Take a Walk on the Wild Side: Award Winning Chefs Collaborate for Wild Ingredient Dinner

press release

Take a Walk on the Wild Side: Award Winning Chefs Collaborate for Wild Ingredient Dinner 

Bryan (left) and Eric

Bryan McCarthy of Greenes and Eric Kavanagh of Cahernane House Hotel to host a Four Hands Dinner at Greenes Restaurant on Wednesday the 26th of February.

Greenes Restaurant in Cork city is hosting a special wild ingredient-driven dinner on the 26th of February where executive head chef Bryan McCarthy will welcome head chef Eric Kavanagh of Kerry’s Cahernane House Hotel into the Greenes kitchen.

Coming into the end of game season, Bryan and Eric have devised a six course menu which is a celebration of wild food with stand-out dishes of venison and local, foraged ingredients. 

Bryan McCarthy said, “Eric is one of Ireland’s best game chefs and myself and the team at Greenes are delighted to be working alongside someone so renowned for their game cookery. The menu’s focus is on wild, foraged ingredients, offering something unique for our diners and allowing us to showcase our combined passion for this type of food. ”

There will also be a Spring season edition of this four hands collaboration, where the roles are reversed and Bryan will be joining Eric in the Cahernane House kitchen on the 2nd of April. 

Eric Kavanagh said, “I have known Bryan for many years and it’s a wonderful opportunity for me to go back to my Cork roots and work with the talented team in Greenes. Bryan has always been innovative in his work and I know our combined styles will make for two very special evenings for our guests in both Cork and Killarney.”

Greenes

The Wild Ingredient Dinner at Greenes is taking place on the 26th of February and costs €59 per person for six courses, including a drink reception kicking off at 6:30pm. Dinner and accommodation in Greenes’ sister venue, Hotel Isaacs, can be booked at a cost of €258 for two people sharing.

Those who want to experience the best of both culinary experiences - one in the buzz of Cork city and one in the peaceful Kerry countryside - can also book the Spring Four Hands Dinner at Cahernane House for the same price - €59 per person for dinner only, and €258 for dinner and accommodation for two people sharing. 

Reservations can be made for both venues at www.greenesrestaurant.com or by phone at 021 455 2279.

Keep up to date with the latest news by following Greenes on Instagram and Twitter at @GreenesCork and on Facebook at @GreenesRestaurant, and Cahernane House Hotel on Instagram at @CahernaneHotel, on Facebook @Cahernane and on Twitter @CahernaneHouse.

Game Dinner’s a Winner in Loving Salads

Game Dinner’s a Winner in Loving Salads.

Jason Carroll, the experienced chef/owner of Loving Salads, showed his experience and  versatility recently when producing a terrific Irish Game Dinner night at the Academy Street venue. He had mega help from Craig Coady. Craig, like Jason, also worked with Micheal Fleming and then went off to London and worked with the Caprice Holding group in the famous Ivy restaurant as sous chef, La Caprice and also the famous J. Sheekey fish restaurant. Then he returned home and was Executive chef at the Fota Island Hotel for 9 years before coming to join LovingSalads in 2015. 

The game - partridge, pigeon and venison- came from Tom Dunne in West Waterford, from the Knockanore area where’ll you’ll also find cheesemakers (Lonergan’s Knockanore Farmhouse and also Agnes and Wolfgang Schliebitz who produce Knockalara Sheep Cheese ) and ice-cream producer Tom Baldwin.

The very pleasant evening started with a glass of prosecco and a few nibbles. Wine was also included and two that stood out were the Gevrey-Chambertin and also Saint-Julien 2003 from the Medoc in Bordeaux.

But the game was the star of the show, particularly the venison. Carroll, who has worked with some of the best chefs locally, in the UK, Europe and Australia, gave it the star treatment. It came wrapped in brioche and under that was a moist circle of mushrooms, and parma ham. Black truffles, mustard, juniper and herbs had all been used to enhance the seared saddle of venison and there were also golden and red beets on the plate and a helping of madeira jus. Absolutely superb. Shame it was just over two days last week - he may well have another special before Christmas but more than likely it will be a fish evening.

Our starter was Red-legged Partridge breast with celeriac, bread sauce and juniper jus. The description is a bit understated. Next up was Wood Pigeon which came with Prince Squash, Pea purée, and seasonal mushrooms, along with a mille feuilles liver paté. Pigeon, compared to other game, doesn’t always go down well, but Carroll’s version was another winner.

After that, and before the venison, it was time to refresh the palate and in the tarty Lemon Mousse, they had just the job. The main dessert was chocolate: 70% Madagascar chocolate delice with hazlenut praline and espresso sabayon. And we weren’t quite finished yet as a delicious and generous piece of Pistachio Nougat came with the coffee.

The extremely high standard should surprise as Carroll’s CV includes working early on with Michael Fleming of Fleming’s, then under Pierre Kofmann at La Tante Claire 3* Michelin, later worked with Phillippe Etchebest – Meilleur Ouvrier De France (voted best chef in France in 2000) at the Chateau des Reynats a Chancelade, a two star in Perigord. More experience in Australia before working with Peter Kurvita at Flying Fish Sydney 2* in 2004. 

Home for a short spell then at Sheraton Fota Island Resort & Spa before heading off to a major job as Executive Chef at the Sheraton & Westin Resort & Spa in Fiji. He was in charge of both hotels with 800 rooms, 125 chefs, 12 restaurants, banquets for more than 1,000 guests, 3 acres of farming land and farm team! Home again in 2014 and started up Loving Salads!

Watch this space. And also watch their Facebook page  https://www.facebook.com/LovingSalads/ for more Special Nights in Academy Street!

Game on at Loving Salads. Two Big Nights Coming up!

Game on at Loving Salads.

Two Big Nights Coming up!

It is the season for game and you can get your fill of Venison, Wood Pigeon and Partridge at Loving Salads in Academy Street next month. They'll be holding Game specials on two nights, November 7th and 8th. Dinner starts at 7:30pm on both nights.

Loving Salads have good form with their evening specials, having already held a Vegetarian dinner and a Fish dinner and both nights sold out. Owner Jason Carroll decided on two nights for the game on that basis. But, bearing in mind those sellouts, you are advised to book early via an email to Jason@lovingsalads.com. Another dinner special is on the horizon for December, most likely a fish night.

Service!

On arrival at the Game event, you’ll be greeted with nibbles and a glass of Prosecco. Then start in earnest with Red Legged Partridge Breast, Celeriac, Bread sauce and Juniper Jus. On to the Wood Pigeon with Crown Prince Squash, Seasonal Mushrooms, Chicken Liver Paté.

Slow down then with a Lemon Mousse before the big one: Saddle of Venison wrapped in Brioche with Black Truffles! Pause now for a few minutes before the sweet finalé of Madagascar Dark Chocolate Delice!

Sounds tempting! Don’t forget: email Jason@lovingsalads.com to book your place!

Best Steak. Best Game. 2017

Best Steak 2018

Sligo steak

Cork butcher, Tom Durcan, turned up more than once in the the steak stakes in 2017, benefitting from the decision of the Globe to go local (after the takeover by Clayton) and by the return of the Oyster Tavern (a few yards from Tom's stall in the English Market). Best sauce was the Jameson at the Embassy in Sligo. The list is in no particular order.

Darwin's, Dublin. ..with an excellent Barolo jus

Embassy, Sligo... with Jameson Whiskey sauce

The Globe, at the Cork City Clayton Hotel... with a trio of sauces

The Cornstore, Cork... always good for steak!

The Oyster Tavern, Cork..outstanding flavour from the Durcan steak

The Ivory Tower, Cork, with a Peruvian touch

The Commons Inn, Cork ... Irish Hereford beef steaks are aged 35 days

Sage, Midleton, County Cork. Superb beef from Charlie Terry.

The Maestro at Radisson Blu, Little Island, Co. Cork. Outstanding fries & Portobello mushroom

Murrisk Pie

Best Game Dishes

The Tavern at Murrisk, Westport

Blairs Inn, Cloghroe, Co. Cork

Barnabrow, East Cork

Game On at Blairs Inn

Game On at Blairs Inn

Venison casserole

The crew in Blairs Inn in Cloghroe are always game for a laugh, summer or winter. But this time of year, four-legged and feathered game is in season and is served up in many delicious ways by the kitchen of this renowned country pub, a few miles from Cork City and Blarney.

A laugh and a smile are guaranteed here, directions too if you’re a tourist seeking the next beauty spot or watering hole; they’ve even been known to change a wheel for a customer. 

Pheasant

Not that you’ll ever be in a hurry to leave the pub. In winter, the fires are burning and the company's good. You’ll get the same company in the summer in the garden by the little Sheep River. And it’s also a terrific place for craft beer, one of the first places in Ireland where I was given a multi-page craft beer menu to choose from.

The craft beer is still going strong here and, indeed, the beer I had for lunch was something special. It is a Gluten Free stout, Stag Saor*, and is on draught, Ireland's first. 

GF and on draught

Richard Blair, one of two brothers now running the pub, told me of a satisfied customer of a few days earlier. A coeliac, the man hadn’t drunk stout, his favourite tipple, for twenty years but, having sampled the Star Saor, left Blair's Inn with tears of gratitude.

I had noticed they were using the Ballyvourney stout in my Venison Casserole so, of course, I ordered a pint. And it proved a great match for the rich casserole of Wicklow venison (16.95) which was served with a side dish of root vegetables, some broccoli too and a big baked potato! Great stuff.

CL was eagerly tucking into her Wild Irish Pheasant (half!), with aromatic gin and juniper stuffing, mushrooms and a red wine sauce (16.50). Another superb dish. Thought she might have had a G & T with this but no she settled, quite happily as it turned out, for the Scarlet Pimpernel by Killarney Brewing.

Lots of choice here, including the corned beef dish for which the Blairs are well known. Meat features strongly but, in fairness, they have no less then three fish dishes in the mains as well. Beside, they have one-plates meals (including a massive Wagyu beef burger), and there are salads, baps and open sandwiches.

Bluebell goats

Good choice of starters too though both of us went for cheese based dishes. Having tried, unsuccessfully, to milk one of their goats earlier in 2017, CL has a soft spot for Bluebell Falls so no surprise that she picked a warm tartlet of the cheese, with creamed leeks and smoked salmon, a terrific flavoursome dish for €8.65.

Gubbeen

For the same money, I enjoyed a lovely salad of Gubbeen and seasonal leaves. Very pleased with that one. Indeed, very pleased with the meal overall as is consistently the case here.

* Saor is Irish for free and producers, 9 White Deer from Ballyvourney, already have a full set of Gluten Free beers in bottle.

Another venison dish, this from the evening menu.

Blairs Inn

Cloghroe

Blarney

Co. Cork

Tel: (021) 438 1470

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/blairsinn/