On another site, I was recently asked:

‘ …If someone came to your city / country for the first time, what would be the traditional, or ‘typical’ dishes they should experience at least once? ‘ 

I knew the answer to this question immediately: a real, homemade, no-nonsense, doesn’t need ‘owt else with it, Chip Butty.

When I was growing up, this was what I wanted when the day was cold and I was hungry and needed to eat RIGHT NOW:

I had my best Chip Butty ever at a railway café on a platform in Sheffield Station in the mid-1970s. I shouldn’t have been there. I should have been in the Peak District with my friends but I’d missed my stop and ended up in Sheffield. I was even more miserable that the weather. I didn’t want to be there. I was, cold, tired, hungry and embarrassed at my own ineptitude. I had an hour to wait for a train that could take me back to the hills and I wandered in to a small, grubby café on the platform. I wanted a cup of tea, hot black and strong but as soon as I stepped inside. I caught the smell, a wonderful, heartwarming, day-rescuing, dignity-restoring smell of real chips being fried. When I saw Chip Butty on the chalk menu, I knew everything would be ok.

So what is a Chip Butty and how do you make it?

It’s a very simple dish but the ingredients and the timing have to be right to experience it at its best

First, the chips have to be real chips, not French Fries. Real chips are thick cut, soft, not crispy, with the outside skin cooked just enough to be firm while leaving the inside almost moist so that it melts in the mouth. The nearest foreign equivalents are Steak Fries or Frites Pont-Neuf, although both of them are usually dryer and firmer than real chips.

Third, you need real salted butter, generously spread on both pieces of bread so that there is a layer of butter between the chips and the bread.

Fourth. the hot chips need to be placed onto the lower slice of bread so that it’s totally covered. One layer will do. Two layers are better.

Fifth, the top piece of bread is placed, butter side down over the chips and pressed firmly into place.

Allow a second or two for the chips to start to melt the butter and then serve at once.

There are those who would add ketchup or brown sauce, but I think they’re not showing enough confidence in the pure product.

A real chip butty deserves to be eaten with your fingers, which can be licked clean of chip fat and melted butter at the end and should be accompanied by a mug of strong tea, preferably Yorkshire, made in a pot or, as it was back in Sheffield Station, made in an urn.

Bonus material

When I was looking for a picture of Mothers Pride, (this is an apostrophe-free bread) I came across this TV advert by a young Dusty Springfield, who was then emerging as a pop star.