosemary & Rock Salt Focaccia, 180g 2-Pack, £1.29, Village Bakery Aldi 11 Aldi's two-pack present well and are golden and crispy but 'not proper focaccia bread' Credit: Darren Fletcher THESE look nice in the packet and are a bargain for bread made with 4.5 per cent extra virgin olive oil. They came out of the oven smelling great and I really wanted to love them, but why on earth have they covered them with so much rosemary? Yes, it is authentically Italian to sprinkle the focaccia with the herb but they have used it the wrong way. The actual dough is not bad, it's golden and crispy. But it's a normal bread roll, not a proper focaccia. The dough has not risen enough, so they are also too flat, and they are not soft enough to slice for sandwiches. They're too salty, too. But any bread out of the oven is always tasty, so if you warm them up and dunk in olive oil or add a dip, they are OK. RATING: 2/5 Rosemary & Sea Salt Focaccia, 250g, £2.50, Sainsbury's Taste the Difference 11 Sainsbury's looks the part but was like trying to bite into a brick Credit: Darren Fletcher I WAS keen to tear into this one. It looks like a proper large hand-made focaccia should – with an unlevel top, puffy segments and a golden outer. It also contains six per cent extra virgin olive oil. But I'm afraid it's really disappointing to eat. This bread is dry and rock hard. To be honest it seems stale and it's like trying to bite into a brick. It's hard to break off as it just cracks everywhere. This is another bread covered in too many herbs and the dried rosemary is a problem. It's embedded in it and so bitter. This dough needs more olive oil. When I make focaccia it's spongy and light, this is like a doorstop. The ingredients are good, though – it just needs adjustments. And you get a lot for your dough. RATING: 3/5 Irresistible Rosemary & Rock Salt, 246g, £2.45 each, Co-op 11 The winner of the taste test is the Co-op, serving up a genuine Italian bread Credit: Darren Fletcher FINALLY – a proper Italian-tasting focaccia! This is fantastic, and I can't stop eating it. The white bread inside is soft and fluffy like a cloud so I can tell they've used a really good extra virgin olive oil. The outside is crispy and golden and the rosemary needles have been added with restraint, so they just enhance the golden topping and don't ruin it. You get that just-greasy-enough consistency, and the rock salt on top is perfect. It's light and delicious with a proper bounce in your mouth. This is the only one that I think you could simply eat as it is, perhaps with balsamic vinegar, and oil for dipping. Or you could make a nice panini-style sandwich. It's substantial, so I think this is good value, too. RATING: 5/5 Focaccia Rolls, 130g, 59p each, Lidl 11 Lidl's rolls are cheap at just 59p but the flavour is not quite what Aldo Zilli was looking for Credit: Darren Fletcher THIS is peculiar. On the one hand it's come from the store bakery so it is nice and fresh and only 59p for a decent-sized bit of bread – a very good price. But the taste is odd. It's been covered in dry herbs which make it smell strange and the flavour is not right for a focaccia. I can't taste any olive oil. For once there is no rosemary that I can taste, and instead this is covered with dried oregano and garlic. These are both very strong flavours and if you don't like either of them you're in trouble. The dough is very pale and white, a bit dense. It's certainly edible and you could add other things for a cheap lunch. Fill with good mozzarella or perhaps some Parma ham, maybe some olives and rocket leaves, and I think you'll fix the bread. RATING: 3/5 Mozzarella & Hot Honey Focaccia, 312g, £3 each (Clubcard price), Tesco Finest 11 Tesco's Finest range has great bread but the hot honey element is a miss Credit: Darren Fletcher THIS is quite doughy. You have to reheat it and drizzle the honey on top. But even after warming by following the packet instructions, it's still a bit raw in the middle. That said, this is a decent bread. It's nice and spongy and made with good flour. I can tell the dough is fermented and hand-stretched as it gives it that light, airy texture and it tears apart in the right way. I like the mozzarella and garlic on top but the hot honey sachet doesn't belong. It's too sweet and doesn't really go with the base or cheese. It's a useless ingredient, I'd leave it off and use a proper chilli oil or fresh chilli. Or add some salami and you'd have a very well-priced pizza. Give it a bit of attention and this is a good, well-made attempt. RATING: 4/5
The Sun
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Celeb chef Aldo Zilli tests supermarket focaccia – the winner is just £2.45 and tastes authentic
Aldo Zilli Published: Invalid Date, ITALIAN bread sales are on the rise as a craze for scoffing giant deli-style sandwiches sweeps the UK. Tesco has reported a 40 per cent increase in sales of olive oil-infused flatbread focaccia, inspired by customers wanting to recreate some of the tasty snacks seen online. 11 11 Footie stars including Erling Haaland and Phil Foden have been among the fans showing off their fancy sarnies on the socials. But which supermarket version does the best Italian job? We asked celeb chef Aldo Zilli, who makes his own focaccia at Elaine's Restaurant in London, to try some. Rosemary Focaccia Rolls, 200g 4-pack, £1.35, Tesco DECORATED with salt and rosemary needles, these contain 4.5 per cent olive oil, which gives the tops a glossy sheen. The shape and size mean they would be ideal as a convenient at-home option for making focaccia Italian-style sandwiches, too. Unfortunately, they taste terrible. The packet says they are hand-finished – but whoever is doing this bit needs to back right off on the rosemary as that is what ruins the taste. The dried needles are too bitter. I've tried to pick them off, but I couldn't get rid of them all. This is completely ruining the bread. The dough is also too dry and slightly sweet tasting – focaccia should be soft and salty. Sadly, disgusting. Rating: 1/5 My hack makes the scrummiest air fryer crumpet garlic bread in just eight minutes and it only costs 50p Deli Kitchen 4 Sliced Focaccia, 360g, £1, Sainsbury's 11 REALLY if you are going to make sandwiches using Italian-style bread you should use Schiacciata. This is a kind of flat focaccia which is large and thin and soft inside and it's perfect for sarnies so it's very famous in Florence as the dough for whenever you add fillings. It's what we use to make proper authentic Firenze-style sandwiches in the deli at my London restaurant, Elaine's. We make our own, of course, but this pack is a good supermarket imitation of the Schiacciata style. It's a pre-sliced flatbread so it's very convenient. It looks good with proper perforation holes and the bread is very tasty. A bit more olive oil and salt would be nice but at 25p each I can swallow that. Good for family lunches. 4/5 Olive Oil & Garlic Flatbread, 220g, £3.50 each, M&S SEVEN per cent extra virgin olive oil is generous when it's such an expensive ingredient, so I'm glad I can see and taste it in this dough. This was the most olive oil in any of the breads I tried. On the flip side, it also means it's very soggy and, because the dough is also quite thin and you have to heat it, there's a good chance it will burn if you don't watch it very carefully. Once cooked, it's really quite nice. It's a very good olive oil, the garlic on top is strong but not sour – get the mints ready afterwards – and I like the parsley. The dough is a good texture and thickness. This is for tearing and sharing bread, not for sandwiches. A very good garlic bread but it's thin and crispy, I wouldn't really call it focaccia. THESE look nice in the packet and are a bargain for bread made with 4.5 per cent extra virgin olive oil. They came out of the oven smelling great and I really wanted to love them, but why on earth have they covered them with so much rosemary? Yes, it is authentically Italian to sprinkle the focaccia with the herb but they have used it the wrong way. The actual dough is not bad, it's golden and crispy. But it's a normal bread roll, not a proper focaccia. The dough has not risen enough, so they are also too flat, and they are not soft enough to slice for sandwiches. They're too salty, too. But any bread out of the oven is always tasty, so if you warm them up and dunk in olive oil or add a dip, they are OK. Rosemary & Sea Salt Focaccia, 250g, £2.50, Sainsbury's Taste the Difference 11 I WAS keen to tear into this one. It looks like a proper large hand-made focaccia should – with an unlevel top, puffy segments and a golden outer. It also contains six per cent extra virgin olive oil. But I'm afraid it's really disappointing to eat. This bread is dry and rock hard. To be honest it seems stale and it's like trying to bite into a brick. It's hard to break off as it just cracks everywhere. This is another bread covered in too many herbs and the dried rosemary is a problem. It's embedded in it and so bitter. This dough needs more olive oil. When I make focaccia it's spongy and light, this is like a doorstop. The ingredients are good, though – it just needs adjustments. And you get a lot for your dough. Irresistible Rosemary & Rock Salt, 246g, £2.45 each, Co-op 11 FINALLY – a proper Italian-tasting focaccia! This is fantastic, and I can't stop eating it. The white bread inside is soft and fluffy like a cloud so I can tell they've used a really good extra virgin olive oil. The outside is crispy and golden and the rosemary needles have been added with restraint, so they just enhance the golden topping and don't ruin it. You get that just-greasy-enough consistency, and the rock salt on top is perfect. It's light and delicious with a proper bounce in your mouth. This is the only one that I think you could simply eat as it is, perhaps with balsamic vinegar, and oil for dipping. Or you could make a nice panini-style sandwich. It's substantial, so I think this is good value, too. 5/5 Focaccia Rolls, 130g, 59p each, Lidl THIS is peculiar. On the one hand it's come from the store bakery so it is nice and fresh and only 59p for a decent-sized bit of bread – a very good price. But the taste is odd. It's been covered in dry herbs which make it smell strange and the flavour is not right for a focaccia. I can't taste any olive oil. For once there is no rosemary that I can taste, and instead this is covered with dried oregano and garlic. These are both very strong flavours and if you don't like either of them you're in trouble. The dough is very pale and white, a bit dense. It's certainly edible and you could add other things for a cheap lunch. Fill with good mozzarella or perhaps some Parma ham, maybe some olives and rocket leaves, and I think you'll fix the bread. Mozzarella & Hot Honey Focaccia, 312g, £3 each (Clubcard price), Tesco Finest 11 THIS is quite doughy. You have to reheat it and drizzle the honey on top. But even after warming by following the packet instructions, it's still a bit raw in the middle. That said, this is a decent bread. It's nice and spongy and made with good flour. I can tell the dough is fermented and hand-stretched as it gives it that light, airy texture and it tears apart in the right way. I like the mozzarella and garlic on top but the hot honey sachet doesn't belong. It's too sweet and doesn't really go with the base or cheese. It's a useless ingredient, I'd leave it off and use a proper chilli oil or fresh chilli. Or add some salami and you'd have a very well-priced pizza. Give it a bit of attention and this is a good, well-made attempt.
