Penaluna’s uses Frymax solid fat in the shop but its liquid oil on its mobile van. Both make great partners
Penaluna’s Fish & Chips in Hirwaun promises to give customers a taste of the sea in the Brecon Beacons, serving sustainably sourced cod and haddock and only the finest grade A chipping potatoes.
For 14 years, owner Lee Penaluna has fried in Frymax, commenting: “I’ve tried a few oils along the way but every time I come back to Frymax. It just can’t be beaten on performance and it has a neutral, clean flavour, so the fish tastes like fish and chips taste like chips!”
A busy takeaway and 56 seater restaurant, the oil is put through its paces on a three pan range, turning over between 30 and 40 sacks of potatoes a week as well as what Lee calls “a lot of oil killing” products.
“The longevity of Frymax is really good,” says Lee. “I cascade the oil from the chip pan and fish pan and use it to top up the pan that does all our rissoles, fishcakes and sausages – stuff that really damages the oil – and our snack pan will still last three weeks.”
Penaluna’s also operates a mobile fish and chip van, which has just been upgraded and which hit the road last month. Instead of a solid fat, Lee fries in Frymax Liquid, a blend of rapeseed and palm, which comes in lightweight, pourable 10 litre bottles. “It’s much easier than working with a solid fat because it gives me more control and I can easily top up little and often,” he says.
The main advantage, however, is that Frymax Liquid complements the solid fat used at the shop. Lee explains: “I was using rapeseed oil at one point on the van but switched about two years ago to Frymax Liquid. When I have a big event, I’ll blanch the chips in the shop first in palm oil but I was finding when I finished them in rapeseed on the van, it was killing my oil straight away. Since using Frymax Liquid that doesn’t happen, which has extended the oil life on the van.”
Back at the shop, Lee looks after his oil by running it through the built-in triple filtration on the frying range at the end of every shift and skimming, using an 80 micron mesh on a constant basis and then going in with a finer 120 micron mesh after every three fries.
“You’ve got to look after you oil. A good quality oil is as vital as your fish and your potatoes,” he adds.
Frymax www.frymax.co.uk
