This year Chip Week is taking place between 16 and 22 February.
As someone with Coeliac Disease my life is somewhat dominated by my strict and life-long gluten free diet. However, I try not to let this stand in my way of having a good meal and enjoying one of my favourite dishes - Fish & Chips.
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| The very first gluten free chip I ate as a newly diagnosed Coeliac in 2008 |
Obviously, potatoes in their 'natural' form are gluten free. However, in the journey to become chips and to land on your plate they often undergo an interesting journey where they become contaminated with gluten, and therefore unsafe for Coeliacs.
So at home we normally make and cook our own chips, fries and wedges. It's a lot safer, and often tastier that way.
The two bags of oven chips that are always a stock item in our freezer are by McCain. The Original Oven Chips (Fat Chips - Straight Cut) and Quick Cook French Fries are both gluten free. You might think that more oven chips would be gluten free, but you'd be wrong!
On our travels around the UK's seasides we're always on the lookout for gluten free Fish & Chips. After my diagnosis in May 2008 the first place I managed to find some were at Rossi's in Swansea in August of that year.
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| A large portion of chips, with fish. With a side order of chips. All gluten free and served up at the Fish Factory in Worthing |
If you are looking for gluten free chip options when out and about do make sure you double-check on the source, preparation, cooking and serving of the chips to ensure that cross-contamination with gluten-containing food items hasn't and doesn't happen. On a number of occasions I've been told that gluten free food is cooked in the same fryer as gluten-containing food!?
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| I couldn't of put it better myself. The Quayside Fish & Chip shop and restaurant in Whitby has the right idea |
Check out the Chip Week website for more information, recipes, facts, fun and a quiz on chips.
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| Barley Malt Vinegar isn't safe for Coeliacs as it contains gluten, that's why I'm always pleased to see restaurants and takeaways serving non-brewed condiment with food. You can't beat chips covered in salt and vinegar |
This year Coeliac UK will be running it's own Awareness Week between 11 and 17 May and focussing on changing the current state of diagnosis in the UK.
Chip Week Updates:
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| While shopping in our local Co-op we picked up a bag of potatoes to make some wedges with this week - the bag had a Chip Week sticker on it |
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| Lots of chips for Chip Week. And some tasty veg. And oh look, a rib eye steak is on the plate too |
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| Non-brewed condiment - great with chips and a stock item in my cupboard as Coeliacs can't tolerate barley malt vinegar |
Links:
- #ChipWeek
- The Potato Council website
- The Potato Girls on Twitter
- Love Chips on Facebook
Related blog posts:
- Gluten Free Fish & Chips that we've found on our travels
- Coeliac Awareness Week 2015
