Well Worth Opening A Bocksbeutel or Two!

Well Worth Opening A Bocksbeutel or Two!

Racy Riesling. Sexy Silvaner.

First thing you notice with these two whites is the shape of the bottle; it looks a lot like a leather pouch or a cowboy’s water canteen. It is known locally in Franken as a bocksbeutel and is used in this German wine region (also known as Franconia in English) to hold their best wines. And quality is more seriously indicated by the VDP in the neck of the bottle. Würzburg is the area’s capital.

The Burgerspital is a charitable trust, founded in 1316,  and “every bottle that its wine estate sells helps promote the trust”, now taking care of some 750 senior citizens. Not too sure about the present but in 1598 the daily allowance was 1.22 litres! Now, I wonder would any of our craft breweries like to start something similar!

Burgerspital Würzburg, Silvaner trocken 2011, Franken (Germany), 13%, €17.70, Karwig Wines

Silvaner (sometime spelt Sylvaner) is grown primarily in Germany and is a component of Liebfraumilch. Don't worry, they handle it rather differently in Franken. This one has subtle but very pleasant aromas. Colour is a very pale gold and you’ll see more than a few stationary bubbles.

On the palate, it is round and spicy, smooth and well balanced with a fine acidity and this delicious wine also finishes well. Quite liked it and Very Highly Recommended. The makers suggest matching it with fish and white meat.

Burgerspital Würzburg, Riesling trocken 2011, Franken (Germany), 12%, €18.10, Karwig Wines

Racy is not a word I've seen associated with Riesling very often but racy and fruity are the two key words in the winery's shop description of this wine. There is nothing delicate here, indeed it is rather muscular for a Riesling, full bodied, with attractive fruit flavours, complex and long on the finish. Impressive.

It is well made for sure and a worthy occupant of the bocksbeutel, the legally protected distinctive bottle, “allegedly shaped like a ram’s testicles”, also a "goat's scrotum", both according to the Finest Wines of Germany (2012, Aurum Press). Maybe that’s where the racy came from. The bottle's neck, like the Silvaner, is stamped VDP. Very Highly Recommended.

Colour is pale gold with hints of green. Aromas are subtle, some floral and citrus traces (no petrol!) evident. They recommend pairing it with light dishes, salads and pasta. We matched it with monkfish (with tomatoes, crème fraîche  and Vermouth) and noodles and it worked out very well indeed.

Staying at MacNean House. At ease from start to finish.

Staying at MacNean House.

At ease from start to finish.

We got a lovely soft-voiced gentle welcome on arrival at MacNean House, the base of Neven Maguire, Ireland's best known chef. We were at ease immediately and that feeling continued right through our pre-Christmas stay.

The house, along with the restaurant and adjoining cooking school, is situated in the small border town of Blacklion, County Cavan, just across the road from the Garda station and the tourist office.

Blacklion is also just across the bridge from its Fermanagh neighbour Belcoo. There was snow on the hills as we walked between the two small towns, crossing the border on the way. Lights were coming on in Belcoo, welcoming visitors from the republic with an 80 pence for one euro offer.

Granola with honey

It was fairly cold so we didn't stay out and about for too long and were soon back in our comfortable well equipped room preparing for that evening's dinner, a fabulous meal indeed. But breakfast is also quite an event and it is also served in the main dining room.

There is a very impressive display on the serve-yourself table and then you can also choose from the two page menu. There is a tempting selection of juices. Not just any old juices. The apple juice, for instance, comes from Con Traas in Tipperary, his Karmine apples featured.

A big choice of granola and muesli and breads of course plus fruit salads and a selection of McGeough’s cold meats along with cheeses. I started with juice and a Honey Granola.

Ireland's most famous porridge!

Then our order was taken at the table, for starter and mains! My starter was, had to be really, the famous MacNean Porridge with honey, cream and a wee drop of Irish Mist! That meant I missed out on the Poached Apricots and also the Warm Prunes.

On then to a magnificent mains menu that included MacNean Traditional breakfast and the MacNean Special breakfast, fairly similar to one another but with the the Special containing a few extras including boxty.  Lots of choices too with the Scrambled Eggs, including plaice, smoked salmon and kippers. And they also had House-made Waffles.

Eggs Benedict

My pick though was the Eggs Benedict, served on a gorgeous toasted brioche, spinach, light butter sauce, with honey glazed ham (could also have had the eggs with smoked salmon). Hadn't finished dinner that long before but still managed to clean the plate. Eggs were perfectly executed and went well with the flavours and texture of the ham. That really set me up for the day at the cooking school!

Later, as part of our Cookery Course, we got a tour of the kitchen. A big pot of mulled wine was bubbling away and we also got a look at a very impressive, very large, stock pot. It was quiet enough about the two o'clock mark but would be much busier when the evening came and some fourteen chefs crowded in. Still, it all looks very well organised and that shows in the high standard of food that emerges. Chef Neven has some team there!

See also: Neven's Cookery School
Dinner from Neven's kitchen.

A big stock pot is shown on the right hand pic. In the other photo, the pastry chefs are hard at it,
while pots of mulled wine bubble on the left.

Raising Uisce Beatha. Irish Whiskey Renaissance.

Irish Whiskey Renaissance

Raising Uisce Beatha*

A tasty introduction to the Single Pot Still whiskeys of Midleton.

Irish Whiskey, the one with the “e”, is on the rise again.

“There is a huge renaissance in Irish Whiskey...25 years of solid growth,” declared Midleton Distillery’s Production Director Peter Morehead during a recent radio progamme.  

And that reality is reinforced by the amount of new distilleries (including West Cork, Dingle, Blackwater and Tullamore) newly in production or about to go into production - you do have to wait three years and a day for your spirit to qualify as whiskey.

It is a stunning comeback by an industry that was on its knees in the 1960’s. But, starting in 1966, amalgamations and foreign takeovers led to the revival with Jameson leading the rise. You can read all about the history of whiskey in this country on the Single Pot Still website.

Here, you'll see how Irish Whiskey makers’ belief in the quality of their Single Pot Still product inadvertently handed an advantage to their Scottish rivals. Of course, there were other factors as Irish slid to the bottom. But that quality is now a key part of the revival, especially in Midleton.

While other whiskey, and whisky, are made from a mash of malted barley, the Pot Still is made from a mash of malted and unmalted barley, an uniquely Irish approach to whiskey distillation. I, despite many a drop of Paddy and, more lately Jameson, am not an whiskey expert, but this is my take on four of these representatives of “the quintessential style of Irish whiskey” recently.

Started off with the familiar Redbreast 12 (and, yes, it is named after the robin). Twelve years, by the way, is the age of the youngest whiskey in the bottle. It has quite rich aromas, partly because it has been matured in Sherry casks. Indeed, all casks from fortified wines areas - Sherry, Port, Madeira, Marsala - can be used by whiskey makers.

Dave Quinn, Master of Whiskey Science
at Jameson Distillery, Midleton

The Redbreast is harmonious on the palate with a good flavoursome finish. While the alcohol is not at all prominent on the 12, the Redbreast 21, as you might expect, is even smoother - got a sample of that during the radio show.

Back to my own line-up now and the Green Spot. This is fresher and spicier, both on the nose and on the palate, a little bit sweeter too, the spicy notes lingering on the finish. Both the first two have an ABV of 40%.

The Power’s John Lane weighs in at 46% and has a darker nose “an abundance of earthy aromas”. There is a spicy introduction to the palate and then hints of sweetness and these continue through to the lingering finish, a finish that I really enjoyed.

The final tasting in the classy quartet was the Midleton Barry Crockett Legacy, another beauty. The nose picks up aromas of vanilla (prominent for me) and toasted oak and the tasting notes also hint “at a touch of lime, succulent green berries, pears and green sweet pepper”.

On the palate it is sweet and spicy but so well balanced and the finish is also superb. Perhaps my favourite of the four. It too has an ABV of 46%.

I was drinking the Single Pot Stills neat, the better to taste the diversity of the flavour spectrum. But most people prefer some kind of mixer - a current favourite seems to be Jameson (not a Single Pot Still!), Ginger and Lime. You can check that, and many more suggestions, here.

The Single Pot Still Irish whiskey was once the most popular in the world. Full of complex flavours and with a creamy mouthfeel, it is a drink we can be proud of. And great to see it on the up again. Slainte!

• To delve deeper into the story of this type of whiskey, please check out this Single Pot Still site . 

  
  

  *Uisce Beatha is Irish for Whiskey, means water of life.
  

  
  

Taste of the Week

Taste of the Week
Yeast Loaf by Natural Foods Bakery

This yeast loaf, by Natural Foods Bakery in Blackrock, is a favourite around here and is Taste of the Week. Natural Foods may no longer be operating at the farmers markets but you'll find them at their cafes in Paul Street (where I bought this loaf), Fitzgerald's Park, and at Pier Head in Blackrock. Buy local, fresh and fair!

Bauduc’s Superior Red Double

Bauduc’s Superior Red Double

Summer (2014) tasting at Bauduc

Chateau Bauduc Close de Quinze 2012, Bordeaux supérieur, 14% abv, €18.99 at Red Nose Wines

This single vineyard blend, of Merlot (85%) and Cabernet Sauvignon, is supple and fruity, a classic Bordeaux, produced by English couple Gavin and Angela Quinney in their lovely vineyard, Chateaux Bauduc near Créon, in between the Garonne and Dordogne.

This is a very dark red, almost black, with ripe red fruit on the nose. It is a Bordeaux supérieur, for sure, but with a certain restraint, sophistication even. There's no mistaking its fruit, supple and pervasive all over the palate, right through to a delightful long and dry finish. Very Highly Recommended.

Château Bauduc 'Les Trois Hectares' Rouge, Bordeaux supérieur 2010, 13.5%, €28.00 Curious Wines & Red Nose Wines

“We only make Les Trois Hectares red in really good years, like 2010. The grapes come from the three best parcels of Merlot and the wine is aged in new and one-year old French oak barrels.” I tasted this Merlot last June during a very pleasant visit to Gavin and Angela at Bauduc and it was marvellous. Now, in depths of winter, it still comes up trumps, full flavoured and elegant. No difficulty in seeing why the 2006 was the top selling red at Gordon Ramsay’s three Michelin star restaurant in London. Indeed, the Ramsey tasting crew had left the chateau just before we arrived. Another Very Highly Recommended red from the outskirts of Créon. Indeed, if you are on holidays in the area, why not make a visit. But do contact them before you do so. Better again, why not stay there as they have a large house, with pool, to let in the grounds! Info here.

Amuse Bouche

One day,... poor Erning has a stroke.  …., he is told by his doctor: “Mr Isip, from now on you can only eat things that can swim.” Several weeks pass and Erning doesn’t show for his follow-up appointment. The doctor, worried, decides to pass by Erning’s house, because… they are neighbours…. The doctor rings the doorbell and the maid opens the gate.

Maid: “Yes, sir?”

Doctor: “Where is Mr. Isip?”

Maid: “He’s in the pool, sir.”

Doctor: “Very good. What’s he doing?”

Maid: “He’s teaching the pig to swim!”

from Ilustrado by Miguel Syjuco

Elbow Lane Brew & Smoke House Nano. But with a mega tasty punch!

Elbow Lane Brew & Smoke House

Nano.  But with a mega tasty punch!

Duck's ready.

One of Cork’s newest, and smallest, restaurants sure packs a big tasty punch.

The Elbow Lane Brew and Smoke House, right next door to big brother Market Lane, has its own niche and here you’ll be well fed and well watered. Well not exactly water, though they do have plenty of it. But the dining area is built around the micro-brewery that produces no less than five of their own beers, everything from a refreshing lager to a silky smooth hugely satisfying stout, all brewed with the intention of matching the food.

Virtually everything you get on your plate here has been through the in-house smoker, the smoke coming from apple wood. Oak is used under the grill and here the T-Bones, the duck and fish (last Wednesday night it was Sea Bass), is finished off.

You can see the food being prepared on the grill. Your taste buds will be standing up as they get a hint of what's to come from the old olefaction, as smoked duck, T-Bone steaks, whole fish, and slow smoked baby back ribs and more emerge from the hot hole in the wall and are placed on the pass for all to see.

We were going for the bigger mains so avoided the starters. But it was hard! The Low Smoked Brisket Roll, the Oyster Brulee, and the Smoked Salmon Salad all had their temptations.

Catch of the Day

I sipped a glass of their Wisdom Lane Red Ale and CL enjoyed the Elbow Lane Lager as we waited for the mains. All the beers are named after local lanes. They also have a guest beer and I finished the night with a terrific Kinsale Ale. My highlight though was the Angel Lane Stout and that went down well with the steak. More beers available in bottle and there is also a short wine list.

Yes, I plumped for the Wood Grilled T-bone (the manager’s favourite, I’m told!). This is lathered in Bearnaise Butter and served with a mixed salad and is priced at €21.00. On the side, we had their triple cooked chips (€4.00) and Seasonal Veg (€4.50).

The steak - they use Tom Durcan aged beef here - looked huge but, terrifically tasty and tender, it didn't last that long. The chips are something special and the vegetable (purple sprouting broccoli on the night) was excellent. All were well cooked.

Super T-Bone

Angel Lane Stout

And the sounds of approval were echoed from the other side of the table where CL got stuck into Half an Applewood Smoked Duck (€20), checking over the carcase a few times to make sure she hadn't left anything edible there. “The best duck ever,” was her verdict. And she too enjoyed the sides and didn’t spare their own Smoke House Sauce, a recent Taste of the Week .

I had noticed some unusual desserts (all €6.90) on their menu on the net and was looking forward to the Passion Curd, eucalyptus and tamarind jelly and it proved just the job after the steak. CL was just a little less pleased with the American style Blackberry s’mores with homemade marshmallows.

Overall, we were delighted with the meal and glad to report that service was very informative, prompt and friendly, lots of smiles from entry to exit. It may be a small place but it has a big buzz and you’ll need to book to make sure of a table. Something different for Cork diners and a great place to go and have a local drink and share a plate of those tasty ribs and then move on to something more substantial. Very Highly Recommended.

See my visit to the Elbiow Lane brewery here .

Chaume Sweet Chaume

Chaume Sweet Chaume

Chateau Soucherie Coteaux du Layon Chaume, 2010 France, 12%

Soucherie in the summer of 2013

A remarkable wine, according to reliable French guide Hachette. But we rarely see the sweet Coteaux du Layon wines here in Ireland. I bought a box in the Chateau Soucherie in the western Loire in 2013 and just finished the last bottle!

Harvested from 70 year old Chenin blanc grapes, it is a gem, a gem “with dainty fresh magic” according to Guide Hachette.  This golden coloured wine has delicious gentle aromas, including hints of mango. The palate is rich, full and smooth, concentrated, balanced so without too much sweetness. A perfect sweet wine for your dessert and Very Highly Recommended.

And perfect too as an aperitif. It has been going well here the past few days, matching brilliantly with Almond and Pistachio Nougat by Miena, perfect with the Christmas cake (a light one) and with the Panatone, and I particularly enjoyed it with the Pisachio baklava (from Cork’s Sultan’s Delights).

The vineyard in Soucherie does not use chemicals, herbicides or synthetic fertiliser.

You may read some background here on these sweet wines and see how the morning mists that rise from the river Layon in late summer promote the development of botrytis (noble rot) – an essential ingredient in the finest Coteaux du Layon Chaume wines. And see too how the grapes are hand-picked in a number of sweeps, explaining to some degree why the wines are expensive.

Indeed, the methods used here are much the same as in Sauternes. I know that Karwig Wines give the wines of Bergerac (including the sweet Monbazillac) shelf space to compete with their Bordeaux neighbours but I don't think many Irish importers do so.  And often it seems as if Sauternes is king, the one and only.

And it is a shame that the impression gets around because there are so many more sweet wines available, including the magnificent Tokaji from Hungary and some terrific examples from Australia and elsewhere. 

But even in France itself, you have the aforementioned Monbazillac, Beaumes de Venise, Rasteau, Jurancon, Banyul, Muscat de Rivesaltes, Bonnezeaux (also in the Loire), and so many more. Even in Bordeaux, you've got Barsac (linked with Sauternes) and, a little further away, Tour de Calens.

These wines vary a bit so you'll have to do some research! Still, if you're looking for a classic, why not try a Chaume?

• Sauternes has a long head-start. In 1790, Thomas Jefferson ordered thirty dozen bottles of Yquem for George Washington and himself.

Phô Bar. Hawkers Corner in Cork.

Phô Bar Exotic Delights
South Asian Hawkers Corner in Cork

Roti Prata

With cabin fever about to set in and a change in menu required, after the Christmas marathon, we were inspired to head across town to Douglas Street and to the relatively new Phô Bar. We had already tried and tested this bright and friendly place a month or more back and so had hundreds of others over the holidays if the many crowded Facebook photos were anything to go by.

Brian Casey, who owns the South Asian venue with chef Kash, confirmed it had been busy and so too did the staff. They weren’t expecting that many in on the Friday evening after the New Year celebrations but, even at six o'clock, were surprised at the numbers. It all added to the buzz and we were happy to have had made a reservation before calling.

Chef Kash is from Penang, right bang in the middle where culinary traditions of the neighbouring countries meet and mingle, and what he serves up here is very close indeed to what hawkers might serve you from their rickshaws in Penang. Rice dishes include Phô Thai and Malaysian curries and a gorgeous jasmine rice is served with the Beef Rendang.

In the well named Hawker Corner (of the menu), you'll find Khaw Pad Bai Krapow, Thai stir-fried rice with prawns and sweet basil.  Flat noodles feature on the Char Koey Teow; more noodles, big fat roundy ones, on the simpler Hokkien Mee. There are Udon style noodles cooked with pork liver and soy sauce. Delicious. Other noodle dishes include Phô Bo (from Hanoi) and Penang Prawn Noodles.

Keeping it cool!

There are a couple of vegetarian dishes, including Po Pia with a Hoisin sauce and chilli paste and also watch out for the Sweet Potato and Peanut sauce with the Mamak style Pasembur. Most of the dishes can be halved (chilli removed if need be) for kids.

So where to start? Well, with a Roti Prata, of course, an Indian influenced flat bread, fluffy on the inside, crispy on the outside, served plain or filled. Very popular as a starter to share while you're waiting for the main course.

It is quite a substantial starter! We shared the Murtabak version (7.50). This is filled with chicken, four big “sandwiches”, and served with Lentil Curry and Anchovy Sambal Dip. A stunning mix of textures and flavours, absolutely irresistible even if the heat factor was #3 (out of 3). That heat is not a problem, especially since I had a pint of the Franciscan Well Ale at hand.

They do quite a few craft brews here, along with some Asian beers. There is a also a short wine list and the usual soft drinks. Don't overlook the cooling Asian drink called Lassi, a lovely yoghurt based drink that comes in peach or mango flavour. And, of course, they have a list of very special Asian inspired cocktails all at a good price!

Fish Curry

On then to my main course. I said I’d try the Fish Curry: mackerel, tamarind, aubergine and okra. Mackerel wasn't available so I got a mix of different coloured fish, including swordfish and hake. It came in a very tasty warming broth, veg included, with a side plate of rice. Again, bursting with flavour, this was amazing - what a change from the turkey and ham! Quite a plateful and worth every cent of the €11.95.

Char Koey Teow, a dish of Malaysian stir-fried flat rice noodles, with prawn, slow smoked duck,  pork sausage, bean sprouts, dark soy sauce and duck eggs, was CL’s choice. Again great textures and flavours, the prawns and sprouts a highlight, and excellent value at €11.50.

Must emphasise that these mains are quite filling. So much so, we couldn't even rise to share Phô’s one desert. I've tried it previously and it is a gem called Ais Kacang: shaved ice with screwpine jelly, grass jelly, rose agar agar, palm seed, rose water syrup, palm sugar syrup or ice cream. The most delicious glassful you'll get anywhere for €4.50. Cooling too if you’ve indulged in the spicier dishes!

There is a full bar here and the Douglas Street venue is a lively informal spot. But service is quite good and very friendly as well. So now, if you're fed up of turkey and ham or simply want a change with a bit of spice, you know where to go.

Phô Bar

12/ 13 Douglas Street, Cork

(021) 431 6915

Char Koey Teow

Taste of the Week

Taste of the Week
Baklava from The Sultan

Best of luck to the Sultan who officially opens another new enterprise in McCurtain Street today. This shop, close to the Everyman, is called the Sultan's Delight. It is full of sweet things and also sells flavoured teas and coffees.

I popped in on Saturday and bought myself some baklava. This is also on sale at the Sultan Restaurant on Penrose Wharf and at their market stalls. Quite a variety of flavours available.

Pistachio (bottom left), Almond and Cinnamon (right), Fig and Date (top) caption

I enjoyed my Almond and Cinnamon and found that the Pistachio variety, my Taste of the Week, goes very well indeed with a drop of sweet Chaume from the Loire. The Fig and Date is not in the usual Filo but is also very enjoyable. You may also buy Turkish Delight here in the very area where Hadji Bey once operated.

Amuse Bouche

The Pudding Shop no longer has a garden. It is just another cafe behind a street window catering to tourists. Happily, it still specialises in Turkish milk puddings of all flavours.

The owner brought me a pudding bursting with fruit and berries. ‘Is special pudding,’ he whispered in my ear. ‘Is called sex pudding. After this, you go three, four times in one night.’ He formed a fist and pumped his arm,winking.

‘Maybe for a Turk,’ I said. “An Australian - oh, maybe twelve, thirteen times.’

The old man roared. ‘For you, this pudding is free. No charge.’

from Turn Right At Istanbul by Tony Wright