Superb Seafood Evening. French Flare at Fleming’s

Superb Seafood Evening

French Flare at Fleming’s

It was fish all the way at Fleming’s last weekend with chef/patron Michael Fleming displaying his renowned skills and, in the process, treating us to everything from the humble periwinkle to the noble salmon. Needless to say, all were cooked to perfection and the presentation was immaculate. Besides, I know I’ve said this before about this long established venue, the sauces are excellent here, illustrated once again with the smoked salmon dish.

A lively prosecco was our welcome drink and soon we were at our table, reading over the menu for the Seafood Evening, the anticipation growing as we awaited the first course.

And we weren't let down as the Seafood Platter on Ice arrived. The top of the two tiers was packed with seaweed and ice. Periwinkles were scattered around and there too were oysters, crab claws, and prawn cocktails. Great to look at it, even better to eat, especially with the beautiful dips provided. And that wasn't the end of the two part starter as next up was a bowl of perfectly fresh Moules a la crème. All dispatched with a glass of Trimbach’s Riesling trocken. Oh my, what a delicious opening.

And then came the Saumon Fumé: Oak Smoked Salmon glazed in a pink peppercorn sauce with white wine and tarragon. Roll out the superlatives here. Maybe I’ll just settle for great. And that sauce! The whole combination was brilliant, a kind of dish I haven't come across anywhere else. Delightful.

 And now for the main event: Brochette de fruits de Mer. No less than four fish in this one: Seafood brochette with risotto - a brochette of monkfish, sea bass, salmon, a beignet of hake, all served with risotto and grilled butternut squash. The three fish on the stick were superb, I really loved the seabass, but the hake was out of this world, fish perfection. What a dish and we had a lovely Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc to go with it.

No real fish with the two part dessert though the deeply gorgeous Dark Chocolate and Berry Tiramisu was decorated with a biscuity “Goldie Fish”. The other part, White chocolate and Cardamom mousse, was also heavenly, though on a lighter note. A perfect combination to finish a lovely evening on. Not alone is the food superb here; so too is the service, friendly and efficient, and you leave promising yourself to come back soon.

Fleming’s Silver Grange House is a historic Georgian house and restaurant, built by one of the prominent merchant princes of Cork, a local wine importer. Read all about it here.

Kilkenny on Parade! Food Festival to Savour.

Kilkenny on Parade!

Food Festival to Savour.

Pascal, Colm and Caroline.

No doubt Kilkenny hosted many a scrap in its medieval days but a fight of a different kind was in progress on the Parade when we arrived on Saturday. Beer, led by Caroline Hennessy of Eight Degrees Brewing, and Wine, fronted by Colm McCan, award winning sommelier at Ballymaloe, were the protagonists.

A few low blows were struck but it was all good tasty fun. No glasses were smashed though there was quite a rush to empty the beer before the wine arrived. Some terrific French wines from Pascal Rossignol's Le Caveau (Colm also works with him) but perhaps the pairing of the joust (eventually declared a draw by Colm, who craftily took the refereeing role as well) was the Porter Brownies and the Eight Degrees Knockmealdown Porter, a personal triumph for Caroline who baked the brownies!

One of the beers shown by Caroline was Costelloe's Red Ale and we continued our introduction to that in the tent next door where quite a few craft brewers were showing. Joe McNamee was our guide here and we ended up at the White Gypsy stand, sampling their Fresh Hopped Ale and the more serious Dunkel Black Lager.

Clockwise from top right: White Gypsy's Dunkel Black Lager;
Joe McNamee, Catherine Cleary and John Healy.

Now another “Battle” loomed and McNamee would be humourously prominent here. The question posed at the Main Demo tent was: Can the Critics Cook? McNamee was one of the critics and Catherine Cleary the other. They each got five ingredients and were able to select various bits and pieces from a well stocked table to help them come up with a cooked plateful.

John Healy, of TV’s The Restaurant, acted as compere and sometimes as agent provocateur but failed to rattle either of the two cool customers at the cooking stations. An entertaining hour ended with four judges mounting the platform and sampling the two finished dishes. The verdict? Yes, these critics can cook. Well done Joe and Catherine.

Time too to get around and see some of the many stalls lined up on the Parade, even time for a short stroll in the castle grounds. Then it was back to base - the lovely Rosquil House on the Castlecomer Road - and a break before heading out later on to a terrific meal at a packed Zuni in the town centre. Great finish to a lovely day!

See also: Kilkenny’s Night of a 1000 Feasts

Bloggers On Tour. Caviar, Ceramics, and Cat Bodacious!

Amuse Bouche

Two gentlemen in top-hats were standing in front of us, looking into my face and laughing.

‘Do you eat oysters, lad? Do you really? Most remarkable. And how do you eat them?’

I remember a strong hand dragging me into the brightly-lit eating-house. Within a minute a crowd gathers round and watches me with curiosity and amusement. I am sitting at a table and eating something slimy, salty, smelling of damp and mould. I eat greedily, without chewing, without looking and without trying to discover what I am eating.

from Chekhov, The Early Stories 1883-88, chosen and translated by Patrick Mills and Harvey Pitcher.

A Very Wine Weekend

A Very Wine Weekend

Reds to the Fore

Straccali Chianti Classico, Riserva 2004, 13.5%, €24.40 Karwig Wines

This ruby red gem is 90% Sangiovese with intense aromas. Easy drinking and Very Highly Recommended. Fruity for sure but very well balanced indeed, excellent matching acidity. Sip it on its own or with food (stews, pastas, poultry and fred meats are all recommended). A very generous wine, elegant and palate friendly with a long finish.

Nugan Alfredo Dried Grape Shiraz 2012 (Australia), 14.5%, €19.99, SuperValu

This is a highly rated wine, made in Amarone style from partially dried grapes and has spent 12 months in French and US oak. Darkly coloured it has very inviting fruit aromas. No shortage of fruit on the palate, some spice too; rich, with good depth of flavour, and quite intense; it is full bodied, very well balanced and dry to extra dry; tannins are refined and it has a long finish. Very Highly Recommended.

Stellar Winery Merlot 2013, South Africa, 13.5%, €15.00 Bradley’s, North Main Street, Cork

You immediately notice the healthy sheen on this ruby coloured wine and the nose has pretty simple direct fruit aromas. Medium bodied with lovely fruit flavours, soft and juicy and tannins have a slight grip. This is a really well balanced wine with a long dry finish. Highly Recommended.

Stellar, in the Western Cape. produce organic fair-trade wines with no added sulphites, vegan friendly too. The Indian Rubber ducks, featured on the front label, form “a highly efficient pest-control squad”. Pairing recommendations: pasta, lamb, beef.

Chateau Respide Medeville 2011, (Graves, France), 13.5%, €15.30 in Graves.

According to Hugh Johnson, this is one of the better producers in Graves for both red and white. The blend here is Cabernet Sauvignon (60%) and Merlot, all hand-picked. A surprising nose here, hints of spice and vanilla, even traces of anise, and that lively red fruit is also prominent on the palate. It is quite complex with great depth of flavour and a long dry finish. Glad I bought more than one of these last June while visiting the local Maison des Vins. Not sure you can get this in Ireland but Very Highly Recommended if you do come across it.

The Club Brasserie. Good Food by the Lee

The Club Brasserie

Good Food by the Lee

I could have been anywhere in France, the trees, their autumn colours highlighted by illuminated by the streetlights, swaying gently in the breeze, distorted reflections in the river, couples walking arm in arm on the pavement, good food on the table inside. But no, I wasn’t eating in a bistro alongside the Midi-Canal. And not in a restaurant by the River Vienne in Chinon. No, I was happily ensconced at a table in Cork’s delightful Club Brasserie.

And that food? Well, let me tell you. French words and phrases abound throughout the regular menu: Toulouse sausage, Mushroom a la crème, Duck confit, fondue, béarnaise and more. And yes, the Gallic influence extends to the cooking, deliberately delightfully so, but most of the produce is local, suppliers include O’Connell’s (fish), Shellfish del a Mar, O’Flynn’s, Bresnan’s, and O’Connell’s (beef).

Let Beth and chef Harold speak for themselves: “Our inventive menu changes regularly based on what is available locally and the emphasis is on fresh and delicious takes on modern classics. In this age of often unnecessarily fussy food, The Club Brasserie offers high quality, unpretentious dishes that are both comforting and delicious.”

Having studied the menu pretty well, we had a look at the specials board and took no time at all to make up our minds. Indeed, we agreed on the first two courses. Doesn't always happen. Having made the choices, we also agreed on the wine. The Hugel name is good and this Alsace producer didn't let us down with a lovely refreshing Pinot Blanc (Cuvée les Amours), very agreeable and dry, and it was to go very well with the fish on the main course.

I think you can often judge a restaurant by the small things, even if you drop in for no more than a cup of coffee. Let’s take the mashed potato last evening. It was impeccable, a splendid base for the layers on top: spinach, salmon and plaice, vegetables, all perfectly cooked. Unpretentious maybe but top class too.

The full description was Baked plaice stuffed with salmon, with julienne of vegetables, potato gratin, lemon and chive beurre blanc, all for €18.50.

We had also been very satisfied with the starter, a well balanced mix of flavours and textures, with the cheese outstanding in the mix: Roasted Pear and Pancetta Salad with Cashel Blue cheese and a honey dressing (8.50). Not mentioned was a good scattering of toasted walnuts.

Just one dessert (two spoons!) and that was light and delightful, a meringue roulade lemon curd and passion fruit seeds. A little bit different and a good finish to a fine meal served with a smile and a chat.

To read the menus or make a reservation click here

Taste of the Week

Taste of the Week
Granola by Clover Wholefoods

You never know what you'll come across when buying at the local farmers markets. That is as true in Saturday's Coal Quay Market as anywhere else. The point was underlined to me once again last Saturday when I bought this granola from Clover Wholefood, a relatively new stall here, run by Raedi Higgins. It is a gorgeous breakfast treat and Taste of the Week. They have lots of good things here. Pay a visit any Saturday morning and follow them on Twitter here.

#50BestTalks The future of American dining: US gastronomy in a global context...

The World's 50 Best Restaurants

Top chefs and restaurateurs including Mario Batali, April Bloomfield, Daniel Humm and Massimo Bottura debated the future of American dining at The World's 50 Best Restaurants' first ever #50BestTalks event in New York on Saturday 11th October 2014. Here they share some of their thoughts on America's gastronomic identity, the country's culinary history and changes in the dining scene. (Video by MoFilm)

Scratch My Pork

Scratch My Pork

Two questions. What are pork scratchings? And who is Matthew Brownie?

Pork Scratchings have long been  associated with England. But similar products were made before England had even thought to use the pork skin as a snack. The Chicharrones originated in Mexico, from Spanish influence and are, Matthew tells me, the first signs of fried Pork Rind that we know as scratchings today. They come under a variety of names including Cracklings (US), Pork Crackle (Australia, New Zealand), Chicharrones (Latin America), Grattons (France) and Scrunchions (Canada).

Matthew Brownie has been a professional chef for over 20 years. Originally from New Zealand, he admits he “has conceded” to Skibbereen where he lives with his wife and two children. A roundabout route took Matthew to Dublin in 2008 where he continued to manage kitchens, consult in hospitality, create cooking classes and progress in the food arena before moving to West Cork.

Here his passion for food drove him in a new food direction, towards product development. Given an opportunity to find a gap in the Irish food market, it was obvious to Matthew that Irish Pork Scratchings would be his product. The opportunity came when he decided to go back to college in 2011 to study Advanced Culinary Arts  at Cork Institute of Technology where he achieved a distinction in BA Culinary Arts.

Achieving top marks for Scratch my Pork, he was asked to compete in the Cork County and City Enterprise Boards CIT Prize for Innovation and won the best business Plan award. “I am delighted for what I have achieved, and the product is already in over 100 outlets including Retail, Licenced and Off Licenced premises." He is also the Chef food writer for the Southern Star.

In April this year, Matthew formed The No Nonsense Food Company to  launch Scratch My Pork snacks. “This is a quality hand cooked natural meat savoury snack with unique dry rub marinades resulting in a crunchy, crispy, flavoursome, good value and nutritious snack,  produced in a dedicated nut and gluten free facility with my own catchy slogan and branding called ‘Scratch my Pork’.” He has released two flavours to begin with, Smokey Bacon & Cajun, with a traditional salted flavour to follow.

So now you know what Pork Scratchings are, why not go out and try some. Looks like Supervalu is a good place to start. Then why not try your local pub? I’m told they are very popular in Ma Murphy’s in Bantry. And of course if you want anything in the food or drink line in Cork, then head to Bradley’s in North Main Street! If you are a retailer, contact Matthew himself or his distributors C & R in Little Island.

Keep an eye on Matthew’s website here and also follow him on his Facebook page.

To find out more about Pork Rinds in general, why not do a YouTube search. Here’s one to start you off https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YfkQun3jz8o.

The Square Table Launched

The Square Table Launched
Big Night for Coolea Sisters

Top left: Graham Neville (l) with Lucy and Mark of Ballyhoura Mushrooms.
Top right: Cheers! Martina and Yours Truly.

“I wish the two sisters all the best. They have shown great courage,” said Michelin Star chef Ross Lewis as he helped officially launch The Square Table restaurant in Blarney last night. The two sisters are Patricia and Martina Cronin, both originally from Coolea and now well experienced in the restaurant world. Patricia is front of house while Martina (who has worked with Ross) is the head chef.

Martina has also worked with Graham Neville, Head Chef at Restaurant Forty One, who also spoke at the opening. Graham is rather modest and it took Ross to step in and remind us all that Neville is the reigning Food and Wine Magazine Chef of the Year.

The two girls also spoke and their first priority was to say a big thank you to the people of Blarney for their support over the past few months. Martina said they simply wanted to present good well sourced Irish food and had big thanks for three mentors in particular: Kieran Scully (Bayview Hotel), Ross Lewis (Chapter One) and, of course Graham Neville.

Their suppliers too came in for praise as did their local staff (“absolutely fantastic”), all their friends, family, especially Mum and Dad.

Ross Lewis, from Cork himself, said he knows the Cronins well! “The heroes of today are those who employ people. I started in 1993 and I know that success will come.” But he warned that staying power was needed to deal with the special demands of being an employer, including PAYE, PRSI, banks, teaching employees.

“The complexities are enormous. It is a very daunting task. But I know the Cronins are determined. Martina has the doggedness of a lion. It is amazing and great to see people that we’ve worked with get out on their own”.

The sisters were hardly on their own last evening. There was a terrific turnout. Suppliers present included River Wines, Ballyhoura Mushrooms and Pat O'Connell. The media and blogger world was well represented by Joe McNamee, Jack Power, Caroline Hennessy, among others. And no shortage either of fellow restaurateurs, including Nash 19 and Jacques.

The family were naturally up in force from Coolea and customers were also among the attendance. And, after the speech, Matina was back in the kitchen sending out a stream of gorgeous little bites including Durcan’s Spiced Beef, Ardsallagh Goat Cheese, Liscannor Crab, Michael Twomey’s Wagyu Rib-eye, Ballyhoura Mushrooms, and Old Millbank Smoked Salmon.

On the sweet side there were Macaroons, Poached Blackberries, Chocolate Brownies and a Lemon Cream and Blueberry meringue, all gorgeous. And no shortage of wine to wash it all down.

Thanks for the invite ladies and the best of luck in Blarney!

Amuse Bouche

She drinks too much. Two aperitivos before dinner. A full bottle every night at our table. Afterwards, a night cap or two. Grappa for her, a kind of Italian poitín, and sometimes limoncello. When she drinks, she asks searching questions.’Why haven’t you found a woman, Charlie?’ Why hasn’t she found a man? Not men, but a man. ‘I don’t want to be a serial shagger,’ she says. ‘I want to settle down. It’s almost too late for kids. What happened to us all?’

from No Paradiso by William Wall

Come Savour The Night of 1000 Feasts in Kilkenny!

Come Savour The Night of 1000 Feasts in Kilkenny!

Next Sunday week, I’ll be having an evening meal in Kilkenny. But I have no idea as to the venue. If you'd like to know more, read on …. 

Kilkenny will be cooking up a storm as hundreds of homes in the City and County throw open their doors for a mouth-watering Night of 1000 Feasts on October 26th.

A major appeal has been issued to food lovers to organise a feast at home, on their streets, in their local community centres, in local restaurants or hotels to raise funds for the Town of Food project.

“Whether it is simple or extravagant it doesn't matter.  We want everyone in Kilkenny feasting on Sunday 26th October, during the Savour Kilkenny Festival, to celebrate good food, friendship and to support this very important project at the same time”, according to project coordinator Francis Nesbitt.

Nesbitt said that this is the first time an event like this, where hundreds of people are feasting in their homes at the same time for a common cause has been tried in Ireland.

 He added: “Kilkenny is one of Ireland’s top food destinations with World class artisan producers, chefs and restaurants. The Night of 1000 Feasts will be a major celebration of our food culture. Nothing like this has been tried in Ireland before but we feel it perfectly captures our love of good food and the community based nature of the Town of Food project.”

Organised as part of the Savour Kilkenny Food Festival, which is on from October 24th – 27th, the Night of 1000 Feasts may be enjoyed by some far from the Marble City. “We will be reaching out to the Kilkenny Diaspora to take part, register their Feast on our website and tell us all about their Feast online”, promises Nesbitt.

 Town of Food Chairman, John O’Connor suggests that in this fast moving World people don’t take the proper time to prepare, cook and appreciate food with their loved ones. “This is the perfect opportunity to gather friends and to make a great night of it.” 

Those hosting meals are asked to register their feast on the Town of Food website and friends attending can make a financial contribution to the project. Registered hosts will be entered into a draw to win a major prize.

“Well known Food Bloggers from all over Ireland will be heading to Kilkenny to join in and report on the Feasts. We’re sure that the live-tweeting of photos from some of the Feasts are sure to have everyone salivating”, Susan FitzGerald, one half of ‘Green and Vibrant’ who are organizing the Bloggers' visit, said. "Savour Kilkenny is already one of the most mouth-watering events in the Irish festival calendar. The Night of 1000 Feasts will bring that fun, tasty buzz right into peoples’ homes, and via the Bloggers' live tweeting people around the world can join in with the Kilkenny craic! Keep your eye on the hashtag #1000Feasts to follow the fun!"

Town of Food is a community led initiative aimed at promoting Kilkenny as an important food destination. It aims to support the production and promotion of local, quality food ingredients and to develop an educational food hub to attract professional and amateur cookery students.

The project will be based in a custom developed Food Education and Incubation centre in the former Boy’s National School in Thomastown, Co. Kilkenny. A training garden and community space will also be developed there.

Thomastown is an established tourism and food destination nestled on the River Nore and home to the renowned Mount Juliet estate which boasts the Michelin Star rated restaurant Lady Helen.

Under the EU Rural Development Programme, LEADER will provide funding to Town of Food of up to €750,000 for Building works, marketing and training to the end of 2015. In order to access these funds, Town of Food must raise €182,000 in ‘matched funding’ through donations, fundraising and sponsorship.

For more information contact: Mag Kirwan 086-8188340 mag@goatsbridgetrout.ie or  Project Coordinator, Francis Nesbitt 087 236 8555 francis.nesbitt@townoffood.com

The Kinsale Gourmet Academy.

The Kinsale Gourmet Academy

Speaking at the launch were (clockwise from top left)
 David Rice, Lord Mayor Alan Coleman,
Des McGahan and Ross Lewis.

Ross Lewis, the Cork-born Michelin star winning chef and co-owner of Dublin restaurant Chapter One, spoke of his early visits to Kinsale as he launched the spanking new Kinsale Gourmet Academy at Ballinacurra House on Tuesday.

“Kinsale was the only place where you could get coffee in 1978. That was in the Blue Haven, on Saturdays and Sundays only. And it was a bonus if you got a scone, left over from Saturday!”

Ross has a great admiration for the area and especially for Martin Shanahan of Fishy Fishy. At the Chef’s Table in Chapter One, they often have US visitors and these visitors were regularly asked if they were visiting Kinsale. And the usual answer was: Yes, we are going to Fishy, Fishy. Now Ross asks the visitors if they will visit Kinsale, after visiting Fishy Fishy.

Ballinacurra Head Chef David Rice heads up the new purpose built and very well equipped academy. David “missed medicine by about 600 points” and started his culinary career washing potatoes (with an occasional promotion to making sandwiches) in the Blue Haven.

Limerick man David eventually worked under Ross at Chapter One. “What that man taught me. Unbelievable!” He obviously taught David a respect for the country’s artisan producers and the Kinsale academy will showcase their work.

The sea featured in both demo dishes

“There will be a variety of courses, including one day, two day, and five day courses, that will be both for learning and relaxing! Next year, we intend to set up a professional course of a much longer duration. I really appreciate this evening’s turnout.”

Cork County Mayor Alan Coleman and owner Des McGahan also spoke at the well-attended launch, both with great humour and that trend continued when Ross and David took the mike. And indeed, it was a feature throughout the cookery demonstration that the pair undertook in the academy itself.

It was a lovely evening in a magical place. Some beautiful canapes and later there were pizzas from the brick oven and cocktails from the newly opened Cuban Bar. The Cuban Cocktail Lounge has authentic paraphernalia and original objects de art items sourced directly from Cuba. It’s the perfect Rum Shack for Havana Club based Mojitos, Cuba Libras, Daiquiris and more.

A large focus for the Academy will be building on Ballinacurra’s reputation for catering for private groups and corporates. Owners Des and Lisa McGahan will work with them to design a bespoke course to suit their needs and objectives, level of capability, and so forth. It will include a teambuilding element, adding in meeting time or other activities.

Individuals will also be able to book into scheduled courses which will range in duration from a half day upwards. Classes will be kept small to ensure the students receive the best quality and one-to one tutoring possible. The Academy has been purpose built with the students in mind,  8 double workstations where 16 students can work hands-on. There is also an instructors island with the top-of-the-range induction hob for demonstrations.

Ross and David show it's done!

"Ballinacurra House and Kinsale have become synonymous with fabulous food for many years.

The new Gourmet Academy will further strengthen Kinsale’s reputation as the ‘culinary’ capital’. It was one the key factors missing in Kinsale’s bid as ‘Foodie Capital of Ireland’ and we feel it’s the final piece of the jigsaw which will further add to the prestige of the town,” said Des.

Ballinacurra House, in a rural area on the edge of the town, is set within a walled garden with 10 foot-high stone walls, security gates and 40 acres of  woodland and lawns. This elegant country mansion brings back old-world opulence and personal service in a unique and totally private environment. “Our exclusive-use estate allows you the opportunity to share your experiences or special occasion with friends, family or peers in magical ambient surrounds, without compromise.” If you have a corporate event or a family event coming up, why not check it all out here.

Website: www.kinsalegourmetacademy.com

Email: info@kinsalegourmetacademy.com

Tel: +353 (0)21 4779040

Dingle School

Just about two weeks earlier, I had attended the opening, by Neven Maguire, of the Dingle Cookery School. This is another magnificent facility with a team of excellent chefs in charge of a large range of courses, everything from a half day Catch and Cook course to a four week evening course on Ethnic Cookery. And they also have a couple of Pop-Up Restaurant nights scheduled, including one for Halloween.

See the Autumn/Winter courses at www.dinglecookeryschool.com.

Email: info@dinglecookeryschool.com

Tel: +353 (0)86 8723521.

Taste of the Week

Taste of the Week
Folláin Extra Fruit Whiskey Medium Cut Marmalade


Folláin to me means class in a jar and this marmalade is no exception. Wakes up the taste buds and helps brighten up the morning. Widely available, it is one of many good things coming out of the Coolea area and is Taste of the Week.