Aoife Walsh
“I have a high metabolism and can eat whatever I want”
The top model tells us about having breakfast made for her every morning, and the perfect meal with her fiance
What is the meal you will always remember?
My dad made me breakfast every single morning of secondary school. I look back on it as such a fond memory. He always unintentionally overcooked the boiled egg, so now it doesn’t bother me if my boiled egg goes hard — it reminds me of my dad! He would lay everything out: Rice Krispies, juice — both apple and orange, depending on the mood I was in — tea and a strawberry Pop-Tart. He had me spoiled!
What is your comfort food?
Grinder bread [a type of white loaf composed of two rolls of dough that’s baked on the oven floor] from Hickeys bakery in Clonmel,
Co Tipperary, with home-made veggie soup.
What is the first meal you ever cooked?
It was when I was in college in UCC. It was either a chicken Kiev with waffles, or pasta with a stir-in sauce. I was pretty clueless when it came to food back then!
What is your hangover cure?
Supermac’s. I’d have taco chips, a chicken fillet burger and lots of water!
What do you drink?
About five cups of tea a day. I love sparkling water with ice and a slice of lime. When I’m ‘out-out’, I love a Moscow mule, a quality gin and tonic, or a glass of rosé.
You can go anywhere and have anything to eat with any one person. Where, what and who?
Sunset Beach on Shelter Island in the Hamptons, New York, with my fiance. It’s kind of our special place. We’d get a table on the top deck, order burrata cheese, cherry tomatoes and basil to start, sea bass with a side of fries and garlic aioli for main, and a baked cookie with vanilla ice cream to finish. We’d drink rosé and smuggle in a Barry’s teabag!
What is the most appetising smell in the world?
Freshly baked bread.
What do you always have in your kitchen?
I love making different types of curries and tikka masalas, so spices are a staple. For a healthy treat, I always have natural Greek yogurt in the fridge to have with honey.
If you could only eat three things for the rest of your life, what would they be?
Taco chips; eggs — you can do so much with them; and toast with Kerrygold butter.
What’s your favourite restaurant?
The River Cafe in New York. It has the feeling of old-school New York, with the most incredible views of the city. I went there with my fiance to celebrate my birthday, and they brought out a chocolate Brooklyn bridge for dessert! I literally couldn’t believe it! So special.
Are you careful about what you eat?
I am. I try to make healthy choices to fuel my body. I’ve a high metabolism so I don’t put on any weight — I can eat whatever I want without gaining a pound. Instead, I eat well for my own health and well-being, and take vitamins D and C every day.
What’s your perfect family meal?
Roast chicken with all the trimmings.
I’m not a huge red-meat eater, so my mum always makes a roast chicken dinner for me, with a side of every potato possible. We’d have roast and mashed potatoes, gravy, Yorkshire puddings, crispy stuffing, carrot-and-parsnip mash and peas. A taste of home!
In conversation with Chloe Brennan