Fish and Chips

Some places have small and large portions you can order. For example, I ordered the small portion when I was at Bertie's Proper Fish & Chips in Edinburgh and it was just the right amount. They were very good, too (good beer as well).

I don't know that I would request an order from the kids' menu (and not all places have them). But you could certainly split a meal, I would think, and then maybe order an extra side of chips so your husband has enough of them. 😊. And it's definitely okay to split a meal from a takeaway place.

ETA: The above all refers to Scotland. I haven't been to Ireland so have no clue what happens there with fish and chips.

To me, a little fish and chips can go a long way. You're right--some portions are quite large. I'm the same way with my stomach and fried food. On our March trip to Ireland, I ordered it three times--twice it was very good and once it was actually awful (literally all hard fried breading and a few tiny, tough slivers of fish in it). But during the whole trip I got so many meals that came with chips (veggie burgers, veggie sandwiches, seafood dishes), that I swore once we got back home, I was not going to have French fries for 6 months. I guess fish and chips come down to being a potentially really good comfort food I would have every once in a while, but not on a regular basis. The best times I've had it were in Dublin.

Whether you can order a child’s portion does depend on the restaurant.
My local chippie does smaller OAP ( old age pensioners) meals at lunch time to cater for people who don’t want as much. It wouldn’t surprise me if places in Ireland do similar.
Most chippies will do a variety of portion sizes for chips and small and large fish.
If you are having a sit down meal in a fish and chip restaurant it might be more awkward to try and split a meal. The expectation is going to be that if 2 people sit down they will order 2 mains. Obviously with take away you can do what you want.

You don’t actually have to order fish, there will be other potentially lighter options, scampi, calamari, fish cakes ( these can be a bit hit and miss), sausage, pies. Some fish and chip restaurants will also do grilled fish, and fish in breadcrumbs rather than batter. It might be worth checking menus on line before you go to see if there are options that suit you.

You also don’t need to eat all the batter on a fish. My mum always leaves some because it is too much for her. The fish inside the batter is actually pretty healthy, it doesn’t hit the oil and is sealed in so basically steams.
I also never have the fish. Sausage, chips and gravy for me!

I can’t help you with the chips not being crispy:-) The point is they aren’t French fries and they are supposed to be a bit softer. Some chippies sell ( or even give away) batter bits, in my chippie known as ‘scraps’, these have a lovely crunch when scattered over chips but definitely not healthy.

I love fish and chips, but I tend to do what Emma's mother does- I normally only eat half the batter. As you start to cut into it some of the batter often falls off anyway so it's not difficult to do. I would recommend trying that.

If you're in a pub, unless you're specifically in the restaurant section (which some pubs have) you can order as much or as little food as you want, since half the people in there are only having drinks and there's no expectation to have food.

It is really too bad your husband won't share 7 chips. Aside from asking for a smaller portion, some shops may have alternative sides such as peas or a mash or potentially a salad if it's a sit down spot. The Irish are a cheerful and helpful bunch, just politely ask how you can get the type and portion of food you want.

In some places, you can order just fish. You can also ask them to cook the chips "well done." Sometimes the fish is one piece, which can be quite large. Maybe you could strike a deal with your husband that if you get one order with two pieces of fish, he can have half of yours and most of the fries that you have gotten cooked nice and crispy. Either way, he needs to not be a child about sharing a handful of chips. IME, there are always too many chips. Or you can order a small side of chips and pile the extra on his plate. He's not likely to object to that, right?

My kids used to say, don't get between Dad's mouth and his food. He is at an appropriate weight, BTW. I guess we all have our quirks.

In Dublin you have to go to Leo Burdocks for fish n chips. It’s a take away place. I would make a trip back there just for an order. Best ever!

Is your husband focused on getting as many fish ‘n chips meals as possible? In Ireland, especially for lunch, my go-to has been fish chowder. No two places make it exactly the same, but it’s always been fantastic. Your choice how much of the accompanying brown bread to eat.

In Scotland, as I recall, we’ve had a lot of Indian food - lots of curries.

Thanks Cyn, we'll keep our eyes open for the seafood chowder. My husband has no specific mission to eat fish and chips daily. Its just that so many of the the restaurant recommendations are fish and chips, especially the more budget friendly options.