Potatoes in Sea-water. The Gender of Crabs. All at SeaFest in Ringaskiddy!

Potatoes in Sea-water!

The Gender of Crabs.

All at SeaFest in Ringaskiddy!

Sally Barnes of Woodcock Smokery.

Good for soup. Gerard Collier and a Conger eel

Chef and author Rory O’Connell urged his audience to cook their new potatoes in sea-water “for at least once in your life” while BIM’s Young Fishmonger of the Year Gerard Collier told us how to distinguish a female crab from a male, all that and so much more at the very interesting SeaFest at Ringaskiddy over the weekend. I called there Saturday morning and enjoyed the demos (missed Martin Shanahan as he was on in the afternoon) and visited the fish stalls along with quite a few of the other sea related exhibits.

Gerard Collier, a former trawlerman,  of Fisherman's Catch, Clogherhead, Co. Louth, was first up on the splendidly outfitted demo unit in Ringaskiddy and took us through the handling of fish: how to open the various shellfish, how to clean, debone and fillet everything from Grey Mullet to Thornback Ray.

This is one strong creature!

“There are sixty six bones in a salmon,” he said “and getting them out is tedious!” If you come across a Conger Eel by the way, they are “great for soup”. He had a grey mullet to show as well and, referring to its diet, called it “the vegetarian fish”.

He worked his way through the oysters and prawns, a cod and pollock and more and then sent them down, one by one, so the audience could see them close up.

The crabs and lobsters were quite an attraction but he had a warning: “Be careful. Both are very strong!” And how to recognize Lady Crab. Simple - she has a pouch (to carry her young!).

Dublin Bay Prawn, all ready for you!

Ballymaloe's Rory O’Connell was next on-stage and he did two dishes. One was Roast Haddock with Roasted Pepper, Basil and Olive Salsa and the other was Pan-fried Hake with a Bretonne Sauce.

By the way, that Salsa is terrific and will keep for three weeks or more in the fridge. The Bretonne sauce “is easier to make” than Hollandaise.

Cook it well with Rory O'Connell

We all got recipe sheets and loads of tips as well. Rory, as you’ll know from his reputation as a teacher in Ballymaloe and from his TV shows, is a brilliant person to learn from. He has the cooking down to such a fine art (though he has to keep an eye on what’s happening on the pan as much as anyone else) that he always seems to have time to dispense great hints and tips.

• As he roasted some vine-ripened Heritage tomatoes, he urged us to use Extra Virgin Olive Oil all the time, “even frying or grilling”.
• Red and yellow peppers are best for roasting. Roast them until they collapse (then remove the seeds and skin).
• Use boiling water for new potatoes, cold water for old. And try potatoes in seawater, at least once in your life!
• Egg whites freeze perfectly.
• Chervil is great with fish and is surprisingly hardy. Fish love herbs.
• French tarragon is superior to Russian.
  
  

  

  Fish sausages, by Kilmore Quay Seafood

  
  

Soon he was finished and the two dishes looked gorgeous on the big screen. Time then to head to the fish stalls outside where we bought all kinds of fish from all kinds of folks including Sally Barnes of Woodcock Smokery, Mag Kirwan from Goatsbridge Trout Farm, Anthony Creswell of Ummera (actually bought smoked rashers there!), Kilmore Quay Seafood (where we got fish sausages and more).

There was much more than fish in Ringaskiddy and in linked events around the harbour including Captain Your Own Ship in the Simulator of the National Maritime College, the base for the event. There were SeaFest Science Talks, the BIM Beaufort Scale Hurricane Experience, Marine Recreation and Tourism and more and more.. This festival will “tour” Ireland annually and plans are in hand to bring it to Galway in 2016.

Superb innovative products from IASC

Dinner of Delights At Restaurant Forty One

Dinner of Delights

At Restaurant Forty One

The sun was out and so too was the red carpet as we arrived at Restaurant Forty One in St Stephen’s Green the weekend before last. Could it get any better, we wondered, as we sat down in one of the rooms in this splendid Georgian building. It could and it did, as course by course, Head Chef Graham Neville’s exquisite cuisine (no butter, no sugar!) took us on a delightful journey of delicious food, most of it based on local produce.

This evening, we decided to go A La Carte. Which wine though? Fish dominates our food choices and so we are down to a “contest” between a Gruner Veltliner and an Albarino. A quick word with the sommelier and the Gru-Vee is chosen; incidentally we enjoyed a glass of the same wine a few days earlier at Chapter One! It is the Heinz W, Joseph Gruner Veltliner, (Kamptal).

After a tasty lobster Amuse Bouche, we were ready for the starters. Not really! Not prepared for the two outstanding creations that they set down on the table. Mine was Roast Scallops, Truffled Garden Onions and Coral Bisque. An amazing symphony of flavours and textures - the bisque added notes of rich flavour - that had all the taste buds fighting to head the queue.

CL’s colourful starter was Annagassan Smoked Salmon, Clogherhead Crab and Granny Smith Apple. Granny Smith Apple? Yes, indeed; the little strips from the orchard played a delightful role in another superb dish. Both starters by the way, were superbly presented, the salmon ringed by capers, salmon roe, egg yolk, egg white, and red onion.

Before the mains, we were treated to Dublin Bay Prawn, pea coulis and fennel. And I just have to mention a side dish that came with the main courses: the most gorgeous pairing of white and wild asparagus! A simple, yet amazing, example of what happens when quality produce meets a quality chef.

Mine was the Wild Turbot, Bobby Beans, Peach and Elderflower, yet another delicious combination, enhanced by the asparagus and the fluffiest ever mash potato. Fish too on the other side of the table with CL delighted with her arresting and perfectly cooked Fillet of John Dory that came with a Courgette flower stuffed with Prawns. To make it even better the fish was topped with beautiful Girolles and Beech-tree mushrooms.

New Season Strawberries, Basil and Yoghurt may not sound the most promising of desserts but again the kitchen came up with a sweet surprise, the basil in olive oil, the yoghurt frozen. And my Glazed Millefeuille, Praline and Butternut Squash, Roast Lemon Purée was another classy effort, that roast purée a brilliant touch that further elevated the combination.

The welcome here is excellent, service in the lovely comfortable dining room is faultless and the cooking is at the highest level. And all through this, from Graham himself at the top, there runs an effortless friendliness that adds to the pleasure of eating here.

See also Teeling Distillery visit

Chapter One Restaurant
National Botanic Gardens

Amuse Bouche

As a sweetmeat, good honey has no equal in flavour and aroma. Nowadays, however, it has to compete with all manner of manufactured products which are readily obtainable everywhere, attractively packed and displayed, and often cheaper in price. To meet this competition successfully, the modern beekeeper must be ready to take the trouble to prepare his speciality for the market in such a way that it will keep the regular customer well satisfied and also attract a new custom from those who perhaps have hitherto regarded honey merely as something in a pot to be taken occasionally for the relief of coughs and colds.

from Honey. From Hive to Market. Published by Her Majesty’s Stationery Office for  the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries 1953

Chapter One. A Chef and His Suppliers

Chapter One

A Chef and His Suppliers

Japanese Pearl Tapioca

When visiting a restaurant for the first time, I look at the suppliers list. Quite often, I need look no further. Here’s why: Our location on the Northside of Dublin was a notoriously difficult place to trade. Yet people who cared about food came, and suppliers who were passionate about their uniquely Irish produce came too – integrity of produce was what united us. We rely on their drive, passion and determination to achieve so much of what we do here.

The words in italics are from the website of Chapter One. So, okay, I'd have to be living in cloud cuckoo land not to have heard of Ross Lewis, the chef there. But I know him, met him for the first time late last year, and met him again the other night where his restaurant is;  the location - under the Dublin Writers Museum - explains it name.

Chilled Clarenbridge Oysters

But I have known most of his suppliers for much longer and it is they who give me the confidence to go to Chapter One and to many other restaurants around the country. As Ross says, the influence of the suppliers cannot be underestimated. Check here for a full list (and some photos) of the Chapter One suppliers.

But Chef Lewis brings the produce to another level here and so we come, and so do so many more, to the basement at north end of O'Connell Street. Lots of little stories here, including the fact that Mary Robinson met her husband-to-be in the National Ballroom more or less next door. Those of us of a certain age have our little and big stories of the ballrooms - I credit The Freshman with mine, but it's a long, many decades long, story!

Jumbo green asparagus

But time now for the food and the wine, the superb tasting menu and the matching wines at Chapter One. Service, as you might expect, was impeccable.

We started with the Japanese pearl tapioca with matured Gabriel cheese, peas and truffle and the wine was Lustau, Los Arcos, Dry Amontillado. Lustau is perhaps my favourite sherry producer and this was a magic match.

****

Lobster

Course Two was Chilled poached Clarenbridge oyster with Mulloy’s smoked haddock, seaweed jelly. Domaine Chatelain, ‘Les Charmes’ Pouilly Fumé 2011 was the excellent wine, matching the dish.

Then came the Roasted jumbo green asparagus with shellfish and lemon butter.

Heinz W, Joseph Gruner Veltliner, Kamptal; the Austrian wine, a favourite of ours and of our server, was just perfect with the asparagus.

*****

Loin of rabbit

Course Four was Lobster with fermented horseradish and cauliflower. This was an upgrade from scallops and the stunning young Burgundy, Domaine Jean-Baptiste Ponsot, Rully 2013, which was aromatic, fresh and delicate, enhanced the flesh.

****

Now we were back on Terra Firma (almost!).  Pig’s tail stuffed with Fingal Ferguson’s bacon and Dublin bay prawn, basil purée and citrus mustard fruit. Patrice Cacheux et Fils, Hautes Côtes de Nuits ‘Tilles’ 2013. Some terrific wines all through but this Pinot Noir was outstanding.

Irish Coffee on the way!

Last of the meat was Loin of rabbit and Parma ham farce wrapped in pancetta with parsley and barley risotto, roasted balsamic carrots, poached spring onion and crumble. The Simone-Joseph, Beaumes de Venise ‘La Vigne Corbée’ 2012, was fruity, dry and refreshing and boasted a long finish. Just the job for the delicious rabbit.

****

The gorgeous sweet course was Baked lemon curd with praline mousse, meringue crisps, buckwheat ice cream and hazelnut tuille and that was accompanied by Miguel Torres, ‘Nectaria’ Botrytis Riesling, Curico Valley 2009.

Might have expecting a sweet Beaumes de Venises after the previous wine but we were in for another lovely surprise with this Nectaria, highlighted in a shortlist by Evan Goldstein in his Wines of South America (2014). What other treasures has Chile in store for us? This is a gem worth seeking out.

****

Jack McCarthy (left), one of Chapter One's suppliers,
pictured with Yours Truly in Kanturk.
Jack's castle is in the background!

As we nibbled our way through the chocolate rich Petit Fours, we gave thanks to Mr Lewis and his friendly and efficient staff, front of house and in the kitchens, to the suppliers up and down this land - again I quote from the Chapter One website - a land that is the inspiration “that enriches the work of poets, artists, farmers and chefs”.

Long may the customers continue to come to the door of Chapter One. They will be well fed and fed well in this Michelin starred restaurant.

See also:
The National Botanic Gardens visit
Teeling Distillery visit
Dinner of Delights at Restaurant Forty One

In Margaux Once. Must visit again!

In Margaux Once.

Must call again!

The vineyards of Margaux, on the south bank of the Garonne estuary (many Irish holidaymakers will know Royan on the opposite bank), grow mostly Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. The classic  blend is always a combination of these two “majors” and sometimes a little of Cabernet  Franc, maybe some Petit Verdot, more rarely Malbec and other old varieties.

According to the Maison du Vin de Margaux, where I bought the bottles below (along with some more!), Cabernet Sauvignon accounts for nearly 65% of the vines planted in the appellation. “It gives wine structure, bouquet, and a potential to age.”

Merlot brings roundness, generosity and complexity to the aromas. Cabernet Franc, much rarer, brings an extra touch of of elegance and suppleness while Petit Verdot produces wines “that are fairly rich in colour, fruit and tannins”.

The vines and the soil all play a part in making a Margaux and so does the climate of each year. “This variability, known as the effet millésime (vintage effect), is at the origin of variations in wines’ quality and expression.”

The variables will test the expertise of the winemaker who also has to contend with different harvest times for the different grapes. Merlot is first, then comes Cabernet Franc followed by Cabernet Sauvignon and then the Petit Verdot.

Take good care of your Margaux wines. They recommend “to open them one or two hours before service and present them in a nice carafe or decanter. Perfect service temperature is 19 degrees. Their finesse and subtlety show themselves in accompaniment with red meats or cheeses with delicate aromas”. Margaux wines are widely available in Ireland. Enjoy!

Some of my 2014 purchases

Chateau La Galiane 2009, 13.5%, 16.50 in Margaux

Gorgeous intense dark fruit aromas. Then there are rich fruit flavours, with a wee bit of spice, ripe tannins, and good balance. All in all, a classic well rounded Bordeaux with good structure and no little finesse, a lovely blend in which Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot are the major grapes.

Chateau La Tour De Bessan Crus Bourgeois 2011, 13%, 20.30 in Margaux

Even more intense wave of aromas, slightly different to the Galiane. It is rich and complex, full bodied and, again, ripe tannins. Great flavours of red fruits in this smooth Cru Bourgeois. The blend here is Merlot (62%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (38%). A marginally better wine than the Galiane. It has spent 12 months in French oak and the average age of the vines is 25 years.

Labastide Dauzac 2008, 13%, €23.00 in Margaux

Garnet is the colour, the aromas full and harmonious. This is full-bodied, red fruits, some spice too, pleasant and smooth on the palate, and with a long finish. Again the classic blend of Merlot (57%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (43%) and Very Highly Recommended.

This is the second wine of Dauzac, made from younger vines. It has spent 12 months in oak (not all new) and, if I had to pick one from the three, this would be it.

Take your pick!

In a pioneering book on matching food and wine called The Head of the Household from his Cellar to his Table, conceived and started in a WW2 prisoner of war camp, the author Frenchman Roger Ribaud, knowing that the Bordelais had been trapping pigeons, recommended that they match their catch with a Margaux. (Source: Wine & War by Don & Petie Kladstrup).

Taste of the Week. The Gentleman's Relish

Taste of the Week

The Gentleman's Relish

The English made Gentleman's Relish, also known as Patum Peperium, is our Taste of the Week. It is a spiced anchovy relish and the main ingredient, as you might expect, is salted Anchovies (60%). They say it has a rather fine flavour. Understating it a bit, really. It is quite salty, quite strong. There is a hint on the package - I bought mine at the Avoca shop in Powerscourt House and Gardens - and you'd do well to read it: To appreciate the fine flavour of this relish, it should be used sparingly. They suggest spreading it on toast, crackers or blinis. I did. Quite a taste, so be careful. Could also form the basis for a seafood sandwich. And I see that Restaurant Forty One use it to accompany Dublin Bay Prawns on their dinner menu.

A Taste of West Cork Food Festival 2015

press release

West Cork awaits Foodies, Fun Lovers & Families!

Save the Date!

    

I enjoyed Castletownbere Monkfish, wrapped in Gubbeen cured ham
with Carrageen Moss and caramelised Shallot Potato Puree,
a terrific dish at Inchydoney Lodge during last year's festival

The annual and wonderful A Taste of West Cork Food Festival will take place once again from 4^th-13 September.  With events from Bandon to Beara, over 30 of the region’s scenic towns and villages and more than 80 restaurants, pubs and hotels, including 8 idyllic islands, are participating. 

With a plethora of great places to stay, West Cork’s Wild Atlantic Way will fling open its doors to welcome you and yours for a memorable visit. 

  

The festival takes in Bandon, Clonakilty, Schull, Bantry, Skibbereen (its home base), Baltimore, Glandore, Durrus, Ahakista, Allihies and all points west to include, for the first time, the wonderful towns, villages and attractions of the Beara Penninsula.  

Foodies, fun lovers and families will be amazed at the choices before them.  With chefs from all over the world ‘guesting’ (including Andy McFadden of the Michelin starred L’Autre Pied (London), the ever popular Derry Clarke of L’Ecrivan, and JP McMahon of Aniar (Galway) - to mention a few), visitors to the region can look forward to restaurant themed evenings (for the skinted or minted!), food masterclasses and tastings, open air markets, historic tours, island-hopping, ‘The Journey of Milk’ Sustainable Farming Conference, The Belling Food Awards and lots more - it’s all go at A Taste of West Cork Festival!   

For the adventurous there’s catch ‘n’ cook experiences, moonlight kayaking, seashore foraging, walks on Cape Clear Island, and miles and miles of wonderful coastline and beaches to welcome you to West Cork’s Wild Atlantic Way.

A Taste of West Cork Food Festival gets better every year!  

Check out our programme – we’re adding all the time!  www.atasteofwestcork.com;

Dublin’s Teeling Whiskey. New Experience in the Liberties

Dublin’s Teeling Whiskey

New Experience in the Liberties

Left to right: 24% - 65% - 85%

The Teeling family and their whiskey is back in Dublin’s Liberties, an area that once was outside the city and indeed, outside the law, home in the 18th century to some 37 distilleries not to mention houses of ill repute. So I found out during last week's tour of the new Teeling Distillery in Newmarket Place.

The official opening took place in June and the fully functional distillery is the first to be opened in Dublin in 125 years and is “the only operational distillery in the city”.  But the Teeling connection with whiskey goes back to 1782 when Walter Teeling set up a craft distillery in nearby Marrowbone Lane.

The new whiskeys are positioned at the premium end of the market and the promise is of “new flavours and aromas”. “The company is small, so the quality must be high.” There will be no Teeling gins or vodka but there is a Poitin. You may read all about their award winning products (and the family’s recent whiskey adventures in Cooley and much more) here.

Our informative tour guide told us that whiskey was invented by Irish monks in the 6th century and was called uisce beatha (water of life). But it was regarded as a medicine. Luckily, you need no prescription nowadays! Treat it with care though, as the Teeling whiskeys weigh in at 46%, somewhat higher than most.

The ingredients are simple: barley, yeast and water. The water is local, coming from the River Poddle that runs underneath Newmarket! The basic ingredients are first processed into a “beer” which has an abv of 8%. Then it is put through the magic of the three stills, the first one ups the abv to 24%, the second to 65% and, at the end of the third distillation, the abv is 85%.

By the way, US Bourbon has just one distillation, Scotch has two, while the Irish has three. Our guide told us the climate here is ideal for maturation “not too hot, not too cold”. At the end of the distillation process, the liquid is clear; flavour and colour is added during maturation in casks that have been previously used for making Sherry, Port, Wine, Bourbon, Madeira and other similar products.

The Teeling Single Grain is made from corn (which makes it that bit sweeter) and it spends six years in wine barrels. The Single Malt (100% barley) is matured in five different types of wine barrels.

A Favourite!

Their flagship whiskey is the Small Batch and is very smooth and is the one that you get to sample if you've paid for the basic tour. You are also given a cocktail; the current offering is a very seasonal and every enjoyable Teeling Summer Ice Tea and the ingredients are Single Batch, Orange liqueur, Pineapple syrup and ginger. Read all about the tours and the distillery here.

It is early days yet at Teeling in Newmarket but, as you may have seen on the recent TV series, this is a serious venture by a family well experienced in the trade. Just the other day, they appointed Sheila Baird as general manager of the visitor centre.

Sheila Baird

Sheila has over 20 years experience working in the hospitality industry, having been with a number of well-known hotels over the course of her career including the Quinn Hotel Group, the Portmarnock Hotel & Golf Links and the Marine Hotel in Sutton. Most recently, Sheila worked with the Cara Hotel Group, as the general manager across a number of their properties.

In her new role, Sheila will oversee the day-to-day running of the visitor centre and will work with the marketing team to deliver an exceptional experience for visitors. The experience at the moment is not bad at all but looks as if it could get even better under Sheila: “I am delighted to take up this new role with the Teeling Whiskey Company. It’s an exciting opportunity to be involved in a brand new tourist attraction from the very beginning. I look forward to working with the entire Teeling team to deliver a stand-out customer experience for visitors from both home and abroad.”

Best of luck to Teeling and to Sheila. She could do worse than start with the taxi drivers - I had to give my taxi driver directions!

See also:
Dublin's Chapter One Restaurant
National Botanic Gardens
Dinner of Delights at Restaurant Forty One

 

Amuse Bouche

The difference between Hindu cuisine and Muslim cuisine is very easy to explain. In Kashmir the Hindus avoid sexy onions and garlic; they love the taste of heeng (asafetida) and the non-incestuous fennel and ginger. Muslims find heeng (and it sulfurous odor) unbearable. They adore garlic, green praans, garam masala, and on certain occasions, mawal flowers. So there is a ‘Hindu’ Rogan Josh and a ‘Muslim’ Rogan josh. Over the years I have developed my own recipe, a Rogan Josh inspired by these two great traditions. I have perfected the dish…. Rogan Josh is red because of Kashmiri chilies, which are ten times more red than the ordinary Indian mirchis.

from Chef by Jaspreet Singh.

The Weir Rooms. Pay attention to simple things

The Weir Rooms

Pay attention to simple things

Tomatoes and Mozzarella

 Last weekend, I had lunch on the bank of the south channel of the river, in the Weir Rooms of the River Lee hotel.

By coincidence, that very evening I began reading Chef by Jaspreet Singh in which the senior chef advises his apprentice (the author): Pay attention to simple things… If one cannot deal with a simple dish properly, there is no way one will be able to handle the more sophisticated. Take a tomato, for instance….. give it the reverence it deserves and ask: Tomato, what would you like to become? Do you want to be alone? or do you prefer company? Apricot…. would you like to become more than yourself in the company of saffron?”

Tomatoes and Goat's Cheese

The humble tomato is the link with the Weir Rooms as it featured in our starters. They could, of course, have sent it out on its own, like the famous Alice Waters peach, on second thoughts maybe not! But the chefs in the River Lee decided it to roast it up and give it some company, mainly a soaking in sweet balsamic.

Pay attention to the simple things paid off big time as the tomatoes were one element of a superb starter that also included goat’s cheese wrapped in golden fried kataifi and a well dressed salad. We also got to taste a big ball of Toonsbridge Mozzarella with a similar accompaniment and glad to report that both were excellent.

Quite a choice of starters (some shared plates) and the day's special was a Spiced Butternut Squash Soup. I love Skeaghanore Duck and picked the Crispy Duck Spring Roll confit cucumber, pickled ginger hoisin sauce, another winner, and I loved every little tasty bit as the river flowed by in the sun shine, just outside, well not so much outside as the “shelter” at our side could be lifted to allow more of the the outside in.

No shortage of choice of mains. Included on the list were a selection of sandwiches (including a Slow Cooked BBQ pulled pork), salads (including a smoked salmon special), steaks and curries and so on and also a Fish Pie (from the Specials Board).

We both decided on the Pan fried fillets of Sea-Bass with sea asparagus and Seville oranges and pink grapefruit, acidulated fennel, and pommes noisette. This was a summer-time gem, full of colour, flavour and textures, a lovely little crunch coming via the samphire. Happy out, as we say around here. So happy in fact that we skipped the tempting array of desserts.

Two courses for two, including an aperitif of Campari on the rocks for me, came to €58.45.

The Weir Rooms is part pf the River Lee Hotel Western Road, Cork, Ireland.

Phone:+353 (21) 4252700,  Fax:+353 (21) 4274477

One corner of the Weir Rooms.