2 days ago
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
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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.
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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
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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
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Sainsbury's Battered Cod Fillets
4 pieces, 500g, £3.39, 58% fish
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
