My Love Letter to Fish & Chips

It seems like so often people have a certain dish that brings them back to a specific memory or a moment in time. I have plenty of those, and I’ve recently discovered something even more special; a dish that seems to stop time. For me, that dish is fish and chips. I spent five weeks in Shanagarry, Ireland at the Ballymaloe Cookery School filled with intense cooking mornings and long demonstrative afternoons. Many pockets of my free time were spent exploring the beaches, eating the local foods, and walking through the farm grounds. When my friends and I weren’t exercising or organizing our cooking school notes, we could probably be found eating fish and chips. Fish and chips can be enjoyed in so many ways, whether it be at a fancy restaurant, a pub, or a picnic beside the sea. There are truly no rules. My first time having the beloved dish was at the beginning of my second week at the school, when we ventured to Ballycotton and tried out a local joint called Skinny’s. It was absolutely tiny with a menu of mostly fried fish and a picnic bench seating area that overlooked the water. The fish was coated in a fluffy, crisp batter and dressed in tons of malt vinegar and sea salt. The chips, or french fries as I’ve known them, were perfectly soft yet crunchy. We paired our meal with an overwhelming amount of tartar sauce and a side of, controversially loved, mushy peas. This meal was a period to get to know my friends more, spend some necessary time outside the school grounds together, and understand the local food. While it was very far from a five star dining experience, thinking back to devouring fried haddock and greasy French fries by the sea puts the biggest smile on my face. I’ve been home for a month now, and I’ve caught myself reminiscing back to that place so many times and feeling at ease to envision how much I’ve grown, learned, and experienced. The Irish air was cool, the food was made with love, and the people were undoubtedly wonderful. This dish and this place will forever hold a meaningful spot in my heart, and I’m itching to recreate it in my own kitchen soon. So here’s to fish and chips; the dish that made me fall in love with the food culture in this little slice of heaven.