There is one fast food that has become Ireland’s best loved take-away food. The Spice bag tops the polls as Irelands favourite take-away and is now an iconic fast-food classic that takes pride of place on all Irish takeaway menus!
The spice bag is a tasty mix of crispy chicken, red and green peppers, fried onions, chilli peppers, and chips, all seasoned with a mix of piquant spices and presented, unsurprisingly, in a bag! Technically of course it is an Asian spice bag, or an Asian inspired spice bag, but we have embraced its savoury deliciousness and made it as synonymous with Irish chippers as the deep-fried mars bar is to our Scottish counterparts. According to legend the dish was created in 2010 by The Sunflower Chinese takeaway Dublin, with the first spice bag sold on Just Eat in 2012. It took a good five years for the dish to reach the peak of popularity. Unlike some other fads (where are spice battered burgers now?) it remains a tasty hot favourite with Irish eat at home diners. What we once thought would be the phase to end all phases, has stood the test of Asian-food-but-not-really-Asian-food time, and is now being considered as Ireland's national dish. Irelands National dish seems like a bit of a reach, but the spice bag is so yummy, it does deserve those incredible accolades. So, while bacon and cabbage are being given a run for its money, let us examine what makes the distinctive spice bag so appetizing.
Each Chip shop and Chinese take-away will naturally, guard its spice bag recipe carefully. The blend of spices is traditionally both hot, sweet and salty. Listed below is mix of spice bag spices and ingredients, although this will vary from chef to chef, we think we have captured the essence of the dish.
The spice bag mix is added to the flour used in the batter for coating the chicken.
There is a lot going on with a spice bag recipe. Chicken must be deep fried, chips cooked, the spice bag itself lovingly prepared and the finally added to onions and garlic for sprinkling over the top. The best kitchenware always makes life easier for overworked chefs and at Caterboss we have an amazing range of fryers to help you keep pace with the demand for spice bags. Marinading the chicken in buttermilk for an hour prior to cooking will tenderise it beautifully. Dunk into the seasoned flour and deep fry till golden. A Sturdy food warming drawer will keep your cooked food in perfect condition until you are ready to serve.
Controversy surrounds which are the best potato for producing the ultimate chip-shop French fries. Some favour the Maris Piper or Rooster, and others prefer a waxier potato, but whatever spud works for you and your customers is right for you. There is no great mystery to making good chips, but as always if you have the right equipment, life and chip making become much easier. For really fast potato chippings, we stock the IMC PC2 potato chipper that produces 25kilos of chips, per minute! Time saved and stress eased, leaving you free for the magic touches that make spice bag so incredibly awesome.
Now comes the final alchemy where the simple ingredients of delicious fried chicken and crisp chips meet the sorcery of unique seasonings to become the celebrated spice bag. Fry off some sliced onions and chillies. Add the spice mix and give one final stir around. Sprinkle the spices and vegetables over the chicken and chips and serve in a bag. The magic happens as the combination becomes a wee bit messy and all the flavours fuses.
Sometimes the simplest of ideas are real winners. So, it is with the Irish spice bag. This delightful take-away treat is set to remain as our most ordered, most loved, and most relished fast food. Enjoy!
