Northern Ireland has been enjoying a Christmas chip for a month as the festive season kicks off, and now some Brits are trying the famous dish for the first time
Though Christmas remains another four weeks away, it’s never too premature to indulge in the legendary Christmas chip. The dish is a staple part of the festive season in Northern Ireland, with restaurants and cafes featuring it on their menus from early November. But the scrumptious creation hasn’t made waves on the other side of the water – until now.
British folk have started sampling Christmas chip for themselves this year, with many discovering the mouth-watering delight for the first time. For those not in the know, a Christmas chip comprises flavoursome chips crowned with an assortment of festive accompaniments, including pigs in blankets, turkey, ham, stuffing, and gravy.
In a TikTok clip, Emily Wardley, from England, revealed she was yearning for Christmas chip after enjoying the meal multiple times whilst residing in Northern Ireland.
Now she’s returned to England, she chose to create her own homemade Christmas chip, demonstrating to fellow Brits how to prepare the dish themselves.
Emily started by emphasising that the chips must be “chippy chips”, meaning those purchased from a fish and chip establishment, rather than oven chips or fries. She placed these onto a plate before garnishing them with pigs in blankets that she had sliced into bite-sized portions.
The lady then incorporated roast chicken in place of turkey, which she explained she had prepared as though it were a Sunday roast before shredding it into smaller fragments to scatter over her chips. She then sprinkled some stuffing over the top before showing off her completed dish.
She also displayed a separate gravy boat brimming with thick gravy that she planned to drizzle over her meal, assuring viewers she wouldn’t be eating it plain.
Emily explained: “In Northern Ireland, they offer it with cheese, cranberry sauce, gravy, the lot. It’s got to be thick gravy though. I’m sorry – you cannot tell me that doesn’t look absolutely banging.”
In her caption, she declared: “I can confirm these are a solid 10/10.”
Numerous followers responding to Emily’s video confessed they’d never encountered Christmas chips before watching her footage, as the dish isn’t widely known beyond Northern Ireland.
Nevertheless, some vowed they’d be attempting it immediately, describing it with a single word – “revolutionary”.
One viewer commented: “England really needs to apologise for our crimes against Ireland. This is revolutionary.”
Another replied: “This looks amazing! I’ve never heard of it, though.”
A third wrote: “Never heard of these! But they look unreal!”
The responses weren’t entirely favourable, though, as numerous Northern Irish residents informed Emily she was preparing the meal “wrong” by omitting ham and cranberry sauce, and using chicken rather than turkey.
One person observed: “All the chippys where I live in Northern Ireland serve Christmas chips but not with chicken. It’s with turkey, that’s what a Christmas chip is.”
Another highlighted: “Where’s the turkey and ham?! Cranberry, if you wish!”
