Half price fish & chips day 26th May in some Italian chippers

The Irish Times - Tuesday, May 25, 2010

'I've never met a chip I didn't like'

RÓISÍN INGLE

Tomorrow is National Fish and Chips Day, when a one and one will be half price at your local chipper. To celebrate, our feature writer and food columnist go on the batter
I’VE NEVER met a chip I didn’t like. With that in mind the boss thought it prudent to draft in our food writer Domini Kemp to accompany me on an all-too-brief gastronomic romp around the capital’s deep-fat fryers in honour of the first National Fish and Chips Day, which falls tomorrow. Her culinary discernment proves essential over the course of what is a gruelling task. Without her counsel I might yet be at Leo Burdock by Christ Church, chewing on its legendary crispy bits.

Burdock’s is where we begin. First we ogle the list of famous people who have allegedly eaten in the chipper, including Gilbert O’Sullivan, George Michael and a slew of supermodels who look like they’ve never experienced the joy of battered anything. Incredibly, Domini has never been to Burdock’s before. “You haven’t lived,” I tell the food writer, who spent her childhood in the Bahamas, worked in a Michelin-starred restaurant, wrote a cook book, runs a foodie business empire and has two daughters.

She reckons, as takeaway food goes, that fish and chips is probably one of the least processed and therefore more wholesome options. “You wouldn’t want to be having it every day,” she says, though I’d have a contrasting opinion on that one. “But it is food that hasn’t been messed around with. What you see is essentially what you get.”

We ask for a cod and chips. Salt and vinegar? Essential. A few crispy bits? Oh, yes. After a spot of grilling – it feels like heresy with so much bubbling hot oil around – we discover our server has been working here for more than 40 years. We get our chips, our change and a welcoming tip: “There are some benches over in Christ Church, and it’s a lovely day.”

People rave about 99s in the sun by the sea, but fish and chips picnic style, with a church that’s nearly 1,000 years old as a backdrop, is an alfresco attraction the tourist board should be marketing. “It’s that vinegar smell, isn’t it? That’s what gets you about chipper food,” says Domini, getting a whiff of the steam coming from our warm parcel. She’ll be asking me about the bouquet next, I think, ripping open the paper and getting straight down to business.

My verdict: They are lovely, obviously. It’s a ginormous portion of fish and chips. From Burdock’s. QED. Domini, who seems to be taking this taste-test business seriously, is a tad more circumspect. “The batter is slightly soggy, but I’d say some people appreciate that, and the fish hasn’t got a distinct flavour; it’s a bit bland,” she says. “The chips I really like. They are comforting and familiar tasting, and they aren’t leaving a nasty greasy film in my mouth, which can sometimes be a problem.”

The crispy bits are the real taste test. They alone will prove whether this Kemp woman is worth her salt as a food writer. “It’s basically small bits of batter, pure fat,” she declares after trying a couple. “Exactly! Isn’t it genius?” I say, relieved to discover I am not hanging around with a complete amateur.

Next stop is Itsa4, in Sandymount, the restaurant that Domini owns with her sister, Peaches, where we are having a posh version of fish and chips. This is haddock in a herb crust, with crushed peas and homemade tartare sauce. “Delicious – full of flavour and light as a feather – but could be vastly improved by a nice slab of batter,” I opine into my digital recorder, feeling more like Michael Winner by the second.

For our final course of the day we go next door to Bruno Borza’s chipper. This is the part of the taste test where any objectivity I might have had – the teeniest shred, basically – goes out the window. I grew up three doors down from this chipper. I can pretty much tell the story of my life through its fish and chips, its batter burgers, its Big B Burgers and its curry sauce. Domini has only ever tasted the chips before. Never the fish.

I should probably mention that National Fish and Chips Day is the brainchild of the people behind the Irish Traditional Italian Chipper Association. The chipperati are feeling the pinch of the recession as much as anybody else, and it was hoped the day might give business a boost. Peter Borza, the association’s vice-president, says it was also formed to celebrate the fact that Italians have been frying chips for Irish people for 125 years. It all started not too far from Borza’s, actually, when Giuseppe Cervi was selling roasted chestnuts and roasted a potato by mistake. “Nobody knew what pizza or pasta was here; potato was the national dish,” says Borza. The people of Great Brunswick Street – now Pearse Street – knew a good thing when they tasted one. The famous “one and one” shorthand for fish and chips came, legend has it, from Cervi’s wife, Palma, asking customers “ Uno di questo, uno di quello ?”, or “One of these, one of those?”

The Cervis opened a string of shops in the early 1900s; they were joined in the 1950s by an influx of Italians – the Apriles, Fusciardis and Macaris, to name a few – and their battered wares. Most are from Frosinone, a region south of Rome that, because of the links between the countries, has an Irish festival every year.

In Borza’s on Sandymount Green – the owners are distant relatives of Peter Borza – we order a fillet of cod and chips. I am deeply worried that Domini won’t say nice things about Bruno’s amazing cod and that I will then have to sack her from this gig – and possibly from The Irish Times Magazine .

We sit on a bench on Sandymount Green in the sunshine, sampling the fish and chips. “Excellent batter – light, crisp – flaky fish, not soggy, sweaty or bland,” she says, going back for more. “Delicious. Chips are also good, but the fish is the best. I’d take the fish from Borza’s but with the chips from Burdock’s.”

Kemp’s job is safe for now. Not so sure about mine after this hard-hitting investigative advertisement for fish and chips. It was worth it, though. Burp.

To celebrate National Fish and Chips Day, fish and chips from the 190 members of the Irish Traditional Italian Chipper Association (itica.ie) and some other shops, including all branches of Leo Burdock, are half price tomorrow

Domini Kemp's 'Itsa4' (Restaurant) - Haddock, peas and tartare sauce

HERB-CRUSTED HADDOCK

Serves 2

120-150g haddock fillets per person, cut in half

1 tbsp chopped tarragon, parsley, thyme

50g breadcrumbs

1 egg

2 tbsp flour

sunflower oil

Get three bowls or plates ready. Mix the herbs with the breadcrumbs, season and pour into bowl number three. Beat the egg and put into bowl number two. Season the flour and put in bowl number one. Then dip the haddock, one, two three: flour, egg, breadcrumbs. Heat about 2cm of sunflower oil in a frying pan. When a crumb sizzles when dropped into the oil, carefully slide the fish into the hot oil. Cook for about three minutes on each side or until golden brown. Drain on kitchen paper, season with more salt, and serve. A salad with a lemon vinaigrette and lemon wedge will finish it off nicely.

CRUSHED PEAS

200g frozen peas

splash of water

knob of butter

This will make loads, but it’s hard to blitz in small quantities. Cook the peas in boiling water. Drain and rinse until cold. Then blitz with a splash of cold water. When ready to serve, reheat and season lightly.

TARTARE SAUCE

4 tbsp mayonnaise

1 shallot, very finely chopped

1 tbsp chopped parsley

1 tsp chopped dill

1 tsp chopped tarragon

Juice of 1 lemon

Few splashes Tabasco

1 tbsp capers, rinsed and finely chopped

Mix and season.

blue4ever wrote: »

Full list of participants here:

http://whatsonin.ie

Fairview Grill 25 Annesley Bridge Road Fairview Dublin 3
Embassy Grill 172 Pembroke Road Ballsbridge Dublin 4
Borza Take Away 4 Main Street Donnybrook Road Dublin 4
Ferrari 2 Athorncastle Street Ringsend Dublin 4
Presto Take Away 8 South Lots Road Dublin 4
Borza's 5 Sandymount Green Dublin 4
Cosy Take Away 4 Malahide Road Artane Dublin 5
Fairview Grill Malahide Road Dublin 5
Hamburger Bar 47 Kilbarrick Road Dublin 5
Mizzoni's of Rathgar 91 Rathgar Road Rathgar Dublin 6
Mizzoni's Harolds Cross Road Dublin 6
Silvio's Food Fare 180 Templeogue Road Templeogue Dublin 6W
Ezio's 181 Lower Kimmage Road Dublin 6W
Macari's Food Fare 25 Ashtown Grove Navan Road Dublin 7
Fish Bar 85 New Cabra Road Dublin 7
Tony's 64 Quarry Road Dublin 7
Rocca Take Away 60 Faussagh Avenue Cabra Dublin 7
Toni's 95 Emmet Road Inchicore Dublin 8
Bistro Cafe' 102 South Circular Road Dublin 8
Bistro Take Away 30 Lower Clanbrassel St Dublin 8
Gianni's 40 Parkgate Street Dublin 8
Morelli's 134 Thomas Street Dublin 8
Silvio's Food Fare 117 Cork Street Dublin 8
Rimini Take Away 392 Collins Avenue Whitehall Dublin 9
Macari's The Plaza Shangan Road Ballymun Dublin 9
Dario's 55 Decies Road Ballyfermot Dublin 10
Roma Food Bar 201 Le Fanu Road Ballyfermot Dublin 10
Macaris Unit 11 Ballymun T. C. Dublin 11
Macari's Unit 3 Meakstown S. C. Finglas Dublin 11
Salveta's 4A Church Street Finglas Dublin 11
Macari's 115 Ballygall Road West Finglas East Dublin 11
Macari's 4 St Pappins Road Glasnevin Dublin 11
Marsella's 10 Fitzmaurice Road Dublin 11
Mona Lisa 167 Crumlin Road Crumlin Dublin 12
Silvio's Food Fare 66 St. Agnes Park Crumlin Dublin 12
Antonio's Food Fare 151 Drimnagh Road Drimnagh Dublin 12
Drimnagh Take Away 33 Benbulbin Road Drimnagh Dublin 12
Macari's Diner Unit 22 Main Street Belmayne Balgriffin Dublin 13
Marsella's 2 Beaumont Avenue Churchtown Dublin 14
Roma 52 Marian Road Rathfarnham Dublin 14
Silvio's Food Fare 100 Nutgrove Avenue Rathfarnham Dublin 14
The Village Take Away 10 Main Street Rathfarnham Dublin 14
Salveta's Unit 5 Corduff S. C. Blanchardstown Dublin 15
Macari's 22 Main Street Blanchardstown Dublin 15
Gino's 2 Main Street Blanchardstown Dublin 15
Macari's Unit 1 Carpenterstown S. C. Castleknock Dublin 15
San Marco's Unit 4 Littlepace S. C. Clonee Dublin 15
Romayo's Unit 9 Weavers Row Clonsilla Dublin 15
Giulio's Take Away Main Street Mulhuddart Dublin 15
Alfredo's Take Away 81 Macroom Road Coolock Dublin 17
Aldo's Diner Old Bray Road Cornelscourt Foxrock Dublin 18
Silvio's Food Fare Unit 5 Sandyford Hall S. C. Sandyford Dublin 18
9th Lough 1 St Patricks Road Clondalkin Dublin 22
Donatella's Take Away Dutch Village Clondalkin Dublin 22
Macari 1 Castle Crescent Clondalkin Dublin 22
Macari's 1 Monastery S. C. Clondalkin Dublin 22
The Roma Take Away 44 Tower Road Clondalkin Dublin 22
Coletti's Take Away Super Valu Shopping Centre Firhouse Dublin 24
Cinelli's Firhouse Shopping Mall Firhouse Dublin 24
Macari's Unit 14 Old Bawn S.C. Old Bawn Dublin 24
Borza 3 Main Road Tallaght Dublin 24
Gio's Food Fare Unit 4 Kingswood S. C. Tallaght Dublin 24
Mizzoni's Belgard Road Tallaght Dublin 24
Macari's Old Blessington Rd Springfield Tallaght Dublin 24
Macari's Unit 7 Castletymon S. C. Tallaght Dublin 24
Macari's Main Street Tallaght Village Dublin 24
Matassa's Unit 4 St. Dominic's S. C. Tallaght Dublin 24

Co. Dublin
Palm Beach Take Away Church Road Ballybrack Co. Dublin
Borza's Unit 5 Supervalue S. C. Balbriggan Co. Dublin
Macari's Spices Mill, Drogheda St Balbriggan Co. Dublin
Pop In Take Away Main Street Balrothery Co. Dublin
Central Take Away Main Street Blackrock Co. Dublin
G Macari 5 Rockville Road Blackrock Co. Dublin
P Borza 16 Castle Street Dalkey Co. Dublin
Macari's 35 Deansgrange Road Deansgrange Co. Dublin
Libero's Take Away 12 Clonkeen Road Deansgrange Co. Dublin
S. Macari Chapel View Donabate Co. Dublin
Miami Cafe' Lower George Street Dun Laoghaire Co. Dublin
Ritz Cafe' 3 Patrick Street Dun Laoghaire Co. Dublin
East End Take Away Main Street Lucan Co. Dublin
Roma Unit 1 Richview Lucan Co. Dublin
Gino's Station Road Lusk Co. Dublin
Papa Gigio's Main Street Lusk Co. Dublin
Beachcomber Food Bar 6 Main Street Malahide Co. Dublin
The Roma Take Away Main Street Newcastle Co. Dublin
Marsella's Main Street Rathcoole Co. Dublin
Angelo's Take Away 3-5 Main Street Rush Co. Dublin
Genoa Cafe 20 Main Street Rush Co. Dublin
Little Chip Inn Sandy Road Rush Co. Dublin
Bernardo Take Away Main Street Shankill Co. Dublin
Mario Macari's 10 Strand Street Skerries Co. Dublin
Central Cafe' 75 Strand Street Skerries Co. Dublin
Aprile 10 Kilmacud Road Stillorgan Co. Dublin
Magic Chef 4 Kilmacud Road Lower Stillorgan Co. Dublin
Fingal Cafe' Main Street Swords Co. Dublin
Rathbeale Take Away 61 Rathbeale Swords Co. Dublin
Tony's Super Take Away Unit 6 River Valley S. C. Swords Co. Dublin

TequilaMockingBird wrote: »

Basquille, P Borza in Sligo are doing it. Sign up this morning. See you there

Lemlin wrote: »

I can't get into that list. Are any chippers in Cavan doing it?