Irish Fish - Two Ways. Hederman and Goatsbridge

Irish Fish - Two Ways

Hederman and Goatsbridge

Enjoyed an Irish fish dinner at the weekend, starting with smoked mackerel from Hederman’s and then a main course of fresh trout from Goatsbridge in Kilkenny.

If you want to buy Irish, you have to keep your eyes open and read the labels. That, surprisingly enough, applies to fish as well, not that too many of them will have labels!

Take Sea-bass as an example, a species that is protected here.  According to the fishmonger.ie website, we import wild Sea-bass from France and farmed version from Greece and Turkey. In all, in 2012, we imported (according to BIM figures) some €203 million worth of fish, a staggering 75,000 tonnes (mainly from Norway).

No problem buying Irish fish at your local market stalls but be careful in the supermarket, especially at the fresh fish counter. The Goatsbridge trout is not always sold under that name but the tag on the counter does say Irish farmed trout.

Cobh’s Frank Hederman is renowned for smoking fish. Not just mackerel but also salmon and do watch out as well for his mussels. If using mackerel in your main course, go for the whole fish but as a starter, the fillets (which come plain or coated with chives or chili) are fine. We used the chive one and bought it at the English Market. By the way, the salad and the baby beets both came from Derek’s Green Field Farm stall at the Mahon Point Farmers Market.

Over then to the local Dunne’s Stores for the trout and that was eventually served with seasonal vegetables and new potatoes. The potatoes and carrots were also bought at Mahon, from the Burns farm stall. And if you do call to Sandra and Joe, be sure and get some of their fabulous Vegetable Crisps.

The vegetables, for the trout, were done using Edward Hayden's Prepare-Ahead Vegetable method, detailed in his book Food to Love (pub. 2011). Basically, the veg are cooked separately, then cooled off, and kept in the fridge; take them out close to dinner-time and cook them all together, not forgetting to blanch and refresh! Got that book in the library the other day and it is proving very handy indeed.

Speaking of local, the raspberries for the delicious soufflé came from the back wall. Thankfully, the considerate blackbirds left just enough for us! Very satisfactory meal overall, especially suited to this time of year. Both the trout and mackerel are top notch products and I'd urge you to try them. Each is highly recommended.

Find out all about Frank Hederman and his smokehouse here.

All the details on Kilkenny's Goatsbridge Trout available here.

Both have online shopping.

Taste of the Week. A Woodside Farm Special!

Taste of the Week. A Woodside Farm Special!

If you are heading down to the weekly Mahon Point Farmers Market this Thursday, make a beeline to the Woodside Farm stall and treat yourself to our Taste of the Week.

Martin Conroy’s blackboard gives all the details: Free Range Saddleback Hog Roast, with caramelised Onion, Apple sauce, Ballymaloe relish, Mustard and salad, all contained (almost) in a lovely bap by Pana. The slow cooked meat comes with a guarantee:  All our meat comes from pigs born on our farm.

Martin and wife Noreen (and increasingly the younger members of the family) operate not just in Mahon but also in Douglas, Cobh and Midleton markets. Their products are on sale in the shop at the Ballymaloe Cookery School and you’ll also see them next month in the Big Shed in Ballymaloe during the LitFest.

“We breed pedigree Saddleback and Pedigree Gloucester Old Spot pigs.They live outdoors all of their lives where they root and forage, they sleep in movable arks on straw bedding.We don't feed our pigs commercial ration instead they are fed mainly rolled wheat and we also grow Kale and Swede Turnip.They are rotated onto fresh pasture regularly.”

You may well be familiar with his tasty pork and bacon products but this recently introduced hot dish is something special. “That’ll set you up for the day,” Martin called to me as I queued up last Thursday (it does get very busy as lunch-time  approaches).  He wasn't kidding. This wasn't just a lunch snack. Think dinner here! Massive and massively tasty. Very Highly Recommended.

Taste of the Week

Taste of the Week

Old Millbank smoked salmon, served with a Cajun style potato salad.

Sometimes I make the mistake of thinking all good things are to be found on social media, that all local food producers use either Twitter and Facebook or both. Of course, that is not the case. And you could lose out if you confine yourself to those online. Take the Old Millbank Smokery in North Cork, for instance. You'll find Geraldine Bass's smoked salmon in some of the best local restaurants. And you can get to meet and chat with the award winning producer herself at her stall in the local markets. I bought the salmon in the picture above from her at Mahon Point where she also had other tasty products on sale, including a smashing salmon Pate.

The Conroy's of Woodside Farm in East Cork are also regulars at Mahon and other markets and are no strangers to social media. I have mentioned some of their products in recent weeks. But not this fantastic salami. All you need here really is a sharp knife. Be careful though, not just with the knife. I was eating this as fast as I could cut it. Addictive!

Taste of the Week

Taste of the Week

Una's Pies are becoming widely available though it was from her regular Mahon Point Farmers Market stall that I bought this Chicken, Chorizo and pepper beauty, a real warmer-up on a cold winter's day and our Taste of the Week.

No wonder she has been picking up Blas na hEireann awards in Dingle for the past three years, including Artisan Producer of the Year in 2011. The pies are produced in Cork "with the finest Irish ingredients and using suppliers we know and trust". 

The chorizo in this one comes from Gubbeen and the pastry is absolutely gorgeous. A pie full of flavour and my current favourite. But that could change as Una has quite a list to choose from including Chicken,Leek and Cheese; Steak & Murphy's; Chicken Thai Green Curry; Chicken and Asparagus; Roast Veg and Goats Cheese; 4 Bean Chilli; and Chicken and Mushroom.

Market Meal #6. Scallops and Rashers, John Dory and Puy Lentils, Bromleys and Dates

Market Meal #6
Buy local, fresh and fair!
Scallops and Rashers, John Dory and Puy Lentils, Bromleys and Dates

A three course meal, sourced mainly in Cork’s English Market on Saturday morning.

Chateau Soucherie
Anjou Blanc 2009.

Bought the scallops and the John Dory from the cheery crew at Ballycotton Seafood. I was on the lookout for the Ummera Smoked Rashers but the Market’s Good Food Shop was out of stock and they didn’t have them in Brown Thomas Food Emporium either but there was a super sub available in the nearby Supervalu where I got a pack of Truly Irish Beechwood Smoked.

You’ll find lots of Scallops plus Rashers recipes on the internet and most follow the same pattern. Fry the rashers first but take them up before they start to get hard; wrap them around the scallops, securing each "parcel" with a cocktail stick.

From the local market!

Heat some butter and crushed garlic in a pot and brush the exposed parts of the scallops with this. And you’re on your way to a terrific starter. The bacon is a very compatible wrap for the sweet scallop in terms of structure, colour, texture and flavour and certainly a change from the black (sometimes white) pudding option.

The John Dory was fresh as could be and, pan-fried with a knob of butter and olive oil, went very well with the Puy Lentils (from Lenny in Mahon Point Farmers Market) and some sun-dried tomatoes from the Olive Stall in the English Market.

A healthy dessert might seem like a contradiction in terms but there are quite a few of them in Healthy Ways, the new cookbook by Croí, including Winter Spiced Baked Apples by Gregan’s Castle Hotel. They use eating apples (Granny Smiths) but we had some Bromleys from Cahir’s Apple Farm to use up and they worked well (with an extra bit of brown sugar!).

The spice is provided by a combination of dried dates (€1.99 for a packet from Dunne’s Stores), raisins, light muscovado sugar, mixed spice and orange zest and juice. 

You may order the recipe packed Healthy Ways online at www.croi.ie . Highly recommended.