Anchor James is an Irish sailor with a temper. Do not cross him when it comes to all things sea, Guinness or fish & chips. When he told us that he has come across the best burger of the sea, just here in Malta, we were a little bit skeptic. Not wanting to test his ire, we set on to investigate. We had no treasure map, just hearsay evidence, and crossed-fingers.
Our first stop, in the long pursue for the Fish Burger, landed us in the small harbour of Marsascala. Here, we came across Uncle Matt’s Kitchen, renown by locals as Summer Nights prior to 2016. In March of 2016, owner Matthew Pace and chef Antoine Bugeja expanded and rebranded the old-time pizzeria & cafeteria, and now run an open kitchen establishment that can host 500 customers. Here is where we found the Union Jack Battered Fish Burger. Is this the one Anchor James has been hailing all along?
The burger itself is not very flashy, but sometimes the simplest approach has the most pleasing outcome. The core of this burger is made from a whole piece of hand-cut fillet of Nile Perch, lightly coated in beer batter. All is contained in a bun together with lettuce, 2 slices of tomatoes and tartar sauce on the side. Does Anchor James know more than we do on this one? We need to delve deeper into the preparation process.
It transpires that the concept behind this burger creation was to turn the worldwide-acclaimed fish & chips, into Burger form. In Britain and Ireland, Cod and Haddock are the most common fish used for fish and chips, however, we’ve seen other white fish being used all over the globe. This table fish is at the base of many popular dishes in this part of the world, indeed part of river Nile flows into our Mediterranean sea. It’s chockfull of Omega 3, and every 100gr of Nile Perch is packed with 20gr of protein, 0 saturated fats, and only 90 calories!
The fish fillet is coated with a batter made from spices, flour, and drenched in Guinness… Now we know that Anchor James would definitely like this one! It’s fried until it’s crispy, and oven cooked until the inside is glimmery white. It has a delicate taste, with a mild flavour along with a firm and flaky texture. The chef has managed to perfectly nail the cooking temperature, as the fish feels fresh and crispy and shreds easily. Even though the crust has been deep-fried it’s not oily or soggy; the cooking process in the oven helps to dissipate and cure the oil. Uncle Matt is very generous with portions as the piece of fish is thick and juicy, just the way we like our burgers. It’s everything anyone hopes a fish burger to be!
Tartar sauce is known to be the ultimate partner for fish and chips. It’s an essential part of any fish dish, just like butter is to bread. Its salty-sour flavour provides the perfect foil for battered fish. The sauce is made in-house and is presented as a side, so you can spread as much as you like. The flavour is dominant with hints of creamy mayonnaise, sour pickles, the acidity of vinegar or lemon, and parsley or some similar peppery herb. The burger is accompanied by crispy French fries or potato wedges. We would say that the wedges had an edge over the fries, but we guess that many will opt for the fries, just to get a taste of the classic fish & chips.
Our hunt for the Fish burger has not yet come to an end, as we’ve been told that there are other treasure spots around the island. In the meantime, if you’re around Marsascala, have an unfulfilled urge, and are indecisive between fish & chips and a burger… now you know that Uncle Matt can fulfill your burger-craves!
