Emily Aoibheann

The artist and aerialist tells of her love of chipper chips and the magic of baking spring onions in fire pits in the mountains of Barcelona

What was your favourite childhood meal?

‘Kitty Porridge’ from my great-aunt Kitty. This magic porridge is what I imagine ambrosia served by doves and nymphs in Olympus tastes like — very milky, with sugar. This particular nymph, Kitty, was 80 years old, had cutely curled jet-black hair and a bright-red cashmere jumper. The whole experience made the dish very sweet. I substitute dairy with oat milk in my own version.

What is the meal you will always remember?

At the top of a winding road in the mountains of Mataro, in the province of Barcelona, we baked Calcotada spring onions in fire pits under the earth. The onions were served with delicious pink salsa, eaten with our hands and enjoyed with an abundance of wine. After a hugely satisfying meal, with us all nicely lubricated, my host announced we would then have a musical parade. Off we went through the almond trees, along wooded paths with shakers and flutes, until we got to an abandoned skate park up in the mountains. We sat around a concrete pit and took turns entertaining each other with impromptu dance, song and silliness.

What was your defining food experience?

My aunt, God rest her soul, had a boat called the Maggie B. She grew peaches and pears on the deck and kept hens, chicks, a toucan and a goat, all roaming free. I remember she once caught a silvery sea bass and made us seafood stew and peach muffins. A great lesson in adventure and self-sufficiency for a young girl. I don’t go in for eating fish these days

— they are better off in the sea.

What’s the first dish you ever cooked?

I was an aficionado of the mud pie.

What do you drink?

A tot of rum, or mead.

If you could only eat three things for the rest of your life what would they be?

Kombu, nori and dilisk [seaweeds].

What is the most appetising smell in the world?

Salt-and-vinegar-drenched chipper chips from Cafe Cairo in Howth on a misty, moist, grey late-afternoon.

How important is food to you?

It’s not everything, but it’s a long way ahead of whatever is in second place.

“I don’t go in for eating fish these days — they are better off in the sea”

What’s your sweet treat?

Trampled trifle or pain au chocolat — the Jus-Roll ones are vegan. What’s your signature dish? Like any good witch or wizard,

I draw inspiration from the bounty of the woodland and details of food in my favourite fairy tales. Some staples: stewed nettles; savoury mess of chickweed sprinkled with nutmeg; foliage of shepherd’s purse cooked like cabbage. Also, herbs hung to dry in bunches for stews and teas — thyme, marjoram, sage, vervain, southernwood, yarrow.

All dishes served with fiddle and banjo.

Are you careful about what you eat?

Pleasure and health are both important.

What’s your perfect family meal?

Fortune-telling snacks, followed by a bonfire. For information about Emily Aoibheann’s upcoming performances, see emilyaoibheann.com In conversation with Chloe Brennan