'I worked in chipper for 5 years - there's one item I'd never order'
Irish people are well known for their love of a Friday night treat from the local 'chipper'. Whether it's a fish supper or a battered sausage that tickles your fancy, you're spoilt for choice with thousands of take away restaurants throughout the country.
But do we ever stop to ponder what goes on behind the scenes of our favourite fry-ups?
Jordan Luxford certainly does. With a five-year stint across various fish and chip shops under his belt, he's picked up nifty tricks and has some stern advice on what to give a miss when ordering.
Now at the helm of A-Star Waste Management, Jordan has decided to spill the beans on the inner workings he witnessed first-hand while serving up this classic fast food.
Lifting the lid on frying techniques, Jordan shared: "Most people wouldn't know that after we cook battered products in our oil, we would follow it with a batch of chips," reports the Mirror.
This, he explains, is a clever way to cleanse the oil of tiny batter bits that stick around even after straining.
With a vast array of items tossed into those sizzling vats, the ex-chef pointed out that there's plenty more variety than just standard cod and haddock – even sweet treats like chocolate bars make the cut. Yet, from his time in the trenches, there are specific dishes Jordan steers clear of nowadays.
Telling the Express, he stated plainly: "I would never order a fried beef burger! If you want a decent burger, get it from a shop with a hot plate to cook it on."
The staff are more than willing to whip up a fresh delight as one worker dishes: "If you want a freshly cooked item go for something that isn't in the glass top under the lights but we would cook anything fresh if a customer asked anyway."
And wait till you hear about the unique treat that has folk talking - fried chocolate bars!
"Fried chocolate bars have always been popular too. We would usually cook them for free alongside an order and as we wouldn't have the chocolate bars in stock, the customer would be asked to bring them with them and we would cook them at the same time as the rest of their order."
But it isn't just about frying up grub; turns out there's more to chippy life than meets the eye. The graft that goes into prepping the beloved menu is hefty, with one owner revealing: "The amount of preparation time needed to get everything ready before opening was a huge surprise! It takes hours to cut a Friday night's fish and even more hours to peel, inspect and cut 20 bags of potatoes. Prep for a Friday night, opening at 5.30 pm would start at 10 am."
Next time you're demolishing your chip supper in record time, spare a thought for the hard graft that's gone into it - hats off to the unsung heroes behind the counter!
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