Order Culver's Fish Sandwiches British-Style For 10x The Flavor

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When most people are asked to name the quintessential British food, the majority would probably reply with fish 'n' chips (though some might say it's the 100% home-grown chicken tikka masala). Slip that slab of beer-battered North Atlantic cod into a roll, top it with Wisconsin cheese, along with lettuce and tartar sauce, and you've got a beloved, all-American take on this take-out classic, courtesy of Culver's. As delicious as this sando is, to get the authentic taste of a British "chippy" (the universal moniker for fish and chip shops), you must add malted vinegar.

Tartar sauce does a good job at bringing creamy tang to the table, but malt vinegar will take your fish sandwich to another level entirely. It's a little like salt, insofar as it enhances the other flavors around it. In Britain, where the heaviness of the batter can vary, a splash or two of malt vinegar cuts through all that richness. The batter on a Culver's fish sando is generally lighter and crisper, but that sharp zing also tempers the creamy cheese while complementing the mild taste of the fish.

There are many ways to upgrade your Culver's fish sandwich, but if you want malt vinegar, you must specifically ask for it; plus, it's not always on display. Once you've got your hands on a sachet or two, don't be tempted to drown your sando. Too much malt vinegar can knock the delicate balance of batter, cheese, and fish out of whack, not to mention turn your bread into a soggy mess.

There are oodles of vinegars used in cooking, including apple cider and red or white wine varieties, but only malt makes it to the Culver's menu, alongside those of hundreds of British pubs! Malt vinegar gets its name from the malted barley grains first used to make beer and other malted beverages. A second fermentation after the ale has been made results in the tart, nutty vinegar so many of us know and love. In the United Kingdom, it's more commonly sloshed over fries. Hand-cut, home-made chips with a sprinkle of salt and a generous dash of malt vinegar is top-tier food, in this writer's opinion!

Malt vinegar isn't just delicious on Culver's fried fish sandwiches. Like its cousins, it's got a range of culinary flexes, including pickling (silverskin onions taste amazing when plucked from a jar filled with malt vinegar), blending with olive oil to create rich yet perky dressing, or joining your next batch of coleslaw to make it really shine. When paired with ingredients like maple syrup or sugar, malt vinegar makes a sophisticated glaze that's perfect for fish or pork. Toffee and caramel may not be the same thing, but you could use malt vinegar when preparing both, though we'll always love the idea of sprinkling it atop a Culver's fish sandwich for a simple yet dramatic flavor upgrade.