The spice bag is said to have begun around 2006 as an after hours staff meal at a Chinese takeaway in Templeogue, south Dublin, and it spread across the country with the speed of good gossip. It is a brown paper bag holding chips, crispy shredded chicken, fried peppers, onions and chili, all shaken with a seasoning of salt, five spice and Sichuan pepper. In 2020 it was voted Ireland's favorite takeaway dish, ahead of rivals with several centuries' head start.

Ours bakes the chips and shallow fries the chicken, so no deep fryer is needed and the kitchen survives intact. It is ideal for a late race on a Sunday evening, eaten from the bag on the sofa, which is exactly how it was designed to be eaten.

The spice seasoning

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons fine salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Chinese five spice
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon chili flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon ground Sichuan pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon MSG

The chips

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lb (680 g) frozen thick cut oven fries

The crispy chicken

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 lb (570 g) boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs
• 1/2 cup (65 g) all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup (60 g) cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups (360 ml) vegetable or peanut oil

The toss

Ingredients

• 1 red or green bell pepper
• 1 medium yellow onion
• 1 fresh red chili
• 3 scallions

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