A fish supper, a one and one, a bag of blocks and a swimmer - the name may vary, but the old combination of fish and chips remains a classic food pairing, up there with bacon and eggs or beans on toast. At its best, it's hard to beat; freshly cooked, flakey white fish in a crispy batter, served with golden, perfectly cooked chips - crisp on the outside and fluffy on the inside.
Problem is that it's all too easy to find a bad fish supper - lukewarm, soggy and swimming in grease. Many takeaway outlets now seem to have almost completely forsaken the traditional one and one, preferring to concentrate on burgers, fried chicken, spring rolls and the ubiquitous microwaved curry sauce. It seems that everything but fish gets battered - from mushrooms to Mars bars. This development is understandable (I have a weakness for spiceburgers myself), and largely due to the arrival of international burger chains, pizza delivery services, Chinese takeaways and kebab joints, but a good chipper can still be judged by the quality of its fish and chips.
Given that we are an island people, we Irish eat a notoriously small amount of fish, and were it not for the country's pious devotion to the Catholic faith and meatless Fridays it is doubtful whether many people would ever have tasted fish of any kind. Friday is the traditional fish and chip night, sometimes for religious reasons, but more often than not because the week's work is done and nobody's in the mood for cooking.
As a child, I always looked forward to the weekly Friday night trip to the chipper - it was official confirmation that the weekend had arrived. With the homework done and the school garb safely confined to the wardrobe, it was time to taste the good times, all wrapped up in a brown paper bag. Golden batter, chips that were too good to allow to cool down, but so hot that you had to roll them around in your mouth, and the acid tang of salt and malt vinegar. Hard to beat.
Years later, the same Friday night trip is still made periodically, but the fried fish feeding frenzy usually takes place a little later in the evening and it is not unknown for the trip to be preceded by a trip to a public house.
The fish and chip shop's origins lie in England in the middle of the 19th century. The Industrial Revolution in the first half of the century had seen a rapid increase in the pace of urbanisation, with badly paid urban workers living in filthy tenements, enduring squalid conditions. Their diet was correspondingly poor and malnutrition was rife, giving rise to diseases such as scurvy, which had previously been associated only with sailors.
In the 1850s the development of freezing processes and the introduction of steam trawlers meant that fishing vessels could travel faster and further than before. The catch could then be chilled or frozen, keeping the fish fresh on its journey to the port and on to the markets. There are several claimants of the title of the world's first chipper: Joseph Malines opened his London fish and chip shop in 1864, but whether he was the first or not remains unclear.
What is certain is that business flourished, particularly in the North of England, with the fish supper offering a cheap, hot meal at the end of a long, hard day's work at the factory or mill, and by 1914 there were 25,000 chippers in Britain. The fish supper came close to being a complete, if often rather fatty, meal and its nutritional value cannot be overstated. As Reay Tannahill says in her marvellous book Food in History, "Whatever the truth of its origins, however, the fish and chip shop made a valuable contribution to the protein and vitamin C intake of the urban labourer from the latter decades of the 19th century until the middle of the 20th."
In Ireland, the fish and chip trade is associated with Italians, and many take-away fronts are emblazoned with names such as Fusco, Borza and Macari. A large percentage of the Italian immigrant population in Ireland actually came from Casalatico, a small village in the Lazio region, from where generations of Italians have travelled to Ireland. Many of them were involved in the catering trade, in cafes and ice cream parlours, so setting up fish and chip shops was a logical step.
Tradition dictates that fish and chips be served wrapped in newspaper, but this is rare nowadays, and it is illegal to serve food wrapped solely in newsprint - your favourite daily may now only serve as an outside wrapper.
Another traditional practice which has been largely abandoned is the use of beef dripping for frying. In these health-conscious days, animal fats are a no-no and vegetable oils of various kinds are now most common. The important thing is that the oil is clean and changed regularly; the smell of stale chip oil is deeply unpleasant. The temperature of the oil is also important - it needs to be hot enough to seal the food quickly and prevent extra fat from being absorbed. Good fish and chips are not greasy, and while nobody is advocating making them the mainstay of your diet, they do provide a periodic antidote to all those bowls of bran buds.
My mission was to track down some of the places where good fish and chips are to be found in Dublin. This selection is not exhaustive by any stretch of the imagination - many people will have their own favourites - it merely represents a selection of places, some old favourites, others more recent discoveries, which have proved to be better than the norm.
We are not dealing with haute cuisine. Some of these places have a seating area, others stick to the traditional "takeaway" formula - you have to find your own venue for eating. Either way, for this simple, comforting meal, your dining area is of secondary importance, the food is the main event. Curry sauce optional.
Burdocks
It is inevitable that people will make comparisons with today's Burdock's and the shop that existed up to the beginning of the 1990s. Then, it cooked its fish and chips on a coal fired range; it was the last of its kind in the country, a nostalgic reminder of times past, and also required constant attention and regular supplies of coal. Thirsty work. In 1992 a fire brought that era to a close and today's Burdock's boasts a modern, gas fired range and the inevitable merchandise (keyrings, Tshirts etc). But the queues are still present and correct, the best testimony to the excellent fish and chips served inside. While you're there, you can pick up a side order of vinegar, made to their own recipe. Top marks for providing self service napkins, salt and forks. It's takeaway only, but if you're lucky, you'll get a seat in the traditional consumption spot- the bench in front of the Castle Inn - with a view of Christchurch.
Burdocks, 2 Werburgh Street, Dublin 8. Also at the Swan Centre, Rathmines.
Cafolla's
Many years ago, I heard a story of an elderly couple who would regularly arrive to eat at Cafolla's with a bottle of wine, so highly did they rate the fish and chips. If the story isn't true, it is certainly plausible; the food here is top notch, cooked in a wonderful old fryer that wouldn't look out of place in a 1950s sci-fi film.
There is a seating area, done in the classic formica style, often occupied by members of the local office population. I prefer to take away, and if the weather is good (a rare occurrence, admittedly) you can eat on the banks of the Grand Canal and offer Patrick Kavanagh a chip.
Cafolla's, 75 Mespil Road, Dublin 4.
Fusciardi's:
Recently refurbished, Fusciardi's is a good choice for a sit-down meal. The long room is painted in pastel shades of orange and green and fitted with comfortable booths, separated by glass partitions. The menu is extensive, with plenty of burgers and battered items, but the fish selection, which includes fish fingers, is disproportionately small. Nevertheless, the cod and chips are very good with a particularly generous portion of fish. My only (minor) quibbles would be with the plastic spoon that comes with the pot of tea and the sachets of ketchup on the table. After all, we are sitting down.
Fusciardi's, 10 Capel Street, Dublin 1.
Beshoff's
The story of Ivan Beshoff, the founder of this fish business, is well known; he survived the mutiny in the battleship Potemkin during the 1905 Russian Revolution, and arrived in Dublin in 1913 from Odessa. When Beshoff's opened in Westmoreland Street in the late 1980s, it caused something of a stir, with its smart interior and a wider range of fish than had been previously seen in most fish and chip shops.
My recent visit was the first in quite a while, and I approached with some trepidation, as I generally do with any of the establishments on Westmoreland Street, many of which now have all the charm, tranquility and intimacy of a Tokyo rush hour.
I ate in, taking my seat after plaicing my order (their joke, not mine) at the counter and receiving a raffle ticket to give to the waitress when the food arrived. Both fish and chips were up to standard, with a very thin, crisp batter on the fish and very potatoey chips, which is a good thing.
The interior is modelled on an Edwardian oyster bar, but the effect is somewhat ruined by the blaring reggae on the jukebox.
Beshoff's, 14 Westmoreland Street,Dublin 2. Also in O'Connell Street and the Square, Tallaght.
Borza's
The pick of the bunch. I could be accused of a certain bias as this was my local chipper for years, but this is where you will get the fish supper of the mind, beautifully golden and distinctly ungreasy. It's take away only, and Sandymount Green opposite, complete with benches and bins, provides the perfect place to eat, all under the watchful gaze of former resident, W.B. Yeats. They certainly know their chippers, these poets.
Borza's, 5 Sandymount Green, Dublin 4.
Beshoff Brothers:
A different Beshoff outfit to that mentioned above, the premises on Howth's seafront concentrates on fish - salmon fillet, lemon sole and calamari all feature alongside the more familiar haddock, cod and ray - with chicken breasts and nuggets being the only two concessions to nonfish eaters. Which is as it should be, since Howth is the perfect spot for fish and chips - a picture postcard village complete with harbour, promenade and swooping gulls.
The interior is bright and cool with navy and white tiled walls and you can sit at side counters on high zinc stools to eat, or take away and stroll by the sea. There is also a full range of Lavazza coffees, so you can have a capuccino with those calamari, should you feel the need.
Beshoff Bros, Harbour Road, Howth. Also in Clontarf.
Cafe Angelo:
Another old favourite, this cafe must be one of the few fish and chip shops that displays a Latin motto ("Servire et Placere") on its menus. The Andreucetti family has been serving food in the area since 1913 and the place has a real neighbourhood feel to it. There is an extensive menu but I normally resist delights such as the Surf 'n'Turf (bunburger and fish of the day served with chips) and stick to the classics, which are well executed.
On my most recent visit, the haddock was of truly gargantuan proportions, accompanied by a mountain of perfectly done chips. One not to be missed.
Cafe Angelo, 36 Wexford Street, Dublin 2.
Sea Shell Fish Bar:
Situated just off City Quay, near the Windjammer pub, this take away is a real local chipper. There is a high counter with a blackboard for a menu and high shelves displaying jars of artichoke hearts and bottles of balsamic vinegar, neither of which seems to be used extensively in the cooking. More bizarrely, there is a glass case housing bottles of gourmet salad dressings and a Child of Prague.
The good selection of fish changes on a daily basis, which is always a good sign, and if you're a fan of the humble battered sausage, this is the place to come.
The Sea Shell Fish Bar, 113 Townsend Street, Dublin 2.
Ritz Cafe:
"The Ritz Cafe, Breakfasts, Teas, Suppers" reads the yellow and black sign painted on the first floor red brickwork of this small building, tucked in off Georges Street. The cafe was established in 1955 and the sign is a reminder of the past, when there was a cafe on the first floor, which is still signposted. The take away thrives downstairs, however, with the staff serving up characteristically thickcut chips and big fish; on my last visit the smoked cod consisted of two fish. A welcome break from the burger chains on the main street.
The Ritz Cafe, Patrick Street, Dun Laoghaire.
C. Aprile:
There was a time when most chip shops offered basic groceries along with the conventional fried fare, making it possible to pick up breakfast along with dinner. This is still the case in Aprile's, which offers a skeleton stock of tea-bags, instant coffee, bread and the like.
One of two chippers on the same block situated on the busy Kilmacud Road, this is a deservedly busy establishment, with both fish and chips really hitting the spot. The friendly staff speak Italian among themselves and the flag is also kept flying in the form of an Italian ice-cream machine and the inevitable portrait of the national soccer team.
C. Aprile, 10 Kilmacud Road, Stillorgan.