Papa's Barn First Gluten Free Day

In the small village of Aylesford of which I have called my home for the last 20 odd years, we have been privileged enough to live near the greatest fish and chip shop I have ever been to. No, we are not a seaside town but we can clearly do chips right! Papa's Barn have been a family favourite since forever, no chip shop truly compares. I had many a dinner with my late Grandad there, so although it isn't the original building, the layout is the practically the same so it brings back so many happy memories every time I go there. I don't think James and I would still be together if he didn't agree that the only place to get fish and chips is Papa's!

When I was told that all my problems were caused by gluten it was hard to say goodbye to their battered cod and chips and the little rolls you get on the side (which one to pick from the basket was truly the most exciting thing for me as a 5 year old!). Thankfully, I had a friend who worked there for a while who told me the grilled chicken and chips should be gluten free, just to eat at my own risk. So, I don't miss out too much but who really wants to be eating grilled chicken, chips and salad when everyone else has fish or battered sausages! Not me!

So when on Good Friday we saw a flyer for a completely gluten free day, we booked a table there and then. My four years without a real Papa's fish and chips was going to come to an end. It has been literally all I have thought about for weeks!

When we arrived we were seated and offered the standard Papa's roll, of which they were all gluten free. I picked what I believe to be the Schar gluten free roll (found in supermarkets freezer aisle) which is one of my favourites. I then took a look at the menu to find it the most extensive gluten free fish and chip shop menu I have seen. Many local places do a day of gluten free fish (although I have never tried them) but at Papa's I could choose from a variety of fish, scampi, sausage (including battered), chicken, steak and so much more. I could even have a gluten free lager if I wished. I have not seen a gluten free day so thought through and as it was their first time, I was mightily impressed.

In the end I opted for cod and chip as I really couldn't have anything else without regretting my decision of missing out on a Papa's battered cod! When it arrived the batter was so crisp and even on the fish, the crunch and flavour was incredible! The cod just fell apart and melted in the mouth and the batter was perfectly cooked with no odd aftertaste or apparent 'gluten freeness'. We ordered mushy peas and a curry sauce as sides and these were both absolutely delicious too! I don't think we have ever had such a quiet meal, barely two words were spoke as I was in gluten free heaven!

James said that he wished they would do it more as he actually preferred the batter, who would have thought! He also said it doesn't hold the oil the way the typical batter does so it gives it a crispier fresher taste. The chips were the typical award wining high standard from Papa's. If you have never tried Papa's chips, it is something I would really recommend you do! There is no way to describe how fluffy they are in the middle yet how crisp they are on the outside. They are by far the best chips around, James and I even considered how close we would be to them when we were house hunting!

As I was a little piggy and ate 99% of my dinner, I couldn't fit in dessert but there was quite a bit to choose from, from brownies and creme brûlée to banana split and sorbets. Every last detail had been thought about. If and when they do it again, I will certainly be leaving room for dessert!

Overall, I left Papas one happy lady and really cannot wait for the next time they a gluten free day! I did notice that there is a little warning on the menu to let you know that everything is gluten free but due to it being a typical gluten kitchen they cannot 100% guarantee this. If you are familiar to Papa's you know their hygiene appears to be second to none, so I had no fear of equipment being contaminated and I would more than happily eat there again and again and again!

Hannah xx

Gluten Free Fish Pie

James LOVES fish pie and as my mum is highly allergic to all fish it is something I have never really had, let alone cooked! As he has been asking for me to do one since we moved in, I finally bit the bullet after 6 months and decided to give it a bash!

The recipe that I adapted mine from was actually Claire Witt's, which you can find here. As I am a avid follower of her channel, I knew she had posted a recipe up some time ago. I sort of winged mine measurements wise as I only wanted to make a two portion pie, but it seemed to turn out well!

Here's what I did!

I used:

• 200g Ocado Frozen Fish Pie Mix
• 1 Knorr Fish Stock Cube (I made 1/2 pint but only used 1/4)
• 1 Tablespoon Doves Farm Flour 
• Milk 
• Potatoes (I used three small organic ones) 
• Butter
• Cheese 

Firstly I peeled and chopped the potatoes and put them onto boil to make the mash.

Then I melted a tablespoon of butter in a pan, added the flour and then whisked in even amounts of milk to stock. Then I set this aside ready to assemble the pie.

I then put 200g of the fish mix in my dish. For this, I use the smallest Heritage rectangular dish from Le Creuset to give you rough sizing and this fits perfectly.

Then I took the sauce and added it to the fish. I mashed the potatoes with butter and milk before putting this on top of the mix. Finally, I added some fork lines and sprinkled some grated cheese on top and put it in the oven for 35 minutes.

I didn't add the veg as claire suggested, as James firstly told me he doesn't tend to have it in a fish pie, and as I never had one I left it out and put it on the side instead! As this is the first time I have had fish pie I thought it was amazing and James said it was one of the best he has had! So thanks Clair for sharing such an easy great recipe!

Let me know if you give it a go and what you think of it, or if you have a recipe for fish you think we would enjoy!

Hannah x

March Favourites! - Gluten Free

As I have been loving quite a few bits this month, I thought I would do a round up to cover all the products I feel deserve a mention but I don't always blog. For me, March has been a hectic month, it's show season for both businesses and James has either been shooting weddings or completing his final uni project, which means my kitchen has been full of random foods and my living room has been turned into a photography studio. That being said, I have had to cook quick fast meals which can be eaten easily as we have been constantly rushing!

To kick off my favourites, I have been loving the chocolate orange rice cake bars from Aldi. These have been coming to work with me everyday and as they are just under 100 calories a bar, they feel like a naughty treat but really aren't too bad! The rich dark chocolate and zesty orange flavour is something that feels quite luxurious but at under £1 for a pack of 5, they really do not break the bank. 

We have been loving fish this month in the Fletcher-Ireland household, particularly salmon. We love the Ocado fresh salmon fillets and have those with Tilda chilli rice and veg. But in M&S the other day I saw some salmon paupiettes reduced from £7 to £5.40, I just had to try them! Already filled with butternut squash and mascarpone, we had them just with some steamed spinach and they were amazing! I would totally recommend! 

Another great Ocado find that we have been enjoying for the last couple of months are the Mash Direct vegetable crisp bakes. I order once a month from Ocado and pop bits in the freezer, and these were one of the things my freezer was stuffed with! They are quite a dense crisp bake and packed with a wide mix of veg. I find them a quick easy meal which is healthy and tasty. 

Kelkin Jaffa Cakes were the first free from snack that I ever tried. When I saw them in Waitrose I just had to pick them up. I have seen mixed reviews on these jaffa cakes, but I love them. I don't think there is any difference in these and the mainstream ones! 

My last favourite of the month is The Collective Dairy Scottish Raspberry yoghurt. I tend to buy the larger tubs and portion them down and take it to work. I love yoghurts where the flavouring is a separate element as I find where you mix it into the natural yoghurt with a compote, they taste more natural and less artificial and have a better texture.

I would love to know what you've been loving!

Hannah x